Paulo Ferreira
Template:Short description Template:For multi Template:Portuguese name Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football biography Paulo Renato Rebocho Ferreira Template:Post-nominals (Template:IPA; born 18 January 1979) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a full-back.
After starting out at Estoril, he went on to spend the vast majority of his 16-year career with Porto and Chelsea, signing with the latter in 2004 for €20 million. He won several major titles with both clubs, including two Primeira Liga titles, three Premier League trophies and the 2004 and 2012 editions of the Champions League.
Ferreira earned 62 caps for the Portugal national team between 2002 and 2010, playing at two European Championships and two World Cups and finishing as runner-up at Euro 2004.
Club career
Early career
Born in Cascais, Lisbon District, Ferreira started his career in the Segunda Liga with Estoril. In the following two seasons he was relatively played, representing the club in both that and the third divisions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=DN>Template:Cite news</ref>
Ferreira signed with Vitória de Setúbal for 2000–01,<ref name=DN/> scoring two goals in 33 games during the campaign to help his team promote to the Primeira Liga after finishing in third place.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His first appearance in the competition took place on 13 August 2001, in a 3–1 away loss against Marítimo.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Porto
Ferreira moved to Porto in the summer of 2002, signed by coach José Mourinho<ref name=BBC>Template:Cite web</ref> who converted him from right midfielder to right-back. He only missed two league games over his two-year stint, as the club won back-to-back national championships.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ferreira was also in the starting XI in the 2003 UEFA Cup final against Celtic in Seville (which ended with a 3–2 win),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> that year's 1–0 defeat of União de Leiria in the Taça de Portugal which meant the conquest of the treble<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the 2004 UEFA Champions League final, won against Monaco.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Chelsea
On 22 June 2004, Ferreira joined Chelsea for €20 million (£13.2 million),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=BBC/> reuniting at Stamford Bridge with both Mourinho and former Porto teammate Ricardo Carvalho, both of whom were also signed in the off-season. He impressed greatly in his first year, appearing in 42 competitive matches and helping to the Premier League title after a 50-year wait.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ferreira scored his first competitive goal for the Blues on 19 February 2006, in a 3–1 home victory over Colchester United in the FA Cup's fifth round.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 30 April, as his team wrapped up a second successive league title with a 3–0 win over Manchester United, his tackle on Wayne Rooney fractured the England striker's metatarsal and jeopardised his chance's of going to June's World Cup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rooney admitted in 2022 that this injury was caused in part by his choice to wear longer studs on his boots, ironically in order to hurt others.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2006–07, Ferreira lost his importance in the squad, first being overtaken in his position by Khalid Boulahrouz and then midfielders Lassana Diarra and Geremi;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> he did play the full 120 minutes of the 1–0 FA Cup win against Manchester United on 19 May 2007, the first final to be played at the new Wembley.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2007–08, Ferreira played second-fiddle to Juliano Belletti and Michael Essien. He signed a new five-year deal with Chelsea on 18 February 2008,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> switching from jersey #20 to #19 at the start of the following season following Deco's arrival.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 23 September 2009, following a lengthy injury lay-off,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ferreira returned to action in a League Cup match against Queens Park Rangers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 2 December, in the same competition, he netted his second and last goal for the Londoners, a late equaliser in extra time of the quarter-finals at Blackburn Rovers which ended in a penalty shootout loss.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Following physical problems that afflicted José Bosingwa, Ashley Cole and Branislav Ivanović, Ferreira was given a more consistent role as a starter as Yuri Zhirkov featured in the other defensive wing, most significantly in the 7–1 rout of Aston Villa<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the 2–1 victory at Manchester United.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He still contributed with 20 official appearances, helping his team win the double.
