Fernando Couto Facts for Kids

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Silva and the second or paternal family name is Couto.

Quick facts for kids
Fernando Couto

Couto in 2011

Personal information

Full name

Fernando Manuel Silva Couto

Date of birth

2 August 1969 (age 56)

Place of birth

Espinho, Portugal

Height

1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)

Position(s)

Centre back

Youth career

1980–1985

Espinho

1985–1986

Lourosa

1986–1988

Porto

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

1988

Porto

(0)

1988–1989

Famalicão

(1)

1989–1990

Académica

(2)

1990–1994

Porto

106

(19)

1994–1996

Parma

(4)

1996–1998

Barcelona

(0)

1998–2005

Lazio

145

(9)

2005–2008

Parma

(1)

Total

438

(36)

International career

1989

Portugal U20

(0)

1989–1990

Portugal U21

(1)

1990–2004

Portugal

110

(8)

Managerial career

2012–2014

Braga (assistant)

Medal record

FIFA U-20 World Cup

Men's football
Representing Portugal
UEFA European Championship
	2004 Portugal
Bronze	2000 Belgium-Netherlands
Winner	1989 Saudi Arabia

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Fernando Manuel Silva Couto (born on August 2, 1969) is a famous Portuguese former professional footballer. He played as a centre back, which is a defensive position in football.

Fernando Couto had a very long career, playing for 21 years. He played for many top clubs in Portugal, Spain, and Italy. He played for 12 seasons in Italy! During his career, he played in almost 600 official matches. He won many important trophies in each country he played in. He also won three UEFA trophies, which are big European competitions.

Couto also played for the Portuguese national team in 110 games. He took part in the 2002 World Cup and three European Championships.

Fernando Couto's Club Journey
Fernando Couto's International Career
How Fernando Couto Played
Honours and Achievements
Images for kids
See also

Fernando Couto's Club Journey

Starting Out at Porto

Fernando Couto was born in Espinho, a city near Porto. He joined FC Porto's youth team when he was 17 years old. On June 2, 1988, he played his first game for the main team. This was in the Primeira Liga, Portugal's top football league.

He played for 90 minutes in a 1–0 win against Académica de Coimbra. This was his only game that season for Porto, who were the national champions. After that, he played one year each for F.C. Famalicão and Académica.

Returning to Porto and Winning Titles

Couto came back to Porto in 1990. He became a very important defender for the team. He helped Porto win six titles over four years.

Moving to Italy with Parma

After his successful time at Porto, Couto moved to Italy in 1994. He joined Parma AC. In his first season, he scored four goals in 27 games, which was his best scoring record. He also helped Parma win the UEFA Cup that season. They beat another Italian team, Juventus FC, in the final.

Playing for FC Barcelona

In the summer of 1996, Couto signed a four-year contract with FC Barcelona in Spain. He moved there with his former Porto teammate Vítor Baía. He played regularly at first, but then played less under the next coach. However, he still played in one of the two European finals that Barcelona won. This was the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1997.

Time at SS Lazio

After two seasons with Barcelona, Couto moved to SS Lazio in Italy in 1998. In his first year, he played in 22 matches. He helped his team finish second in the league. He also played a small part in the final of the last Cup Winners' Cup in 1999. Lazio won that final 2–1 against RCD Mallorca.

In 2001, Couto faced a challenge when a test showed a forbidden substance. He said he had not taken anything wrong. However, a second test confirmed the finding. He was then banned from playing for four months. After this, he continued to play regularly for Lazio for several more seasons.

Back to Parma and Retirement

In 2005, when he was 36 years old, Couto returned to Parma. He had played there 11 years earlier. He played regularly for two seasons. In his last season, 2007–08, he played only 17 matches. His team was also moved down from the top league that year. When his contract ended, he decided to stop playing football.

In June 2010, two years after he retired, Couto became the general manager at S.C. Braga. He later became the assistant manager for the 2012–13 season, leaving in February 2014.

Fernando Couto's International Career

The "Golden Generation"

When he was playing for Famalicão in the third division, Couto played four matches for the Portugal U20 team. This team won the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship. He was part of a special group of players known as the "Golden Generation" of Portuguese football.

Playing for the Senior National Team

Couto made his debut for the senior national team on December 19, 1990. This was in a friendly game against the United States. Portugal won that game 1–0.

He was always a first-choice player for Portugal. He played in UEFA Euro 1996, where he scored the only goal in a group game against Turkey. Portugal reached the quarter-finals that year. He also played in UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In the last two tournaments, he played alongside his former Porto teammate Jorge Costa. Portugal left the World Cup in the group stage.

Reaching 100 Caps and Euro 2004

Couto became the first Portuguese player to reach 100 caps (games played for the national team). He reached 110 caps in total. This happened on October 11, 2003, in a friendly game against Albania, which Portugal won 5–3.

He was chosen as the captain for UEFA Euro 2004, which was played in Portugal. He started in the first game against Greece. However, he was later moved to the bench. Portugal reached the final of the tournament, but they lost to Greece again.

How Fernando Couto Played

Fernando Couto is considered one of the greatest Portuguese defenders ever. He usually played as a centre-back. He was known for being a tough and strong defender. He played with an aggressive style and was good at tackling.

He was also very good at heading the ball. He could start quick attacks after winning the ball back from opponents. When he played in Italy, he learned to play in different team setups. Sometimes he marked specific players, and sometimes he played as a sweeper behind the main defenders.