Paulo Futre

Paulo Jorge dos Santos Futre (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpawlu ˈfutɾɨ]; born 28 February 1966[1]) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played mostly as a left winger.

This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is Santos and the second or paternal family name is Futre.
Paulo Futre
Futre in 2019
Personal information
Full name Paulo Jorge dos Santos Futre
Date of birth (1966-02-28) 28 February 1966
Place of birth Montijo, Portugal
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
1974–1975 Montijo
1975–1983 Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1983–1984 Sporting CP 21 (3)
1984–1987 Porto 81 (25)
1987–1993 Atlético Madrid 163 (38)
1993 Benfica 11 (3)
1993 Marseille 8 (2)
1993–1995 Reggiana 13 (5)
1995–1996 Milan 1 (0)
1996–1997 West Ham United 9 (0)
1997–1998 Atlético Madrid 10 (0)
1998 Yokohama Flügels 13 (3)
Total 320 (79)
National team
1983–1995 Portugal 41 (6)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

After starting playing for Sporting, he moved to Porto – winning the 1987 European Cup – after which he embarked in an extensive professional career, having represented clubs in Spain, France, Italy, England and Japan, most notably Atlético Madrid. He also appeared for Benfica during four months in 1993,[2] and his later years were blighted by injury problems.

A Portuguese international since the age of 17, Futre earned over 40 caps for his country, representing it at the 1986 World Cup.

Club career

Sporting / Porto

Born in Montijo, Setúbal District, Futre first appeared professionally in 1983–84, as a 17-year-old for Sporting CP, whose youth system he had joined at the age of nine. When he requested a pay raise from president João Rocha, he was turned down and left for FC Porto after just one season, as veterans Jaime Pacheco and António Sousa moved in the opposite direction as part of the deal.[3]

In the following years, Futre collected two Primeira Liga titles, also helping the northerners to the 1986–87 European Cup, putting on a Man of the match performance in the final against FC Bayern Munich.[4]

Atlético Madrid

After that continental win, Futre was traded to Atlético Madrid in Spain, earning a reported annual salary of €650,000.[5] At the capital club he quickly rose to fan favourite status, but his physical weakness left him with several knee injuries which tormented his career in the 1990s.[5]

In his fifth season, Futre provided countless assists for striker Manolo who scored 27 goals for the Pichichi Trophy,[6] with him netting in the campaign's Copa del Rey, a 2–0 win over neighbours Real Madrid.[7] During most of his spell with the Colchoneros, he was also team captain.

Journeyman / Retirement

In January 1993, Futre moved to Porto and Sporting rivals S.L. Benfica, winning a Taça de Portugal in his short stay (and scoring in the final against Boavista F.C. in a 5–2 triumph),[8] as his injury woes persisted. Afterwards, he signed a one-season contract with Olympique de Marseille, where he teamed up with countryman Rui Barros.[9][10] His time in France was largely disappointing, however, once again due to continual injuries, as well as competition from Dragan Stojković in his position, which limited him to only two goals in eight league appearances.[11][12]

Halfway through 1993–94, despite being linked with A.C. Milan, Futre eventually transferred to newly promoted Serie A side A.C. Reggiana 1919. On his debut, on 21 November 1993, he scored a memorable individual goal which opened the scoring in a 2–0 success over U.S. Cremonese and gave the hosts their first ever win in the top flight; during the second half, however, he suffered a serious injury after an aggressive challenge from Alessandro Pedroni, which kept him out for the rest of the season as his team narrowly avoided relegation.[9][10]

The following campaign, Futre managed only 12 appearances and netted four times, which were not enough to save Reggiana from relegation.[9][10] For 1995–96 he did move to Milan but, due to continuing injury troubles as well as competition from other talented offensive, creative players in his position, he only featured once for the Fabio Capello-led team, coming on as a substitute for Roberto Baggio in the final match of the season against Cremonese at the San Siro, which ended 7–1 for the hosts who celebrated the league conquest.[9][10][13]

After his time in Italy, Futre agreed to a one-year deal with West Ham United, where he infamously refused to play until he was given squad number 10.[14] Finally, he returned to Atlético Madrid (ten La Liga matches in 1997–98), effectively ending his career with J1 League club Yokohama Flügels; he ranked joint-98th in World Soccer's 100 Greatest Players of the 20th Century, published in December 1999.[15]

