Hélder (footballer, born 1971)

Hélder Marino Rodrigues Cristóvão (born 21 March 1971), known simply as Hélder as a player, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a central defender, currently manager of Penafiel.

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Rodrigues and the second or paternal family name is Cristóvão.
Hélder
Hélder as a coach of Benfica B in 2015
Personal information
Full name Hélder Marino Rodrigues Cristóvão[1]
Date of birth (1971-03-21) 21 March 1971[1]
Place of birth Luanda, Angola
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Penafiel (manager)
Youth career
1984–1987 Desportivo Monte Real
1987–1988 Tires
1988–1989 Estoril
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1992 Estoril 79 (5)
1992–1996 Benfica 125 (12)
1997–2002 Deportivo La Coruña 67 (1)
1999–2000 → Newcastle United (loan) 8 (1)
2002–2004 Benfica 39 (2)
2004–2005 Paris Saint-Germain 16 (1)
2005–2006 AEL 9 (0)
Total 343 (22)
International career
1991–1992 Portugal U21 10 (2)
1992–2001 Portugal 35 (3)
Managerial career
2009 Estoril
2011 Portimonense (assistant)
2013–2018 Benfica B
2018–2019 Al Nassr (assistant)
2018–2019 Al Nassr (caretaker)
2019 Al-Ettifaq
2020 Dunajská Streda
2021 Al-Hazem
2023– Penafiel
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 197 matches and 16 goals over eight seasons, mostly with Benfica. He also competed professionally in Spain, England, France and Greece, representing mainly Deportivo.

Hélder appeared for Portugal at Euro 1996. In 2009, he started working as a manager, going on to spend several years with Benfica's reserves.

Playing career

Club

Born in Luanda, Portuguese Angola, Hélder first attracted attention as a Estoril Praia player, moving to Benfica for the 1992–93 season where he would stay the following four and a half years, mainly as a starter. In December 1996 he signed for Deportivo La Coruña, playing 22 La Liga matches in only six months as the club finished in third position.[2]

In November 1999, Hélder joined Newcastle United of the Premier League on loan for a fee of £500,000,[3] making 12 official appearances and scoring in a 2–2 away draw against Sunderland in the Tyne–Wear derby the following 6 February.[4] In that season, the Spaniards went on to conquer their first league title, with the player failing to contribute in that competition; he subsequently returned to Depor, appearing very rarely in his last year, which ended in conquest of the Copa del Rey.[5]

For the 2002–03 campaign, aged 31, Hélder returned to Benfica,[6] playing there two more years (winning the Taça de Portugal in 2004)[2] and joining Paris Saint-Germain the following season, where he teamed up with compatriot Pauleta.[7] He spent his last year at AEL in 2005–06, appearing rarely in the Super League Greece, and retiring subsequently.[2]

International

Hélder earned 35 caps for the Portuguese national team, scoring three goals.[8][9] His first was on 12 February 1992 in a 2–0 win over the Netherlands in an exhibition game, and his last a 4–0 loss to France in Paris on 25 April 2001, in another friendly.[2]

Hélder represented the nation at UEFA Euro 1996,[10] appearing in all four matches for the quarter-finalists as he started alongside Fernando Couto.[11]

Coaching career

Hélder began working as a manager in the summer of 2009, precisely with his first club Estoril, in the Segunda Liga. On 28 September, merely two months after being appointed, he was fired.[12]

On 3 July 2013, Hélder returned to Benfica as manager of the reserve team, replacing Luís Norton de Matos. In the 2014–15 season, he led them to their second best position in the second tier, a sixth place (fifth in 2013–14), as the highest scoring team with 81 goals.[13][14]

Benfica B only managed to stave off relegation in the 2015–16 campaign in the last matchday, defeating Freamunde 5–0 at home and also benefitting from a 1–1 draw between Mafra and Aves.[15][16][17][18] Hélder's team collected more losses (21) than wins (15), conceding 64 times, whilst scoring 59 goals;[19] additionally, on 15 March 2016, he was suspended for thirty days, after being sent off against Covilhã, which ended with a 2–2 home draw.[20]

On 5 April 2018, Hélder announced he would leave Benfica at the end of the season.[21] In August that year, he was hired as director of football and academy director at Al Nassr in the Saudi Professional League.[22] He became caretaker manager in November after the exit of José Daniel Carreño, and relinquished that role when compatriot Rui Vitória was appointed the following January.[23] Three months later, he was given a new job in the same league at Ettifaq, who had two games remaining to avoid relegation,[24] which was finally achieved.

