Jorge Amaral Rodrigues

Amaral

Personal information
Full name	Jorge Amaral Rodrigues
Date of birth	(1970-06-01) 1 June 1970
Place of birth	Xai-Xai, Mozambique
Height
Position(s)	Right winger
Youth career
1983−1988	Sporting
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1988−1994	Sporting	29	(0)
1988−1989	→ Académico de Viseu (loan)	30	(1)
1994−1995	Benfica	11	(1)
1995−1996	Felgueiras	23	(4)
1996−1997	Belenenses	14	(0)
1997−1999	Vitória de Setúbal	31	(2)
1999−2000	Santa Clara	13	(1)
2000−2002	Atlético	43	(9)
2002−2004	Olhanense	49	(0)
2004−2005	Beira-Mar de Monte Gordo	8	(0)
Total		300	(18)
International career
1986−1987	Portugal U16	14	(0)
1988	Portugal U18	10	(2)
1990	Portugal U20	3	(1)
1991−1992	Portugal U21	9	(1)
Managerial career
2004–2005	Seixal
2005–2006	GD Peniche
2006–2007	Estoril Praia (assistant)
2007–2008	Fabril
2008–2010	GD Peniche
2010–2011	Real
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jorge Amaral Rodrigues (born 1 June 1970), commonly known as Amaral is a former Portuguese footballer who played as a right winger.

Club career

Born in Xai-Xai in Mozambique, Amaral joined Sporting C.P. youth ranks in 1983, as a 13-year-old. In 1988, Amaral went on a loan deal to Académico de Viseu, in the last year that the Viseu team competed in the Primeira Liga. He debuted on 11 September 1988, adding 29 more games in the rest of the season, scoring once.

In the next season, he made his first cap for Sporting; on 25 February 1990, at the hands of Raul Águas, in a home win against F.C. Penafiel. However, in the following season, he suffered a car crash that sideline him for the entire year, reappearing in the next season, mainly as a bench player.

His best season in Alvalade was in 1992-93, when he made 13 league appearances, dropping to just five in his last year with the Lions.

In 1994, Amaral, together with Marinho, joined S.L. Benfica. He debuted on 10 September 1994, remaining a bench player throughout the season, only making eleven league caps. He is best remembered for the disallowed goal on the second leg of the 1994 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, against FC Porto. Vítor Baía defended a ball from an isolated player, using his hands well off the penalty area, with Amaral pushing it into the goal line, yet, referee Donato Ramos, controversially claimed an offside offence had occur, despite no interference in the play from any striker.

For the 1995-96 season, Amaral was released and joined Jorge Jesus, FC Felgueiras, racking up 23 league games, proving unsuccessful at preventing the team relegation. His performances were enough to spark the interest of other top tier teams, moving on to C.F. Os Belenenses in 1996-97. A year later, he moved to Vitória F.C., scoring two goals in seventeen league games in his debut season, with none in his latter.

His last season in the top tier, was in 1999-2000, at C.D. Santa Clara, managed by Manuel Fernandes. The 30-year-old played 13 matches, scoring once, in an individual effort, on 14 May 2000, in a 3–2 win against his former team, Vitória de Setúbal.

He then moved to Atlético in the third tier, making over 40 appearances, with his best year arriving in 2001-02, when he scored seven goals. His final seasons were then at S.C. Olhanense, and Beira-Mar de Monte Gordo, ending his football career in 2005, and beginning a managerial one.

International career

Amaral represented under-20 team in the 1989 FIFA Under-20, scoring against Brazil in the semi-finals, helping the national team conquer the tournament.

He made 36 caps from under-16 to under-21 level, scoring 4 times

External links

• Jorge Amaral Rodrigues profile at ForaDeJogo
• Jorge Amaral Rodrigues at footballzz.co.uk