João Domingos Pinto

For other Portuguese footballers named João Pinto, see João Pinto.

João Pinto

Personal information
Full name	João Domingos da Silva Pinto
Date of birth	(1961-11-21) 21 November 1961
Place of birth	Oliveira do Douro, Portugal
Height
Position(s)	Right back
Youth career
1974–1976	Oliveira Douro
1976–1981	Porto
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1981–1997	Porto	407	(17)
International career
1983–1996	Portugal	70	(1)
Managerial career
2010–2011	Covilhã
2013	Chaves
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

João Domingos da Silva Pinto (born 21 November 1961) is a Portuguese retired footballer and a current manager.

Having spent his entire professional career with Porto (16 years, winning a total of 25 major titles, namely nine leagues and the 1987 European Cup), he is regarded as one of the greatest Portuguese right backs of all-time.

Pinto represented the Portuguese national team during more than one decade, appearing with it in one World Cup and one European Championship.

Playing career

Pinto was born in Oliveira do Douro, Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto. An FC Porto trainee, it did not take him long to establish himself as a renowned defensive element in the legendary 1980s Porto side and the Portuguese national team. When Fernando Gomes broke his leg before the 1986–87 European Cup final against FC Bayern Munich, he was picked as the captain, and reportedly only released the cup on Portuguese soil, after the 2–1 win in Vienna.

Always an undisputed starter, Pinto retired after the 1996–97 season after 16 years as a professional, helping the northerners to their first three-leagues-in-a-row accolade (in total he won nine national championships, four cups, and was part of the treble team which won the Champions Cup, the European Supercup and the Intercontinental Cup). Given his devotion and long service to the club, he was subsequently given a place coaching its youth teams.

Pinto totalled 70 caps with one goal for Portugal, being selected as national captain on 42 occasions. After seeing the nation's 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification hopes squashed after a 0–1 away loss against Italy he left the field in tears, further enhancing his nickname, Capitão; he played internationally in UEFA Euro 1984 and at the 1986 World Cup – Bobby Robson, who coached Porto, once remarked of him: "He has two hearts and four legs. It's extremely difficult to find a player like him."

João Domingos Pinto: International goals

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	26 April 1989	Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal	Switzerland	1–0	3–1	1990 World Cup qualification

Managerial career

Pinto began working as a head coach in the Portuguese second division. He started with S.C. Covilhã, moving in January 2013 to G.D. Chaves.

Honours

Team

• European Cup: 1986–87
• UEFA Super Cup: 1987
• Intercontinental Cup: 1987
• Portuguese League: 1984–85, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97
• Portuguese Cup: 1983–84, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1993–94
• Portuguese Supercup: 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997

Individual

• UEFA European Championship: Team of the Tournament 1984

See also

• List of one-club men

External links

• João Pinto at footballzz.co.uk
• João Pinto profile at ForaDeJogo
• Pinto.html João Domingos Pinto at National-Football-Teams.com
• João Pinto – FIFA competition record
• Portugal stats at Eu-Football

Sporting positions
Preceded by Fernando Gomes	Portugal national football team captain 1988–1995	Succeeded by Vítor Baía