José Sá

José Pedro Malheiro de Sá (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuˈzɛ sa]; born 17 January 1993) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Malheiro and the second or paternal family name is Sá.
José Sá
Sá with Portugal at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup
Personal information
Full name José Pedro Malheiro de Sá[1]
Date of birth (1993-01-17) 17 January 1993[1]
Place of birth Braga, Portugal[2]
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Number 1
Youth career
2002–2009 Palmeiras Braga
2009–2010 Merelinense
2011 Benfica
2011–2012 Marítimo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2015 Marítimo B 74 (0)
2013–2016 Marítimo 16 (0)
2016 Porto B 16 (0)
2016–2019 Porto 15 (0)
2018–2019 → Olympiacos (loan) 21 (0)
2019–2021 Olympiacos 62 (0)
2021– Wolverhampton Wanderers 80 (0)
International career
2012–2013 Portugal U20 14 (0)
2013–2015 Portugal U21 16 (0)
2016 Portugal U23 1 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Portugal
UEFA Nations League
Winner2019 Portugal
FIFA Confederations Cup
Bronze medal – third place2017 Russia
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Runner-up2015 Czech Republic
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 September 2023 (UTC)Portugal national football team

He started his career with Marítimo B, making his debut with the first team in 2013, before signing for FC Porto in 2016. Sá was loaned for one year to Super League Greece side Olympiacos in 2018, in a deal which was made permanent at the end of the season. With Olympiacos, he won two Super League Greece titles and the Greek Football Cup, including a domestic double in 2020. In 2021, he signed with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Sá is a former Portuguese under-21 international, reaching the European Championship final in 2015. He was part of the full squad that finished third at the 2017 Confederations Cup and won the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals on home soil, and was also chosen for the 2022 World Cup.

Club career

Marítimo

Born in Braga, Sá went from Merelinense to the youth ranks of Benfica in January 2011, and moved six months later to Madeira's Marítimo to finish his development at the age of 18.[3] On 23 January 2013 he made his professional debut with the B team, playing the full 90 minutes in a 0–0 home draw against Oliveirense in the Segunda Liga championship.[4]

In the 2013 off-season, Sá was promoted to the main squad by manager Pedro Martins.[5] He played his first game in the Primeira Liga on 18 August in a 2–1 home win over Benfica,[6] and kept his position for the following matchday, a 3–0 loss at Porto.[7]

During his tenure in Funchal, Sá acted as understudy to Frenchman Romain Salin.[8]

Porto

On 25 January 2016, both Sá and teammate Moussa Marega joined Porto on four-and-a-half-year contracts, with the services of the former being acquired for €1.5 million.[9] During his early spell, he was second choice to Spain international Iker Casillas.[10][11]

Sá made his debut in the UEFA Champions League on 17 October 2017, starting in a 3–2 loss for the group stage away to RB Leipzig and committing a blunder in the eighth minute which resulted in the opposition's first goal.[12] He became the starter from that point onwards but, following a 5–0 home defeat against Liverpool in the same competition, lost his place again.[13]

Olympiacos
Sá playing for Olympiacos in 2019

On 31 August 2018, deemed surplus to requirements by manager Sérgio Conceição,[14] Sá joined Olympiacos on a season-long loan.[15] He became first choice over Andreas Gianniotis shortly after arriving, as the team was coached by his compatriot and former Marítimo boss Martins.[16]

On 15 May 2019, Sá agreed to a permanent four-year deal.[17] During the campaign, he kept a total of 18 clean sheets[18] as the team from Piraeus won the double, though he missed the Cup final through injury.[19]

Sá was again a league winner in 2020–21.[20] However, his team were beaten to the Cup by PAOK.[21]

Wolverhampton Wanderers

On 15 July 2021, Sá joined English club Wolverhampton Wanderers for a €8 million transfer fee, on a five-year deal;[22] he was signed to replace his experienced compatriot Rui Patrício who had joined Roma, and he was handed the number 1 jersey that had not been worn at the Molineux club since Carl Ikeme retired due to his leukaemia diagnosis in 2018.[23]

Sá made his Premier League debut on 14 August 2021 in a 1–0 loss away to Leicester City.[24] In September, he provided an assist for Raúl Jiménez against Southampton in their 1–0 win, making him the first Wolves goalkeeper to do so in the Premier League since Wayne Hennessey in October 2009.[25] His string of good all-round performances, including his distribution and shot stopping helped Wolves to a run of three clean sheets, earning the club's Player of the Month, with former Manchester United player Gary Neville praising Sá as the signing of the season.[26] On 11 November, despite losing 1–0 to Manchester City, Sá received several praises for his performance, making several vital saves, despite Wolves being reduced to 10 men just before half-time, only failing to defend a penalty.[26] On 15 May 2022, Sá won both Wolves's Fans' Player of the 2021–22 Season, and the Players' Player of the 2021–22 Season awards.[27]

