Miguel Monteiro

Miguel
	Miguel in action for Valencia in 2006
Personal information
Full name	Luís Miguel Brito Garcia Monteiro
Date of birth	4 January 1980 (age 45)
Place of birth	Lisbon, Portugal
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Right-back, winger
Youth career
1989–1994	Sporting CP
1994	Alverca
1995	Loures
1995–1996	Olhanense
1996–1999	Estrela Amadora
Senior career*
Years	Team
1999–2000	Estrela Amadora
2000–2005	Benfica
2002	Benfica B
2005–2012	Valencia
Total
International career
2000–2002	Portugal U21
2003–2010	Portugal
Medal record
Men's football
Representing Portugal
UEFA European Championship
	* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Luís Miguel Brito Garcia Monteiro OIH (born 4 January 1980), known simply as Miguel (Portuguese pronunciation: [miˈɣɛl]), is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a right-back or a winger.

He spent the vast majority of his career with Benfica (five seasons) and Valencia (seven), appearing in 161 official matches for the first club and 239 for the second while winning four major titles.

Miguel earned 59 caps for Portugal in the 2000s and represented the country at two World Cups and as many European Championships.^[3]

Club career

Early years and Benfica

Born in Lisbon of Bissau-Guinean and Cape Verdean descent,^[4] Miguel started his senior career with local C.F. Estrela da Amadora as a winger, having previously spent five years at Sporting CP's youth system and being released for being too short.^[5] On 30 April 1999, he made his first-team debut by playing 17 minutes in a 2–1 away loss against Boavista FC, then added 28 Primeira Liga appearances in his only full season as the capital club retained its top-division status.

Miguel moved to S.L. Benfica in summer 2000, making the transition to right midfielder and then right-back (by the hand of former Benfica player Fernando Chalana, in his only game as a transition coach) – the position that ultimately brought him international recognition.^[6]^[7] In the 2004–05 campaign, he contributed 22 matches and two goals to a national championship conquest after an 11-year wait.^[8]

Valencia

Miguel joined Valencia CF in August 2005, for a €7.5 million fee.^[9] Fully established as first choice, he signed a new five-year deal in September 2007,^[10] and helped the Che to win the Copa del Rey the following year, playing in the final 3–1 win against Getafe CF.^[11]^[12]

In 2009–10, Miguel was challenged by new signing Bruno.^[13] He still appeared in 25 matches as Valencia finished third and returned to the UEFA Champions League.^[14]^[15]

In May 2012, following several occasions where he displayed unprofessional behaviour,^[16]^[17]^[18] Miguel's contract expired and he was released.^[19] In 2014, he started practising with the SJPF (syndicate of professional football players) alongside other unemployed players to regain fitness.^[20]

International career

A Portugal international since making his debut against Italy on 12 February 2003,^[7] Miguel was a member of the squad when the country hosted UEFA Euro 2004. Initially a backup to Paulo Ferreira, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari made him the starting right-back in a reorganised defence after a 2–1 loss to Greece in the opening game;^[21] he withdrew injured in the first half of the final, a 1–0 defeat to the same team.^[22]

Miguel started every match at the 2006 FIFA World Cup before going off with an injury in the 1–0 semi-final loss against France.^[23] He backed up José Bosingwa in Euro 2008, and only appeared in the 2–0 group stage defeat to co-hosts Switzerland.^[24]

Picked for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – in spite of an irregular season at Valencia – Miguel was one of three right-backs used during Portugal's four games in the competition, appearing in the group stage 7–0 win over North Korea.^[25] In September 2010, the 30-year-old announced his retirement from international duty.^[3]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	League	Season	League		Cup		Europe		Super Cup		Total
Club	League	Season	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Estrela da Amadora	Primeira Liga	1998–99^[26]	4	0	0	0	–		–		4	0
	Primeira Liga	1999–00^[26]	28	0	2	0	–		–		30	0
	Total		32	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	34	0
Benfica	Primeira Liga	2000–01^[26]	23	1	2	0	1	1	–		26	2
		2001–02^[26]	27	6	2	0	–		–		29	6
		2002–03^[26]	29	1	0	0	–		–		29	1
		2003–04^[26]	30	2	5	0	10	0	–		45	2
		2004–05^[26]	22	2	4	0	5	0	1	0	32	2
	Total		131	12	13	0	16	1	1	0	161	13
Valencia	La Liga	2005–06^[27]^[28]	31	1	4	1	0	0	–		35	2
		2006–07^[27]^[28]	30	0	3	0	9	0	–		42	0
		2007–08^[27]^[28]	26	1	4	0	6	0	–		36	1
		2008–09^[27]^[28]	28	0	3	0	4	0	2	0	37	0
		2009–10^[27]^[28]	25	0	3	0	10	0	–		38	0
		2010–11^[27]^[28]	24	0	2	0	4	0	–		30	0
		2011–12^[27]^[28]	11	0	5	0	6	0	–		22	0
	Total		175	2	24	0	38	1	2	0	239	3
Career total			338	14	39	0	54	2	3	0	434	16

