Fábio Coentrão facts for kids
Coentrão with Real Madrid in 2012
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Fábio Alexandre da Silva Coentrão | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 11 March 1988 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Vila do Conde, Portugal | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Left-back, winger | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2006 | Rio Ave | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Rio Ave | 29 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Benfica | 52 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | → Nacional (loan) | 16 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | → Zaragoza (loan) | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2009 | → Rio Ave (loan) | 16 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2018 | Real Madrid | 58 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | → Monaco (loan) | 15 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | → Sporting CP (loan) | 25 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Rio Ave | 21 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Rio Ave | 13 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 246 | (21) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Portugal U18 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Portugal U19 | 10 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2007 | Portugal U20 | 7 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2009 | Portugal U21 | 7 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| 2010 | Portugal U23 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2017 | Portugal | 52 | (5) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Fábio Alexandre da Silva Coentrão (born 11 March 1988) is a former Portuguese footballer. He mostly played as a left-back, but could also play as a winger. Sometimes, he even played as a defensive midfielder.
Fábio started his professional career with Rio Ave. At 19, he joined Benfica. He was loaned out a few times before becoming a key player for Benfica as a left-back.
In 2011, he moved to Real Madrid. He played for Portugal for eight years. During this time, he represented his country in two World Cups and Euro 2012. Fábio retired from football in 2021, ending his career at his first club, Rio Ave.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Rio Ave
Fábio Coentrão was born in Vila do Conde, Portugal. He grew up in a fishing area called Caxinas. He joined his hometown club, Rio Ave F.C., in 2004 when he was 16. He played a few games in his first season.
In the 2006–07 season, he became a regular player for Rio Ave. He was even called "Figo das Caxinas," comparing him to the famous Portuguese player Luís Figo. After this great season, many big clubs wanted him. He chose to join Benfica in July 2007.
Time with Benfica
Fábio didn't play much at Benfica at first. So, he was loaned out to other clubs. He played for C.D. Nacional and Real Zaragoza in Spain. In January 2009, he returned to Rio Ave on loan.
In 2009, Fábio signed a new contract with Benfica until 2015. He started playing more as a left-back. He scored his first goal in a European competition in December 2009. This was during a UEFA Europa League game.
The 2009–10 season was a big one for him. He played 45 games and helped Benfica win the league title. They also won the Taça da Liga, a Portuguese cup. He was named the "Portuguese League Breakthrough Player of the Year." In 2010, he scored two goals in a UEFA Champions League game against Olympique Lyonnais.
Playing for Real Madrid
On 5 July 2011, Fábio Coentrão joined Real Madrid. He signed a six-year contract. He made his first appearance in a friendly game. His first official games were against FC Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup.
He played in different positions for Real Madrid. His coach, José Mourinho, used him as a central midfielder and even a right-back. In his first year, he helped Real Madrid win the La Liga title.
Fábio scored his first goal for Real Madrid in December 2012. He helped his team come back to draw 2–2 against RCD Espanyol. In 2014, he played a key role in the Copa del Rey final. Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2–1 to win the cup. He also helped Real Madrid win their tenth European title, La Décima, in the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League.
Due to injuries, Fábio didn't play as much in the 2014–15 season. In August 2015, he was loaned to AS Monaco FC in France. He scored his first goal for Monaco in September. Real Madrid won the league again in 2017. Fábio played in a few games and also helped them win the Champions League for the second time in a row. In 2017, he was loaned to Sporting CP in Portugal.
Returning to Rio Ave
After his time at Real Madrid, Fábio Coentrão returned to Rio Ave F.C. in August 2018. He played for one season before leaving the club. In January 2020, he announced he was retiring from professional football. However, he later agreed to play for Rio Ave again for another year.
International Career
Fábio Coentrão played for Portugal's youth teams. He was named the best player in the 2007 Madeira Cup for the under-20 team. He also scored three goals in a game for the under-21 team.
In November 2009, Fábio was called up to the senior Portugal squad. He made his debut in a World Cup playoff game. He was chosen for the 2010 FIFA World Cup squad. He played in all of Portugal's games in South Africa.
On 10 August 2011, Fábio scored his first goal for Portugal. It was a header in a 5–0 win against Luxembourg. He played every minute for Portugal at UEFA Euro 2012, where they reached the semi-finals.
Fábio got injured in Portugal's first game at the 2014 FIFA World Cup against Germany. This injury meant he couldn't play for the rest of the tournament. He played an important role in a Euro 2016 qualifying game in 2015, scoring a goal against Serbia.
He missed UEFA Euro 2016, which Portugal won, because of a thigh injury. He was named in a large squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup but did not make the final team.
Personal Life
Fábio Coentrão's second cousin, Rui Coentrão, was also a footballer. He played in the same position as Fábio.
After retiring from football, Fábio decided to become a shipowner and fisherman. He followed in his father's footsteps. He said that life at sea is a job like any other and that he loves the sea. He always went fishing with his father as a child. He knew football would end one day, and he wanted to follow his dream of being a fisherman.
Honours
Benfica
- Primeira Liga: 2009–10
- Taça da Liga: 2009–10, 2010–11
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2011–12, 2016–17
- Copa del Rey: 2013–14
- Supercopa de España: 2012
- UEFA Champions League: 2013–14, 2016–17
- UEFA Super Cup: 2014
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2014, 2016
Sporting CP
- Taça da Liga: 2017–18
Individual Awards
- Liga de Honra Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2006–07
- Primeira Liga Young Player of the Month: October 2009, March 2010, April 2010, September 2010
- Primeira Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2009–10
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012