On 14 October 2022 it was revealed that Sá had been playing for two months with a fractured wrist sustained during a 0–0 home draw with Fulham in the second match of the season, a game in which he saved a penalty from Aleksandar Mitrović – the first penalty save he had made in a Wolves shirt since joining the club.[28] The following day, he saved another penalty from Brennan Johnson in a 1–0 home win against Nottingham Forest, with ten minutes remaining.[29]

International career

Youth

Sá represented Portugal at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He played all the matches and minutes in Turkey, in an eventual round-of-16 exit.

On 6 August 2013, Sá received his first call-up to the under-21 team, for a friendly game with Switzerland.[30] He featured in the second half of the 5–2 win, on the 14th.[31] Sá was first choice at the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, keeping clean sheets in all games but one as the national side finished in second place in the Czech Republic; in the final, he saved from Sweden's Abdul Khalili in the penalty shootout following a goalless draw at the Eden Arena.[32][33][34][35]

Senior

On 25 May 2017, Sá was called to the full side for the first time, being named by manager Fernando Santos in a provisional 24-man squad for that year's FIFA Confederations Cup.[36] Still uncapped, he was part of the squad that won the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals on home soil in June but did not make an appearance.[37]

Sá was chosen for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[38]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 21 October 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Marítimo B 2012–13[39] Segunda Liga 180———180
2013–14[39] Segunda Liga 180———180
2014–15[39] Segunda Liga 380———380
Total 740———740
Marítimo 2012–13[39] Primeira Liga 0000000000
2013–14[39] Primeira Liga 801020—110
2014–15[39] Primeira Liga 300010—40
2015–16[40] Primeira Liga 502020—90
Total 160305000240
Porto B 2015–16[39] LigaPro 160———160
Porto 2015–16[39] Primeira Liga 0000000000
2016–17[40] Primeira Liga 1020300060
2017–18[40] Primeira Liga 14010105[lower-alpha 1]0210
Total 150304050270
Olympiacos 2018–19[39] Super League Greece 21030—7[lower-alpha 2]0310
2019–20[39] Super League Greece 33000—15[lower-alpha 2]0480
2020–21[39] Super League Greece 29020—12[lower-alpha 3]0430
Total 83050—3401220
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2021–22[39] Premier League 3700000—370
2022–23[39] Premier League 3601020—390
2023–24[39] Premier League 900000—90
Total 790102000820
Career total 28301201103903450
  1. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  2. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. Eight appearances in UEFA Champions League, four appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Porto B

