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Portuguese Abroad 2005/06 season review

Comprehensive guide

The 2005/06 season was a contrasting campaign for Portugal’s contingent of players across the continent. While the likes of Deco, Tiago and Ricardo Carvalho picked up major silverware, there were injury nightmares for Jorge Andrade and Ricardo Sousa. On an individual level Pauleta enjoyed a superb campaign, while Helder Postiga and Fernando Meira had seasons to forget.

PortuGoal brings you a comprehensive guide of how the 2005/06 season panned out for the ever-increasing number of Portuguese players plying their trade outside their homeland.

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Belgium

Sergio Conceicao (Standard Liege)

Former Porto winger Sergio Conceicao was enjoying another exceptional season in Belgium when he received a long-term suspension for assaulting officials after being sent off in March. It was a major blow to the former Porto winger, who had been influential in Standard’s challenge for the Belgian title. Without Conceicao, Standard lost out to Anderlecht in the race for the Jupiler league title.

Apps: 27 Goals: 7 (league only)

Others:

Jorge Costa joined Sergio Conceicao at Standard in January, and quickly established himself in the side, making 16 appearances for Standard in the second half of the season. Former Boavista midfielder Almani Moreira has been at Standard for five years now, and the 27-year-old also played his part in the club’s strong showing.

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England

Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea)

Carvalho incurred the wrath of Jose Mourinho at the start of the season after complaining about the lack of football he was playing. Mourinho later revealed that he blasted Carvalho in front of his team-mates, and the former Porto defender reacted perfectly, going on to start 33 games for the Blues as they secured their second consecutive Premiership title. The 28-year-old’s season highlight came as he put in a man-of-the-match performance and scored the final goal as Chelsea hammered Manchester United 3-0 in April.

Chelsea Apps: 33 (2) Goals: 3
Portugal Apps: 6 Goals: 0

Ricardo Vaz Te (Bolton)

The former Farense youngster was contemplating a move away from Bolton in January after failing to build on the form that saw him voted the club’s ‘Young Player of the Year in 2004/05. However, the 19-year-old sparked into life in the closing months of the season, and scored three goals in his side’s last four league games before being called into the Portugal squad for the European Under-21 Championships.

Bolton Apps: 8 (24) Goals: 6

Others:

Paulo Ferreira produced another unspectacular yet solid campaign with Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, making 32 appearances for the Blues before being called into the Portugal squad for the World Cup. International midfielder Maniche joined Chelsea in January after an unhappy spell in Russia with Dynamo Moscow. But the 28-year-old struggled to make an impact at Stamford Bridge, getting sent off against West Ham in one of just five starts. Nuno Valente has impressed Everton fans in his first campaign in the Premiership, making over 25 appearances for the Toffees.

Cristiano Ronaldo 2005/06 season review >>

Pedro Mendes 2005/06 season review >>

Luis Boa Morte 2005/06 season review >>

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France

Helder Postiga (St Etienne)

After a difficult first half of the season saw Postiga make just two league appearances for Porto, the Portuguese International striker made the move to France with St Etienne, but is still to show his best form. Three goals in seventeen appearances in France was a disappointing return. Scoring the winner against Le Mans in February was a highlight for the forward.

Porto Apps: 2 Goals: 0
St Etienne Apps: 15 (2) Goals: 3
Portugal Apps: 0 (7) Goals: 0

Others:

Experienced defender Beto made the move from Sporting to high-flying French outfit Bordeaux in January. But after a dream start saw him score both goals in a 2-1 French Cup win, injuries contributed to the centre-half making just a handful of appearances as his side finished second in Ligue 1. Another former Sporting player, Jose Delfim, has been released by Marseille after a disappointing campaign saw him make just nine appearances in the French top flight.

Pauleta 2005/06 season review >>

Tiago 2005/06 season review >>

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Italy

Rui Costa (Milan)

The veteran midfielder’s final season in Italian football saw him play an important squad role for the Rossoneri, making 29 appearances in the League and Champions League. Although he was mainly used as an understudy to Brazilian Kaka, Costa started twelve league games in Serie A, before agreeing to return to Portugal with Benfica.

Apps: 12 (17) Goals: 0

Others:

37-year-old defender Fernando Couto made 23 appearances for Parma as the Gialloblu comfortably avoided relegation, before signing a one-year contract extension at the Ennio Tardini. Jose Vidigal was in and out of the Udinese team throughout the campaign, but finished with over 30 appearances for the mid-table side.

Figo 2005/06 season review >>

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Germany

Fernando Meira (Stuttgart)

After links with Liverpool and Schalke in August, Fernando Meira decided to stay in Germany as former Benfica manager Giovanni Trapattoni took over at Stuttgart. But it was a nightmare season for the club, and the Italian was sacked in February after just 27 points from 20 matches. Meira and Stuttgart ultimately claimed a ninth place finish in the Bundesliga.

Apps: 38 (0) Goals: 0

Others:

Bad luck with injury ruined Ricardo Sousa’s season after the midfielder moved to Germany from Boavista last summer. Early season ligament damage reduced the 27-year-old to just three league appearances for Hannover. Defender Ze Antonio had a solid season for Borussia Monchengladbach after a summer move from Academica.

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Spain

Miguel (Valencia)

After his summer move from Benfica, Miguel has made a big impact in Spain and played his part in helping Valencia to a third place finish in La Liga. An outstanding goal on his debut against Deportivo announced his arrival in spectacular fashion, and the right-back was an automatic starter in Valencia’s back four for the rest of the season. His form has seen him edge ahead of Chelsea’s full-back Paulo Ferreira in the battle for the right-back berth for the World Cup.

Valencia Apps: 31 Goals: 1
Portugal Apps: 3 Goals: 0

Jorge Andrade (Deportivo La Coruna)

Portugal’s first choice centre back will miss the World Cup due to a serious knee injury picked up shortly after scoring during his side’s 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in March. His season had started well, scoring twice against Newcastle in the Intertoto Cup. As one of his club’s most important players, Andrade’s absence was felt by Depor, who kept just two clean sheets in the 12 games after he was injured. His injury is likely to delay a potential move to a bigger club, with Inter having previously shown an interest.

Coruna Apps: 20 Goals: 3
Portugal: 5 Apps: 1

Others:

Hugo Viana joined Valencia on loan from Newcastle in August, and made the move permanent in January. However, the former Sporting man has made little impact at the Mestalla, starting just four games, with most of his appearances coming as a late sub.

Defender Jose Nunes made a good impression at Mallorca following his January move from Braga, starting seventeen games in the second half of the La Liga season. Malaga finished bottom of La Liga, with Portuguese duo Litos and Duda struggling to make an impression on the first team.

Deco 2005/06 season review >>