João Paulo (footballer, born June 1981)

João Paulo

Personal information
Full name	João Paulo Andrade[1]
Date of birth	(1981-06-06) 6 June 1981 (age 43)[1]
Place of birth	Leiria, Portugal[2]
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s)	Centre-back
Youth career
1992–1994	Portomosense
1994–1999	União Leiria
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1999–2006	União Leiria	131	(16)
2000–2001	→ União Tomar (loan)
2003	→ Sporting CP (loan)	6	(0)
2006–2009	Porto	11	(1)
2008–2009	→ Rapid București (loan)	26	(3)
2009–2010	Le Mans	23	(0)
2010–2012	Vitória Guimarães	45	(1)
2012–2014	Omonia	43	(6)
2014–2015	Apollon Limassol	19	(3)
2015–2016	AEL Limassol	28	(1)
2017–2019	Marinhense	48	(5)
2019–2024	Castrense	80	(17)
Total		460	(53)
International career
2002–2004	Portugal U21	12	(1)
2004	Portugal U23	1	(0)
2004–2005	Portugal B	3	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Portugal UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2004 Germany
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

João Paulo Andrade (born 6 June 1981), known as João Paulo, is a Portuguese former footballer who played mainly as a central defender.

He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 193 matches and 18 goals over nine seasons, almost all while at the service of União de Leiria (five years). He also played professionally in Romania, France and Cyprus.

Club career

A product of U.D. Leiria's youth academy, Leiria-born João Paulo was loaned to modest U.F.C.I. Tomar for 2000–01, re-joining Leiria the following season, being coached by a young José Mourinho and quickly becoming an important first-team member, while also being called by the Portugal under-21 side. In January 2003, having already gained the captain's armband, he was loaned to Sporting CP, but appeared sparingly for them.^[3][4]

After having performed solidly during the last two seasons, João Paulo was tipped to be transferred to one of the Primeira Liga greats and, in June 2006, FC Porto agreed his transfer. However, in preseason, he suffered a major knee injury that kept him out of action for several months,^[5] and went on to only serve as third or fourth option at the northerners; on two rare starts, he netted in a 3–0 win at his former club Leiria^[6] and was sent off in the 2008 final of the Taça de Portugal, lost against Sporting.^[7]

In July 2008 João Paulo, alongside teammate Cláudio Pitbull, was loaned to Romania's FC Rapid București, joining compatriot José Peseiro whom signed as manager.^[8] In August of the following year he moved countries again, signing a three-year deal with Le Mans UC 72 in France for about €1,5 million.^[9] He began the campaign as a starter, but eventually lost his importance after the sacking of compatriot Paulo Duarte, going on to suffer Ligue 1 relegation.

João Paulo returned to Portugal for 2010–11, joining Vitória SC.^[10] On 3 April 2011 he scored his first goal for the Guimarães-based team, netting a last-minute equaliser against his former side Sporting in a 1–1 home draw.^[11]

On 2 March 2017, after four seasons in the Cypriot First Division in representation of three clubs, the 35-year-old João Paulo returned to his homeland and joined amateurs A.C. Marinhense, where he played mainly as a forward.^[12]

International career

Of Cape Verdean descent,^[13] João Paulo represented Portugal at the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and the Summer Olympic Games the same year.^[14] He also played for the nation's B team.^[15]

