Hugo Viana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hugo Viana

Viana with Portugal at Euro 2012
Personal information
Full name	Hugo Miguel Ferreira Gomes Viana
Date of birth	(1983-01-15) 15 January 1983 (age 42)
Place of birth	Barcelos, Portugal
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Central midfielder
Youth career
1993–1998	Gil Vicente
1998–2001	Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2001–2002	Sporting CP	26	(1)
2002–2006	Newcastle United	39	(2)
2004–2005	→ Sporting CP (loan)	32	(6)
2005–2006	→ Valencia (loan)	19	(0)
2006–2010	Valencia	25	(2)
2007–2008	→ Osasuna (loan)	9	(1)
2009–2010	→ Braga (loan)	28	(4)
2010–2013	Braga	78	(12)
2013–2015	Al Ahli	27	(3)
2015–2016	Al Wasl	37	(2)
Total		320	(33)
International career
2001–2004	Portugal U21	22	(3)
2001–2012	Portugal	29	(1)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Portugal UEFA European Championship Bronze 2012 Poland-Ukraine UEFA European Under-21 Championship Third 2004 Germany UEFA European Under-17 Championship Winner 2000 Israel
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Hugo Miguel Ferreira Gomes Viana (born on January 15, 1983) is a retired Portuguese footballer. He played as a central midfielder. Today, he works as the director of football for Premier League club Manchester City.

Hugo Viana started his career at Sporting CP in Portugal. At 19, he moved to play in England for Newcastle United and then in Spain for Valencia. He later returned to Portugal to play for Braga. He played 165 matches in the top Portuguese league, scoring 23 goals.

Viana also played for the Portuguese national team. He represented his country in two World Cups and at Euro 2012. He also played for the under-23 team in the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Sporting CP

Hugo Viana was born in Barcelos, Portugal. He began his professional football journey at Sporting CP. During his first season in the Primeira Liga (Portugal's top league), he played very well. Because of his great performance, he won the Young European Footballer of the Year award in 2002.

Time with Newcastle United

On June 20, 2002, when he was 19, Hugo Viana joined Newcastle United. This English club paid about €12 million (around £8.5 million) for him. This was a record amount for a teenager joining Newcastle at the time.

Viana joined his former Sporting manager, Bobby Robson, at Newcastle. He learned a lot from experienced player Gary Speed. During his time at St James' Park, Viana scored four goals. These goals were in different competitions, including the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League.

It was hard for Viana to get a regular starting spot on the team. Other strong players like Gary Speed, Kieron Dyer, and Jermaine Jenas were also playing well. In July 2004, he went back to Sporting CP on loan. He played very well there and even helped the team reach the final of the UEFA Cup in 2005.

Moving to Valencia

At the start of the 2005–06 season, Viana moved to Valencia in Spain. He first joined them on loan. In March 2006, Valencia signed him permanently for about £1.5 million. In his first season, it was tough for him to get a regular spot. He faced strong competition from players like David Albelda and Rubén Baraja. Still, he played in 19 league games and showed enough skill to stay in the Portuguese national squad.

To get more playing time, Viana joined another Spanish team, Osasuna, on loan in July 2007. However, a serious injury kept him out for four months. After he recovered, he played in the last three matches of the season. He helped Osasuna avoid being relegated from the league. In the 2008–09 season, Viana did not play much for Valencia. He mostly appeared in UEFA Cup and Copa del Rey matches.

Success with Braga

On July 31, 2009, Viana was loaned to Braga in Portugal. This meant he was back in his home country after three years. Braga started the league season very well. Viana scored his first goals for Braga on August 30, scoring twice in a 3–1 win against Belenenses. On October 31, he scored again from a free kick against Benfica, helping Braga win 2–0. He was even named player of the match.

Braga finished the season in second place, which was their best-ever league finish. Viana played in 28 matches that season. He became a key player again in the 2010–11 season. On March 6, 2011, he scored another free-kick goal against Benfica, helping Braga win 2–1 at home. He also played nine games in Braga's journey to the UEFA Europa League final, where they finished as runners-up.

On November 27, 2011, during a game against Porto, Viana honored his former mentor, Gary Speed. He wore a white T-shirt that said 'Gary Rest In Peace' to pay tribute to Speed, who had passed away earlier that day.

Playing in Dubai

On June 5, 2013, Al Ahli from Dubai signed Hugo Viana. He joined them on July 1, after his contract with Braga ended. He played his first game on August 30 in the 2013 Arabian Gulf Super Cup. His team won the match after a penalty shootout.

In his first season, he played 39 games and scored three goals. He helped Al Ahli win a domestic treble, which means they won three major trophies: the UAE Pro League, the UAE Super Cup, and the UAE League Cup. Viana later joined Al Wasl, another team in Dubai. He retired from playing football on October 13, 2016, at the age of 33.

Life as a Director

After retiring from playing, Hugo Viana became a director of football. In May 2017, he took on this role at Belenenses. He stayed there for six months.

Viana returned to Sporting CP in 2018, also as a director. In August 2021, he received a short suspension and a fine. This was because he had strongly disagreed with the refereeing team after a game against Famalicão a few months earlier.

As of 2025, Hugo Viana is working at Manchester City. He is working alongside Txiki Begiristain, who has been the director of football there for a long time.

Playing for Portugal

Hugo Viana made his first appearance for the Portuguese national team on November 14, 2001. It was a friendly game where Portugal won 5–1 against Angola. He was part of the squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup but did not play. He missed out on UEFA Euro 2004, which was held in Portugal.

He also played for the under-23 team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece. In a group stage match, he was sent off as Portugal lost to Costa Rica.

Viana returned to the senior national team. He scored his only international goal on October 12, 2005. This goal helped Portugal win 3–0 against Latvia in a World Cup qualification match. He played in two matches at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, where Portugal finished fourth.

He was called up at the last minute for the Euro 2012 squad. He did not play in any matches during the tournament, where Portugal reached the semi-finals. Before the tournament, he played in a friendly game against Macedonia, which was his first international game in five years.

How He Played

Hugo Viana was known for his excellent passing skills and his ability to control the ball. He could also take powerful shots from far away, including from free kicks. Some people thought he could improve his defensive skills.

When he played for Newcastle, he sometimes struggled on the left wing. This was because Newcastle had many strong players in the central midfield. A scout who recommended him to Newcastle once said that Viana played like Mesut Özil.

Personal Life

Hugo Viana married Raquel Gomes in June 2003. They had a Catholic ceremony in Orada, Albufeira. They have two daughters and one son.

In 2004, Viana lost his wedding ring on Newcastle Town Moor. A young fan found it and returned it to him because Viana's name was engraved on it.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Viana training at Euro 2012

Scores and results list Portugal's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Viana goal.

List of international goals scored by Hugo Viana

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	12 October 2005	Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal	Latvia	3–0	3–0	2006 World Cup qualification

Awards and Achievements

Sporting CP

• Primeira Liga: 2001–02
• Taça de Portugal: 2001–02
• UEFA Cup runner-up: 2004–05

Braga

• Taça da Liga: 2012–13
• UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2010–11

Al Ahli

• UAE Pro League: 2013–14
• UAE Super Cup: 2013
• UAE League Cup: 2013–14

Special Recognition

• Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (House of Braganza)

See also

In Spanish: Hugo Viana para niños