Porto

Olympiacos

Portugal

Individual

References
  1. "FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017: List of players: Portugal" (PDF). FIFA. 20 March 2018. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  2. "José Sá" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  3. ""Só cheguei a um grande aos 23 anos". José Sá deixa provocação ao Benfica" ["I only arrived at a big team when I was 23". José Sá leaves a provocation to Benfica] (in Portuguese). Bancada. 24 April 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  4. "Marítimo B-Oliveirense, 0–0: Pouca ambição resulta em nulo" [Marítimo B-Oliveirense, 0–0: Little ambition has zero as result]. Record (in Portuguese). 23 January 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  5. "Pedro Martins chamou apenas dois reforços" [Pedro Martins called only two additions]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 17 August 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  6. Andrade, David (18 August 2013). "Exibição paupérrima e opções de Jesus mantêm a má tradição do Benfica" [Awful display and Jesus choices keep Benfica's bad tradition]. Público (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  7. "Porto 3–0 Marítimo, 2.ª jornada da I Liga" [Porto 3–0 Marítimo, League I 2nd matchday] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 25 August 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  8. "Guarda-redes José Sá desperta cobiça lá fora" [Goalkeeper José Sá is coveted outside]. Record (in Portuguese). 24 June 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  9. Ruela, João; Fernandes, Nuno (26 January 2016). "FC Porto paga cinco milhões e desvia Marega e José Sá de Alvalade" [FC Porto pay five million and hijack Marega and José Sá from Alvalade]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  10. "José Sá quer sentar Iker Casillas" [José Sá wants to seat Iker Casillas] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  11. Figueiredo, João Tiago; Pires, Sérgio (19 October 2017). "José Sá por Casillas e mais cinco surpresas na baliza do FC Porto" [José Sá for Casillas and another five surprises in goal of FC Porto] (in Portuguese). TVI 24. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  12. "Leipzig 3–2 Porto". UEFA. 17 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  13. ""José Sá? A responsabilidade não é só dele"" ["José Sá? He's not the only one to blame"]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 16 February 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  14. "José Sá deixou estágio para tratar do futuro" [José Sá left training camp to take care of future]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 23 July 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  15. Ο Ζοζέ Σα για τα γκολπόστ του Ολυμπιακού [José Sá an Olympiacos goalkeeper] (in Greek). Gazzetta. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  16. Ολυμπιακός: Ενεργοποιεί τη ρήτρα για Σα [Olympiacos: Sá clause activated] (in Greek). Onsports. 3 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  17. Nicolaides, Shaun (15 May 2019). "OFFICIAL: Sa signs Olympiacos contract until 2023". Agona Sport. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  18. Nicolaides, Shaun (23 March 2020). "SLGR regular season review: Five solid shot-stoppers". Agona Sport. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  19. "Pedro Martins: "Conquistar a dobradinha é sempre especial"" [Pedro Martins: "Winning the double is always special"]. Record (in Portuguese). 12 September 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  20. "Olympiacos, de Pedro Martins, revalida título de campeão na Grécia" [Olympiacos, of Pedro Martins, renew champions title in Greece]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 11 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  21. "VÍDEO: Vieirinha marca e PAOK bate Olympiakos na final da Taça da Grécia" [VIDEO: Vieirinha scores and PAOK beat Olympiakos in the Greek Cup final] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  22. "Wolves confirm Sa signing". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  23. Dicken, Alex (22 July 2021). "Jose Sa reveals what Rui Patricio told him before Wolves transfer". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  24. Bate, Adam (14 August 2021). "Leicester 1–0 Wolves: Jamie Vardy is the hero again as Foxes seal opening day Premier League win". Sky Sports. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  25. "Premier League XI with most number of assists so far this season - February 2022". Sport Skeeda. 20 February 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  26. Barton, Aaron (6 January 2022). "In Safe Hands: The Numbers Behind José Sá's Season So Far". Próxima Jornada. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  27. "Sa voted Supporters Player of the Season". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 15 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  28. "Jose Sa: Wolves goalkeeper has played with broken wrist for almost entire season". BBC Sport. 14 October 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  29. Stone, Simon (15 October 2022). "Wolves 1–0 Nottingham Forest: Ruben Neves scores penalty and Brennan Johnson misses penalty". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  30. "Sub-21 convocados" [Under-21 list] (in Portuguese). Portuguese Football Federation. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  31. "Sub-21: Portugal–Suíça, 5–2 (crónica)" [Under-21: Portugal–Switzerland, 5–2 (match report)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 14 August 2013. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  32. Jurejko, Jonathan (18 June 2015). "England U21 0–1 Portugal U21". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  33. Ashby, Kevin (21 June 2015). "Improved Italy fail to break Portugal down". UEFA. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  34. Hart, Simon (27 June 2015). "Five-goal Portugal stun Germany in semi-finals". UEFA. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  35. Kell, Tom (30 June 2015). "Spot-on Sweden beat Portugal to win U21 EURO". UEFA. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  36. Gouveia, Ricardo (25 May 2017). "Seleção: Renato Sanches e Éder de fora da Taça das Confederações" [National team: Renato Sanches and Éder out of Confederations Cup] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  37. "Ronaldo heads Portugal squad for Nations League". Reuters. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  38. Dicken, Alex (13 November 2022). "Julen Lopetegui must make four January signings to save Wolves from relegation". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  39. "José Sá". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  40. "José Sá". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  41. Monteiro, André (12 May 2016). "Equipa B entrega troféu da 2.ª Liga a Pinto da Costa" [B team give 2nd League trophy to Pinto da Costa]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  42. "FC Porto é campeão nacional 2017/2018" [FC Porto are 2017/2018 national champions] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 5 May 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  43. "Olympiacos win their 45th Greek Super League title". Greek City Times. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  44. "Portugal regressa ao topo da Europa. Liga das Nações fica em casa" [Portugal return to the top of Europe. Nations League stays home] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  45. ""Portugal fez uma prova excelente", diz Fernando Santos" ["Portugal had an excellent tournament", Fernando Santos says] (in Portuguese). TSF. 2 July 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  46. "The official Under-21 Team of the Tournament". UEFA. 1 July 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  47. "Jonas e Rui Costa eleitos "Jogador do Mês" de dezembro". Liga Portugal. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  48. Papamakarios, Petros (15 February 2021). "Super League Interwetten: Η καλύτερη ενδεκάδα της σεζόν 2019–20" [Super League Interwetten: 2019–20 season All-Star XI] (in Greek). Sport 24. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
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