Hélder was named manager of FC DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda on 6 January 2020, taking charge of the third-placed team of the Slovak Super Liga on a deal until 31 May.[25] On 15 May, however, the club decided not to renew his contract.[26]

On 7 June 2021, Hélder was appointed at newly promoted Al-Hazem in the Saudi top division.[27] He was removed from the bottom-placed side on 27 November, and replaced by Constantin Gâlcă.[28]

Hélder was hired by Ismaily, placed last in the Egyptian Premier League, on 13 September 2022. His contract was terminated hours later, allegedly due to misinformation presented on his curriculum vitae by his agent.[29]

On 30 January 2023, Hélder returned to his country's second tier, replacing Filó at 12th-placed Penafiel.[30] Having finished the season in the same position, he signed for another year.[31]

Personal life

Hélder's son, Flávio, also became a professional footballer in the same position.[32]

Managerial statistics
As of match played 12 May 2020[33][34]
Team From To Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Estoril July 2009 28 September 2009 8 1 5 2 9 12 −3 012.50
Benfica B 3 July 2013 30 June 2018 224 93 49 82 340 309 +31 041.52
Al Nassr (caretaker) 10 November 2018 10 January 2019 8 4 3 1 14 8 +6 050.00
Al-Ettifaq 19 April 2019 17 May 2019 2 0 0 2 0 6 −6 000.00
Dunajská Streda 6 January 2020 15 May 2020 5 1 3 1 4 3 +1 020.00
Al-Hazem 7 June 2021 27 November 2021 13 2 5 6 9 16 −7 015.38
Total 260 101 65 94 376 354 +22 038.85