Futre worked as director of football at Atlético Madrid from 2000 to 2003,[16] subsequently becoming a real-estate developer in his hometown.[17] In May 2011, he was part of Dias Ferreira's team in an unsuccessful run for Sporting's presidency.[18]

International career

Futre played 41 times for Portugal in a 12-year span, scoring six goals. His debut came against Finland for the UEFA Euro 1984 qualifiers, on 27 April 1983 – he was only 17 years and 204 days old, breaking a national team record.[19]

Futre was a member of the national team that competed in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, playing 90 minutes in the 1–3 loss to Morocco in an eventual group stage exit.[20]

Style of play

A highly talented and creative left-footed winger whose playing style initially drew comparisons with Diego Maradona, Futre was known in particular for his explosive acceleration as well as his excellent technical ability. His dribbling skills, pace, agility and quick feet enabled him to be extremely fast with the ball at his feet and allowed him to take on several opponents.[21][22]

Due to his vision and work-rate, Futre was capable both of creating and scoring goals, and was a versatile player who was also deployed as a second striker and as an attacking midfielder on occasion during his time in Italy.[9] Despite the precocious talent he demonstrated in his youth, he was also prone to injuries which greatly affected his career, leading to increasingly inconsistent performances, a poorer goalscoring rate, and a premature retirement at the age of 32.[9][10]

Personal life

Futre's younger son, Fábio, was also a footballer. A midfielder, he played for Atlético Madrid's youth teams, and was called up for Portugal under-17s.[23] His nephew, Artur Futre, appeared professionally for F.C. Alverca, F.C. Maia and C.D. Aves, without much impact;[24] his older son, Paulo, played in a rock band, "Fr1day".

Paulo Sr. was also a television presenter, hosting the TVI 24 late night talk show A Noite do Futrebol.[25]

Career statistics

[26][27][28]

Club
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
Portugal League Taça de Portugal Taça da Liga Europe Total
1983–84SportingPrimeira Liga213----30243
1984–85PortoPrimeira Liga306----21327
1985–86267----30297
1986–872512----823314
Spain League Copa del Rey Copa de la Liga Europe Total
1987–88Atlético MadridLa Liga35831----389
1988–8928570--21376
1989–90261020--203010
1990–9126361--20344
1991–9231665--654316
1992–9316520--31216
Portugal League Taça de Portugal Taça da Liga Europe Total
1992–93BenficaPrimeira Liga11322--00135
France League Coupe de France Coupe de la Ligue Europe Total
1993–94MarseilleLigue 182
Italy League Coppa Italia League Cup Europe Total
1993–94ReggianaSerie A11
1994–95124
1995–96MilanSerie A10
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
1996–97West HamPremier League90
Spain League Copa del Rey Copa de la Liga Europe Total
1997–98Atlético MadridLa Liga10000--00100
Japan League Emperor's Cup J.League Cup Asia Total
1998Yokohama FlügelsJ1 League1330030-163
CountryPortugal 12331----16313934
Spain 17337267--15721351
France 82------82
Italy 145------145
England 90------90
Japan 1330030-163
Total 3407826730311040095

International

[29]

Portugal
YearAppsGoals
198310
198440
198541
198640
198720
198810
198941
199010
199182
199230
199382
199400
199510
Total416

International goals
Paulo Futre: International goals
GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
130 January 1985Estádio José Alvalade (1956), Lisbon, Portugal Romania1–02–3Friendly
220 September 1989Stade de la Maladière, Neuchâtel, Switzerland  Switzerland1–11–21990 World Cup qualification
323 January 1991Olympic Stadium (Athens), Athens, Greece Greece1–23–2Euro 1992 qualifying
49 February 1991Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta Malta0–10–1Euro 1992 qualifying
528 April 1993Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal Scotland3–05–01994 World Cup qualification
610 November 1993Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal Estonia1–03–01994 World Cup qualification

Honours

Club

Porto[30]

Atlético Madrid[30]

Benfica[30]

Milan[30]

