Paulo Futre facts for kids
Futre holding the 1992 Copa del Rey trophy
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paulo Jorge dos Santos Futre | ||
| Date of birth | 28 February 1966 | ||
| Place of birth | Montijo, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1974–1975 | Montijo | ||
| 1975–1983 | Sporting CP | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1983–1984 | Sporting CP | 21 | (3) |
| 1984–1987 | Porto | 81 | (23) |
| 1987–1993 | Atlético Madrid | 163 | (38) |
| 1993 | Benfica | 11 | (3) |
| 1993 | Marseille | 8 | (2) |
| 1993–1995 | Reggiana | 13 | (5) |
| 1995–1996 | AC Milan | 1 | (0) |
| 1996–1997 | West Ham United | 9 | (0) |
| 1997–1998 | Atlético Madrid | 10 | (0) |
| 1998 | Yokohama Flügels | 13 | (3) |
| Total | 330 | (77) | |
| International career | |||
| 1981–1983 | Portugal U16 | 19 | (6) |
| 1981–1984 | Portugal U18 | 24 | (3) |
| 1983 | Portugal U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 1983–1995 | Portugal | 41 | (6) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Paulo Jorge dos Santos Futre (born 28 February 1966) is a retired Portuguese professional footballer. He played as a left winger, a position on the side of the field. Many people think he was one of the best players of his time.
Futre's career took him to clubs in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, England, and Japan. He became famous after winning the 1987 European Cup with Porto. He is best known for his time playing for Atlético Madrid in Spain.
He started playing for the Portuguese national team when he was only 17. He played for his country more than 40 times, including in the 1986 World Cup. Unfortunately, his later career was affected by many injuries.
Contents
Club Career
Starting in Portugal
Paulo Futre was born in Montijo, Portugal. He joined the youth team of Sporting CP when he was nine years old. At 17, he started playing for their professional team in the 1983–84 season.
After just one season, he asked for a pay raise but was denied. So, he moved to a rival team, Porto. This move was a big deal in Portuguese football.
At Porto, Futre became a star. He helped the team win two league titles. His biggest achievement was helping Porto win the 1987 European Cup. In the final match against Bayern Munich, he was named the best player on the field.
Star Player in Spain
After winning the European Cup, Futre moved to Atlético Madrid in Spain. He became a huge favorite with the fans. They loved his exciting style of play.
In the 1991–92 season, he was brilliant. He helped his teammate Manolo become the top scorer in the league. That same year, Futre scored in the Copa del Rey final. Atlético Madrid won 2–0 against their biggest rivals, Real Madrid. For most of his time there, he was the team captain.
However, Futre also had problems with knee injuries. These injuries bothered him for the rest of his career.
Playing in Different Countries
In 1993, Futre returned to Portugal to play for Benfica, another big club. He helped them win the Portuguese Cup, even scoring in the final. He then moved to Marseille in France, but injuries and competition for his position limited his playing time.
Next, Futre went to Italy to play for Reggiana. In his first game, he scored an amazing goal. It was the team's first-ever win in Italy's top league, Serie A. But later in that same game, he was badly injured and missed the rest of the season.
He later joined the famous Italian club AC Milan for one season. Because of his injuries, he only played in one game.
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Futre also played in England for West Ham United. A famous story from his time there is that he refused to play until the team gave him the number 10 jersey.
He ended his career in Japan with the Yokohama Flügels. In 1999, World Soccer magazine named him one of the 100 Greatest Players of the 20th century.
International Career
Futre played for Portugal 41 times and scored six goals. He made his first appearance for the national team on 27 April 1983. He was only 17 years and 204 days old, which was a national record at the time.
He was part of the Portuguese team at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. He played in the match against Morocco.
Style of Play
Futre was a very creative and talented winger. When he was young, some people even compared him to the legendary Diego Maradona. He was known for his incredible speed and amazing technical skills.
His ability to dribble with the ball at high speed made him very difficult for defenders to stop. He could run past several opponents at once. He was also a smart player who could create goals for his teammates or score them himself.
Because he was so versatile, he sometimes played as a second striker or an attacking midfielder. Even though he was a huge talent, his career was badly affected by injuries. This led to him retiring from football at the age of 32.
Life After Football
After he stopped playing, Futre worked as the director of football for Atlético Madrid from 2000 to 2003. He later became a real-estate developer in his hometown of Montijo.
Futre also had a career on television. He hosted a late-night talk show in Portugal called A Noite do Futrebol.
Personal Life
Futre has two sons. His younger son, Fábio, also played football for Atlético Madrid's youth teams. His older son, Paulo, played in a rock band.
His nephew, Artur Futre, also became a professional footballer in Portugal.
Honours
Porto
- Primeira Liga: 1984–85, 1985–86
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 1984, 1986
- European Cup: 1986–87
Atlético Madrid
- Copa del Rey: 1990–91, 1991–92
Benfica
- Taça de Portugal: 1992–93
AC Milan
- Serie A: 1995–96
Individual
- Portuguese Footballer of the Year: 1986, 1987
- Ballon d'Or: 1987 (2nd place)
- World Soccer: 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time
See also
In Spanish: Paulo Futre para niños