Honours

Benfica

Deportivo

References
  1. Hélder at WorldFootball.net
  2. Simões de Abreu, Alexandra (30 September 2017). "Hélder Cristóvão: "O meu pai era da Unita. Tínhamos uma boa vida em Angola e vim viver para um bairro de lata"" [Hélder Cristóvão: "My father was with Unita. We had a good life in Angola and I came to live in the slums"]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  3. Walker, Michael (31 July 2004). "Robson feels a chill wind blowing". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  4. "Phillips brace earns derby draw". BBC Sport. 6 February 2000. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  5. "Helder, un parche para momentos puntuales" [Helder, pitching in here and there] (in Spanish). Memorias de Riazor. 8 November 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  6. "Hélder: «Satisfeito com regresso»" [Hélder: "Happy with return"]. Record (in Portuguese). 31 July 2002. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  7. Crépin, Timothé (26 January 2017). "Mercato, Ligue 1: Ces Portugais passés par le PSG" [Market, League 1: Portuguese men with spells at PSG] (in French). France Football. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  8. "Lista completa dos internacionais portugueses" [Complete list of Portuguese internationals] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 18 February 2004. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  9. Ribeiro, João Paulo (17 June 2021). "Hélder: "Vamos passar com duas vitórias e um empate"" [Hélder: "We will go through with two wins and a draw"] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  10. Hodgson, Guy (1 June 1996). "The rising force in Europe counting on their foreign legion; CHAMPIONSHIP COUNTDOWN: No 9 Portugal". The Independent. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  11. "Portugal progress as Group D winners". UEFA. 6 October 2003. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  12. "Hélder Cristóvão deixa comando técnico" [Hélder Cristóvão leaves technical command]. Record (in Portuguese). 28 September 2009. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  13. "Equipa entra hoje em cena" [Team gets going today]. Record (in Portuguese). 3 July 2013. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  14. "Continuar a fazer crescer os jovens do Benfica" [Continue to make Benfica's youngsters grow] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 22 June 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  15. "Benfica B desilude e Hélder Cristóvão tem lugar em perigo" [Benfica B disappoint and Hélder Cristóvão's position is in danger] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 18 January 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  16. "Mesmo com reforços, Benfica B empata e continua em zona de descida" [Even with additions, Benfica B draw and are still in relegation zone] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 24 April 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  17. "Benfica B-Freamunde, 5–0: Goleada para a manutenção" [Benfica B-Freamunde, 5–0: Rout for survival]. Record (in Portuguese). 14 May 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  18. "O milagre do Tondela fez cair o União. Rio Ave ganha Europa ao Paços" [Tondela's miracle dropped União. Rio Ave take Europe from Paços]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 15 May 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  19. "Três pontos fulcrais ganhos em Braga" [Three vital points won in Braga] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 30 April 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  20. "Benfica B: Hélder Cristóvão suspenso por 30 dias" [Benfica B: Hélder Cristóvão suspended for 30 days] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  21. "Hélder Cristóvão confirma saída da equipa B do Benfica no final da época" [Hélder Cristóvão confirms Benfica B-team exit at the end of the season] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  22. "Hélder Cristóvão é o novo diretor-geral e diretor da formação do Al Nassr" [Hélder Cristóvão is Al Nassr's new general director and academy director] (in Portuguese). MSN. 4 August 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  23. "Rui Vitória assina contrato com o Al-Nassr por uma época e meia" [Rui Vitória signs one-and-a-half-year contract with Al-Nassr]. Observador (in Portuguese). 10 January 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  24. "Arábia Saudita. Hélder Cristóvão tenta salvar o Al Ettifaq" [Saudi Arabia. Hélder Cristóvão tries to save Al-Ettifaq] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  25. "Hélder Cristóvão confirmado no Dunajska Streda" [Hélder Cristóvão confirmed at Dunajská Streda]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 6 January 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  26. Nagy, Krisztián (15 May 2020). "Hélder Cristovao končí v DAC" [End of the road for Hélder Cristovao at DAC] (in Slovak). Dunajská Streda. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  27. "الحزم يعين البرتغالي هيلدر كريستوفاو مدرب النصر السابق" [Al-Hazem appoint former Al-Nassr coach Hélder Cristóvão]. Al Riyadh (in Arabic). 7 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  28. Nazare, Daniel (10 December 2021). "Costel Gâlcă, primit cu flori la sosirea în Arabia Saudită! A condus deja primul antrenament la Al Hazem" [Costel Gâlcă, received with flowers on arrival in Saudi Arabia! He has already led his first training session at Al Hazem]. ProSport (in Romanian). Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  29. Ali, Ahmad Gamal (15 September 2022). "Ismaily rescind Hélder Cristóvão contract hours after appointment". KingFut. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  30. Pinto, Vanda (30 January 2023). "Oficial: Hélder Cristóvão é o novo treinador do Penafiel" [Official: Hélder Cristóvão is the new manager of Penafiel]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  31. "Hélder Cristóvão renova por uma época com o Penafiel" [Hélder Cristóvão renews for a season with Penafiel]. Record (in Portuguese). 15 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  32. "OFICIAL: Wolverhampton contrata filho de Hélder Cristóvão" [OFFICIAL: Wolverhampton sign Hélder Cristóvão's son] (in Portuguese). TVI 24. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  33. "Hélder Cristóvão". Zerozero. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  34. Hélder coach profile at Soccerway
  35. "Tristán acude al rescate del Deportivo" [Tristán comes to Deportivo's rescue]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 29 November 2001. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  36. "Quince años del Centenariazo" [Fifteen years from the Centenariazo]. La Opinión A Coruña (in Spanish). 6 March 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  37. "El Deportivo se impone al Espanyol (2–0) y gana su segunda Supercopa" [Deportivo best Espanyol (2–0) and win their second Supercup]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 28 August 2000. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
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