Ferreira appeared in his 200th game for Chelsea on 20 April 2011, playing the entire 3–1 home win against Birmingham City.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was once described by Mourinho as "a player who will never be Player of the match but will always score 7/10 for his individual display".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ferreira featured often under Carlo Ancelotti but, after his sacking and his replacement with André Villas-Boas, found it hard to find a place in the squad as the latter manager opted for a younger squad in detriment of several veterans.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His first game of the 2011–12 campaign was on 21 September 2011, on a penalty shootout win over Fulham for the League Cup.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His first league appearance occurred on 22 December, after coming on for injured Ivanović in a 1–1 draw away to Tottenham Hotspur;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> in the final minutes of that match, he suffered a fractured cheekbone in a clash with Gareth Bale.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 27 March 2012, in his first UEFA Champions League start of the season, Ferreira had another solid defensive performance to help Chelsea defeat Benfica 1–0 at the Estádio da Luz.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and eventually win the quarter-final tie 3–1. On 19 May, he was an unused substitute in the final against Bayern Munich.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Ferreira's contract ran through the summer of 2013, and both player and club confirmed that they would not renew it upon its expiration.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He made his last appearance in a league fixture with Everton on 19 May 2013, coming on as a late substitute to a round of applause as the 2–1 win secured the hosts a spot in the Champions League group stage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Afterwards, teammate Frank Lampard addressed the crowd and praised the 34-year-old defender, who announced he was retiring from professional football and thanked the fans for their continued support;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> over nine seasons, he appeared in 217 official games.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
International career
Between the Portuguese under-20 and under-21 sides, Ferreira appeared in a total of 27 matches. He made his debut for the full side on 7 September 2002, playing the second half of a 1–1 friendly draw with England at Villa Park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ferreira was selected by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari for the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament. He started their opening match against Greece, but a series of mistakes in the 1–2 loss saw him dropped for Miguel for the rest of the tournament.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Following an injury to the latter late into the first half of the final, however, he returned to action in another defeat to the same opponent, now 1–0.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ferreira made two appearances for Portugal in the 2006 World Cup: in the 0–1 semi-final loss against France, he replaced injured Miguel during the second half,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and started the third place play-off against the host country Germany (1–3 defeat).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Subsequently, he faced competition from Bosingwa and Miguel for the right-back slot, and was often deployed at the opposite flank following the retirement of Nuno Valente.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Ferreira was named in the squad for the Euro 2008.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He started all four games as a left-back, in an eventual quarter-final exit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
A regular in the 2010 World Cup qualifying phase, Ferreira would then be included in the 23-men squad to represent the Selecção in the finals.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He only played the opening game in South Africa, a goalless draw to the Ivory Coast.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 30 August 2010, Ferreira announced he would be also retiring from the national team, shortly after Simão Sabrosa did.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Post-retirement
After retiring, Ferreira worked for Chelsea as an ambassador and assistant loan player technical coach.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 5 July 2023, he was appointed assistant manager at French Ligue 1 club Lille, joining his compatriot Paulo Fonseca's staff.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The pair continued working together subsequently, at AC Milan<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Lyon.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Estoril | 1997–98<ref name="FDJ">Template:ForaDeJogo</ref> | Segunda Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1998–99<ref name="FDJ"/> | Segunda Liga | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 15 | 0 | ||||
| 1999–2000<ref name="FDJ"/> | Segunda Divisão | 21 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 22 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 36 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 3 | ||
| Vitória Setúbal | 2000–01<ref name="FDJ"/> | Segunda Liga | 33 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | 35 | 2 | |||
| 2001–02<ref name="FDJ"/> | Primeira Liga | 34 | 0Template:Efn | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | 36 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 67 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 2 | ||
| Porto | 2002–03<ref name="FDJ"/> | Primeira Liga | 30 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 12 | 0 | – | 47 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04<ref name="FDJ"/> | Primeira Liga | 32 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 13 | 0 | 2Template:Efn | 0 | 52 | 0 | ||
| Total | 62 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 99 | 0 | ||
| Chelsea | 2004–05<ref>Template:Soccerbase season</ref> | Premier League | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | 42 | 0 | |
| 2005–06<ref>Template:Soccerbase season</ref> | Premier League | 21 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1Template:Efn | 0 | 32 | 1 | |
| 2006–07<ref>Template:Soccerbase season</ref> | Premier League | 24 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1Template:Efn | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
| 2007–08<ref>Template:Soccerbase season</ref> | Premier League | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09<ref>Template:Soccerbase season</ref> | Premier League | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10<ref>Template:Soccerbase season</ref> | Premier League | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 | 1 | ||
| 2010–11<ref>Template:Soccerbase season</ref> | Premier League | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1Template:Efn | 0 | 29 | 0 | |
| 2011–12<ref>Template:Soccerbase season</ref> | Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13<ref>Template:Soccerbase season</ref> | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1Template:Efn | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 141 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 217 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 306 | 4 | 34 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 60 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 424 | 7 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 2002 | 2 | 0 |
| 2003 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 62 | 0 | |
Honours
Porto<ref name=SW/>
- Primeira Liga: 2002–03, 2003–04
- Taça de Portugal: 2002–03
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2003
- UEFA Champions League: 2003–04
- UEFA Cup: 2002–03
Chelsea<ref name=SW/>
- Premier League: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- FA Cup: 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12
- Football League Cup: 2004–05, 2006–07
- FA Community Shield: 2005
- UEFA Champions League: 2011–12
- UEFA Europa League: 2012–13
Portugal
- UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2004<ref name=SW/>
Individual
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2002–03
- ESM Team of the Year: 2003–04
Orders
- Error creating thumbnail: Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (House of Braganza)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
References
External links
- Template:ForaDeJogo
- Template:Soccerbase
- Template:FPF national player
- Template:NFT player
- Template:FIFA player
Template:Navboxes Template:2003 UEFA Team of the Year Template:Portalbar
- 1979 births
- Living people
- Portuguese men's footballers
- Footballers from Cascais
- Men's association football full-backs
- Primeira Liga players
- Liga Portugal 2 players
- Segunda Divisão players
- G.D. Estoril Praia players
- Vitória F.C. players
- FC Porto players
- Premier League players
- Chelsea F.C. players
- UEFA Champions League–winning players
- UEFA Europa League–winning players
- Portugal men's youth international footballers
- Portugal men's under-21 international footballers
- Portugal men's international footballers
- UEFA Euro 2004 players
- 2006 FIFA World Cup players
- UEFA Euro 2008 players
- 2010 FIFA World Cup players
- Portuguese expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in England
- Chelsea F.C. non-playing staff
- Lille OSC non-playing staff
- Olympique Lyonnais non-playing staff
- AC Milan non-playing staff
- Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in France
- Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Italy