^?Information not available

International goal

International goal scored by Miguel Monteiro
Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	11 October 2003	Estádio do Restelo, Lisbon, Portugal	Albania	5–3	5–3	Friendly^[29]

Honours

Benfica

Valencia

Copa del Rey: 2007–08^[28]

Portugal

UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2004^[28]

Portugal Under-18

UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 1999^[30]

Orders

Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (House of Braganza)^[31]

References

^ "Luis MIGUEL Brito García [sic] Monteiro". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 May 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Miguel". Worldfootball. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Miguel se torna o 4º jogador a se aposentar da seleção portuguesa após a Copa" [Miguel becomes 4th player to retire from Portugal national team after Cup] (in Portuguese). ESPN. 22 September 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
^ "Ex-futebolista luso-guineense: MIGUEL CONSIDERA A GUINÉ-BISSAU UM 'DIAMANTE EM BRUTO'" [Former Portuguese-Guinean footballer: MIGUEL SEES GUINEA-BISSAU AS 'ROUGH DIAMOND']. O Democrata (in Portuguese). 11 June 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
^ "Miguel: Era uma vez um "anão" que se tornou grande" [Miguel: Once upon a time there was a "midget" who became big]. Record (in Portuguese). 1 May 2003. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
^ "Miguel: "Só não jogo à baliza"" [Miguel: "I play everywhere but in goal"]. Record (in Portuguese). 10 February 2003. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Miguel: Lateral dinâmico e rápido" [Miguel: Dynamic and quick full-back]. Record (in Portuguese). 29 June 2004. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
^ Pereira, António Pedro (23 May 2005). "Campeões, onze anos depois" [Champions, eleven years later]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 May 2020.
^ "Miguel makes switch to Mestalla". UEFA. 19 August 2005. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
^ "Miguel extends Mestalla stay". UEFA. 20 September 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
^ "Cup triumph salvages Valencia's season". UEFA. 16 April 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
^ Herguedas, Miguel Ángel (16 April 2008). "Una Copa para el perdón" [A Cup for forgiveness]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 April 2016.
^ Fuster, P. (21 January 2012). "Es el lateral derecho que más partidos ha jugado" [He is the right-back that has played the most matches]. Super Deporte (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 April 2016.
^ "El Valencia es el tercero con menos puntos en quince años" [Valencia are third with the fewest points in fifteen years]. Marca (in Spanish). 13 May 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
^ Montalt, Manolo (15 November 2018). "Un agujero eterno en la derecha" [Eternal right hole] (in Spanish). Plaza Deportiva. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
^ Ballester, H. (25 September 2007). "Miguel: "Salgo los jueves y fumo desde los 13 años"" [Miguel: "I go out on Thursdays and I've been smoking since I was 13"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 May 2023.
^ "Miguel vuelve a ser apartado del Valencia" [Miguel is ousted from Valencia again]. Libertad Digital (in Spanish). 25 February 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
^ Casañ, Joan (18 May 2021). "Miguel Brito, 'la bala' que enamoró a Mestalla" [Miguel Brito, 'the bullet' loved by Mestalla] (in Spanish). Golsmedia. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
^ Campos, Jaime (16 May 2012). "Miguel saldrá por el garaje" [Miguel will leave through the back door] (in Spanish). Deporte Valenciano. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
^ "Tenho propostas para voltar a jogar" [I have offers to play again] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 5 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
^ "Scolari sees new Portugal". BBC Sport. 16 June 2004. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
^ Tongue, Steve (24 July 2004). "Ferreira out to impress as Chelsea step into the sun". The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
^ "Portugal 0–1 France". BBC Sport. 5 July 2006. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
^ Harrold, Michael (15 June 2008). "Yakin goals send hosts out on a high". UEFA. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
^ Clarey, Christopher (21 June 2010). "Portugal pours it on in second half". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Miguel Monteiro at ForaDeJogo (archived)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Miguel Monteiro at BDFutbol
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Miguel Monteiro at Soccerway
^ "Portugal-Albânia, histórico: surpreendente seria haver derrotas" [Portugal-Albania, head-to-head: it would be a surprising thing to have a loss] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 25 November 2007. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
^ Tovar, Rui Miguel (30 July 1999). "Tributo aos sub-18" [Tribute to the under-18s]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 22 May 2023.
^ "Selecção distinguida pelo Duque de Bragança" [National team honoured by Duke of Bragança] (in Portuguese). Cristiano Ronaldo News. 30 August 2006. Retrieved 30 August 2006.