Fernando Meira facts for kids
Meira in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 5 June 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Guimarães, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.92 m | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1988–1992 | Vitória Guimarães | ||
| 1992–1993 | Ribeira de Pena | ||
| 1993–1996 | Vitória Guimarães | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1996–2000 | Vitória Guimarães | 53 | (2) |
| 1998–1999 | → Felgueiras (loan) | 33 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | Benfica | 46 | (2) |
| 2002–2008 | VfB Stuttgart | 173 | (11) |
| 2008–2009 | Galatasaray | 21 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Zenit St. Petersburg | 35 | (1) |
| 2011–2012 | Zaragoza | 12 | (0) |
| Total | 373 | (16) | |
| National team | |||
| 1997–1998 | Portugal U20 | 14 | (0) |
| 1998–2000 | Portugal U21 | 20 | (0) |
| 2004 | Portugal Olympic (O.P.) | 3 | (1) |
| 2000–2008 | Portugal | 54 | (2) |
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Fernando José da Silva Freitas Meira (born 5 June 1978) is a former professional footballer from Portugal. He mostly played as a central defender, which is a player who helps protect the goal. He was known for being a strong and skilled defender.
Fernando Meira played for several famous clubs. In Portugal, he was well-known for playing with Vitória de Guimarães and also spent a year with Benfica. He then played for many years in Germany with VfB Stuttgart. Later, he played for teams in Turkey, Russia, and Spain. He also played 54 times for the Portugal national team, representing his country in big tournaments like the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008.
Contents
Fernando Meira's Club Career Highlights
Early Football Days and Benfica
Fernando Meira was born in Guimarães, Portugal. He started his professional football journey with his hometown club, Vitória Sport Clube. He had a strong season in 1999–2000, playing in 30 games. Before that, in 1998, he was loaned to F.C. Felgueiras. He was a key player in their defense, helping them almost get promoted to a higher league.
In the summer of 2000, Fernando Meira joined one of Portugal's biggest clubs, S.L. Benfica. He moved for about €4 million. In his first season, he played 31 matches and even became the team captain. However, the club didn't win any trophies during his time there.
Success with VfB Stuttgart
In January 2002, Fernando Meira moved to Germany to play for VfB Stuttgart. This transfer cost €7.5 million, which was a record for the club at the time. The team's manager called him a "trophy" signing, showing how much they believed in him. He played his first game on January 26, 2002, helping his team win 3–0 against Hamburger SV.
Fernando Meira scored his first goal for Stuttgart on February 23, 2002, in a 1–1 draw. He scored again on April 7 in a 2–0 win. In his first year, he played 14 league games, helping Stuttgart finish eighth.
In the 2002–03 season, he played in 31 league games. Stuttgart finished second in the league, right behind FC Bayern Munich. This meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League, a very important European competition. He also scored a goal in the UEFA Cup that season.
For the 2006–07 season, Fernando Meira was named captain of VfB Stuttgart. This was a special moment, as he was the first Portuguese player to be a captain in the German Bundesliga league. He played 20 games and scored three goals that season. His team became national champions for the first time in 15 years! They also reached the finals of the DFB-Pokal, which is Germany's main cup competition.
Fernando Meira spent six and a half years with Stuttgart. During this time, he played 230 matches and scored 13 goals. He left the club in the summer of 2008 when he was 30 years old.
Time in Turkey, Russia, and Spain
After leaving Stuttgart, Fernando Meira joined Galatasaray SK in Turkey on July 20, 2008. He signed a four-year deal for €4.5 million. He made his first official appearance for Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Cup, which they won 2–1. However, he left Turkey after just one season.
In March 2009, Fernando Meira moved to Russia to play for FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. He signed for €4.5 million and wore the number 3 shirt. He played his first game for Zenit on March 15, 2009, in a 1–1 draw. On April 5, he scored his first goal for his new team in a 3–0 victory.
On August 15, 2011, when he was 33, Fernando Meira joined Real Zaragoza in Spain. He played mostly as a defensive midfielder there. He ended his contract on February 1, 2012. Later that year, he decided to retire from football because he couldn't find a new club.
Fernando Meira's International Career
Fernando Meira played for Portugal's national youth teams, earning 20 caps (appearances) for the under-21 team. He made his full debut for the Portugal national team on October 11, 2000, in a World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands. In 2004, he played three games at the Summer Olympic Games.
He was chosen to play in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Because another player was injured, Fernando Meira played in all seven of Portugal's matches in the tournament. Portugal finished fourth, which was a great achievement.
Fernando Meira also played regularly at UEFA Euro 2008, which was held in Austria and Switzerland. He played in the first three matches of the tournament.
Fernando Meira's Honours and Awards
VfB Stuttgart
- Bundesliga: 2006–07 (Champions of Germany)
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2002
- DFB-Pokal runner-up: 2006–07 (Finished second in the German Cup)
- DFB-Ligapokal runner-up: 2005
Galatasaray
- Turkish Super Cup: 2008
Zenit
- Russian Premier League: 2010 (Champions of Russia)
- Russian Cup: 2009–10
- Russian Super Cup: 2011
Orders
- Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (Award from the House of Braganza)Template:KIDDLE XL START
See also
In Spanish: Fernando Meira para niños Template:KIDDLE XL END