Individual

References
  1. https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/14185/Paulo_Futre.html
  2. Cruz Martins, André (28 April 2016). "Entre o prestígio e o orgulho ou entregar o título ao Benfica" [Between prestige and pride or handing out title to Benfica]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  3. "Futre. "Eles disseram-me que estava louco e fui para o Porto"" [Futre. "They told me I was crazy and I went to Porto"]. i (in Portuguese). 1 August 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  4. 1986/87: Futre inspires Porto triumph; UEFA, 27 May 1987
  5. Coelho, João Nuno; Pinheiro, Francisco (November 2002). A Paixão do Povo [The People's Passion] (in Portuguese) (816 ed.). Edições Afrontamento. p. 587. ISBN 972-36-0624-0.
  6. "El gol del Atlético" [Atlético's goal]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 22 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  7. "Real Madrid-Atlético, seis finales y 4–2 para los rojiblancos" [Real Madrid-Atlético, six finals and 4–2 to the red-and-white]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 30 April 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  8. Malheiro, João (July 2006). Memorial Benfica 100 Glórias [Benfica Memorial, 100 glories] (in Portuguese) (Third ed.). QuidNovi. p. 110. ISBN 978-972-8998-26-4.
  9. Iaccarino, Lucio (16 April 2012). "Futre Paulo Jeorge [sic] dos Santos: le meteore del calcio italiano" [Futre Paulo Jeorge dos Santos: the meteors of Italian football] (in Italian). Tutto Calciatori. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  10. Chiavacci, Andrea (6 April 2015). "Paulo Futre, la prima volta e la sud esplode, ma è questione di un attimo" [Paulo Futre, his first appearance and the sud explodes, but only for a moment] (in Italian). Tutto Pisa. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  11. Camedda, Paolo (26 September 2020). "Paolo Futre, dal Pallone d'Oro sfiorato al fallo che gli spezzò la carriera" [Paolo Futre, from the narrowly missed Ballon d'Or to the foul that fractured his career] (in Italian). www.goal.com. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  12. Gabrielli, Fabrizio (27 July 2020). "L'eterna attesa di Paulo Futre" [The eternal wait for Paulo Futre] (in Italian). L'Ultimo Uomo. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  13. "Capello si congeda col Milan a forza 7" [Capello leaves Milan with a strong 7 goal display]. Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 13 May 1996. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  14. "Harry leaves his legacy". BBC Sport. 9 May 2001. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  15. World Soccer Players of the Century; at World Soccer
  16. Futre to leave Atlético; UEFA, 7 March 2003
  17. Simões de Abreu, Alexandra (20 August 2017). "Futre: "Quando estava no auge recebia de tudo. Cuequinhas, soutiens, chuchas... Fui muito assediado"" [Futre: "When I was at my peak I received everything. Panties, bras, pacifiers... I was heavily harassed"]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  18. Dias Ferreira: «O que mais cansou foi aturar Futre» (Dias Ferreira: «The most tiring thing was having to put up with Futre»); Mais Futebol, 26 March 2011 (in Portuguese)
  19. "Adeus Alvalade: Paulo Futre encanta na estreia oficial" [Goodbye Alvalade: Paulo Futre delights in official debut]. Record (in Portuguese). 6 May 2003. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  20. Paulo Futre – FIFA competition record
  21. Rossi, Paolo. "Paulo Futre, il Maradona lusitano" [Paulo Futre, the Lusitanic Maradona] (in Italian). Sport Review. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  22. Granello, Licia (29 May 1987). "Ecco I campioni poveri ma belli" [Here are the poor but beautiful champions]. La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  23. Fabio Jorge Futre se entrenó con el primer equipo del Atlético de Madrid (Fabio Jorge Futre trained with Atlético de Madrid's first team) Archived 19 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine; Join Futbol, 29 December 2009 (in Spanish)
  24. "Sub-20: Artur Futre quer seguir pisadas do tio Paulo" [Under-20: Artur Futre wants to follow in his uncle Paulo's footsteps]. Record (in Portuguese). 16 January 2003. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  25. "A Noite do Futrebol" [Futreball night] (in Portuguese). TVI 24. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  26. Paulo Futre at ForaDeJogo
  27. Paulo Futre at BDFutbol
  28. "Paulo Futre". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  29. "Futre Paulo". European Football. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  30. "FIFA World Cup countdown: Top 10 Portuguese footballers of all time". Sportsmole. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  31. Skorobahatko, Anatolii (25 August 2015). РОНАЛДУ, МЕССІ… [Ronaldo, Messi...] (PDF) (in Ukrainian). Football Great Ones. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
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