Career statistics

As of 10 April 2016

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
União Leiria	1999–2000[16]	Primeira Liga	0	0	1	0	—		1	0
	2000–01[16]	Primeira Liga	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2001–02[16]	Primeira Liga	17	0	0	0	—		17	0
	2002–03[16]	Primeira Liga	19	3	2	1	—		21	4
	2003–04[16]	Primeira Liga	32	4	2	1	4[a]	0	38	5
	2004–05[16]	Primeira Liga	32	5	2	1	—		37	6
	2005–06[16]	Primeira Liga	31	4	1	0	—		32	4
	Total		131	16	8	3	4	0	143	19
Sporting CP (loan)	2002–03[16]	Primeira Liga	6	0	1	0	—		7	0
Porto	2006–07[16]	Primeira Liga	3	0	1	0	0	0	4	0
	2007–08[16]	Primeira Liga	8	1	5	0	2[b]	0	15	1
	Total		11	1	6	0	2	0	19	1
Rapid București (loan)	2008–09[17]	Liga I	25	3	0	0	1[a]	0	26	3
Le Mans	2009–10[17]	Ligue 1	23	0	3	1	—		26	1
Vitória Guimarães	2010–11[17]	Primeira Liga	22	1	6	1	—		28	2
	2011–12[17]	Primeira Liga	23	0	4	1	3[a]	0	30	1
	Total		45	1	10	2	3	0	58	3
Omonia	2012–13[17]	Cypriot First Division	22	2	5	0	0	0	27	2
	2013–14[17]	Cypriot First Division	21	4	3	0	2[a]	1	26	5
	Total		43	6	8	0	2	1	53	7
Apollon Limassol	2014–15[17]	Cypriot First Division	19	3	1	0	6[a]	0	26	3
AEL Limassol	2015–16[17]	Cypriot First Division	28	1	3	0	—		31	1
Career total			331	31	40	6	18	1	389	38

1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup
2. Appearances in UEFA Champions League

Honours

Porto

• Primeira Liga: 2006–07, 2007–08^[17]
• Taça de Portugal runner-up: 2007–08^[7]

Omonia

• Cypriot Super Cup: 2012^[17]

References

1. "Joao Paulo Andrade". 11v11. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
2. "João Paulo" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
3. Pedrosa, Paulo (30 January 2003). "Sporting garante João Paulo por empréstimo" [Sporting confirm João Paulo on loan] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
4. "João Paulo: "Seria orgulho enorme ir para o Benfica"" [João Paulo: 'It would be with enormous pride that I would go to Benfica']. Record (in Portuguese). 19 March 2004. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
5. "False start for Porto's João Paulo". UEFA. 7 August 2006. Retrieved 16 June 2010.
6. "FC Porto vence União de Leiria por 3–0" [FC Porto beat União de Leiria by 3–0]. Público (in Portuguese). 2 September 2007. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
7. "Sporting triumph denies Porto double". UEFA. 18 May 2008. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
8. "Zotta: "Claudio Pitbull a semnat pe un an cu Rapid, sperăm să ne ajute să luăm titlul"" [Zotta: "Claudio Pitbull signed for a year with Rapid, we hope it will help us take the title"]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 17 July 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
9. "Le fil info des transferts (01/08)" [Transfer newsfeed (01/08)] (in French). RTBF. 1 August 2009. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
10. Pereira, Marco (12 August 2010). "Guimaraes land Joao Paulo". PortuGOAL. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
11. Silva, Samuel (3 April 2011). "Golo tardio de João Paulo tira Sporting do pódio" [Late João Paulo goal takes Sporting from podium]. Público (in Portuguese). Retrieved 14 August 2017.
12. Castro, Ricardo Jorge (16 November 2017). "João Paulo, um bicampeão pelo FC Porto a brilhar na Marinha Grande" [João Paulo, back-to-back champion for FC Porto shining in Marinha Grande] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
13. "João Paulo, ex-jogador do Porto e Sporting reforça ataque do Castrense" [João Paulo, former Porto and Sporting player bolsters Castrense attack] (in Portuguese). Jornalismo Documental. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
14. Matias, Jorge Miguel (19 August 2004). "Eliminados e humilhados" [Eliminated and humiliated]. Público (in Portuguese). Retrieved 28 November 2023.
15. Garin, Erik; Nunes, João. "Torneio "Vale do Tejo" (Portugal)". RSSSF. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
16. João Paulo at ForaDeJogo (archived)
17. "João Paulo". Soccerway. Retrieved 1 April 2015.

External links

• João Paulo at ForaDeJogo (archived)
• João Paulo national team profile at the Portuguese Football Federation (in Portuguese)
• João Paulo – FIFA competition record (archived)