Luís Neto facts for kids
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Neto with Portugal at the 2017 Confederations Cup
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Luís Carlos Novo Neto | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 26 May 1988 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Sporting CP (assistant) | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2006 | Varzim | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2011 | Varzim | 53 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Nacional | 25 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Siena | 20 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2019 | Zenit St. Petersburg | 118 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | → Fenerbahçe (loan) | 13 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2024 | Sporting CP | 68 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 297 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Portugal U20 | 4 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2009 | Portugal U21 | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2018 | Portugal | 19 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Sporting CP (assistant) | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Luís Carlos Novo Neto (born May 26, 1988) is a Portuguese former professional footballer. He played as a centre-back, which is a defensive position in football. Neto is known for his strong play in defense and his long career playing for several clubs in Portugal, Italy, and Russia. He also represented the Portuguese national team in major tournaments. After retiring as a player, he became an assistant manager.
Contents
Neto's Club Journey: From Varzim to Sporting CP
Starting Out: Varzim and Nacional
Luís Neto began his football journey at the age of 10, joining the youth team of his hometown club, Varzim SC. He played for Varzim in the second division of Portuguese football for five seasons. His first official game was in February 2007, playing for two minutes in a cup match.
In July 2011, Neto moved to C.D. Nacional, a team in Portugal's top league, the Primeira Liga. He quickly became an important player for them. His good performances caught the attention of big clubs like FC Porto and Arsenal.
Moving to Italy and Russia
Later, in 2012, Neto signed with A.C. Siena in Italy for €1.7 million. He was a regular starter in the first half of the season. He scored his first goal in Italy's top league, Serie A, in a match against AS Roma.
In February 2013, Neto moved again, this time to Russia to play for FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. He joined his Portuguese teammates Bruno Alves and Danny there. He scored his first goal for Zenit in May, helping his team win 3–1.
Loan to Fenerbahçe and Return to Portugal
On August 31, 2017, Neto went on loan to Fenerbahçe SK in Turkey for a season. After his loan, he returned to Zenit.
In March 2019, Sporting CP announced that Neto would join them permanently on a three-year contract starting July 1. In his second season with Sporting, he played 22 league games. That season, Sporting won the national championship for the first time in 19 years, which was a big achievement.
Neto scored his first goal for Sporting in November 2023. It was a goal in a big 8–0 win in a cup match. He also played in seven games during the 2023–24 league season, helping Sporting win another league title.
Retirement and Coaching Career
After a long playing career, Luís Neto retired from playing football in 2024 at the age of 36. He didn't leave the club, though! He stayed at Sporting CP as an assistant manager to the new head coach, João Pereira.
Neto's International Career: Representing Portugal
Youth National Teams
Luís Neto also played for Portugal's youth national teams. He was part of the Portugal under-21 team at the 2009 Lusofonia Games. He played in all four matches during that tournament, where his team won the silver medal.
Playing for the Senior National Team
In October 2012, Neto was called up for the first time to the main Portuguese national team. This was for important qualification matches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He made his debut in February of the next year, playing alongside his Zenit teammate Alves in a friendly match against Ecuador.
Neto was chosen for Portugal's final 23-player squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. However, he did not play in any games during the tournament, and Portugal was eliminated in the group stage.
He was also selected for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup by manager Fernando Santos. In his only game at this competition, he scored an own goal against Mexico in the third-place play-off. Despite the own goal, Portugal won that match 2–1.
Neto was included in a first list of 35 players for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but he did not make it into the final squad.
Honours and Achievements
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Luís Neto won many trophies during his career:
Zenit St. Petersburg
- Russian Premier League:
- 2014–15
- 2018–19
- Russian Cup: 2015–16
- Russian Super Cup:
- 2015
- 2016
Sporting CP
- Primeira Liga:
- 2020–21
- 2023–24
- Taça da Liga (League Cup):
- 2020–21
- 2021–22
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (Super Cup): 2021
Portugal National Team
- FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2017
Individual Awards
- Segunda Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2010–11 (This award is for the best new player in Portugal's second division.)
See also
In Spanish: Luís Carlos Novo Neto para niños
