Marco Freitas

Marco Luis Verissimo de Freitas (born 29 August 1972), known as Marco Freitas, is an Angolan footballer of Portuguese descent who played as a defensive midfielder.

Not to be confused with Marcos Freitas.
Marco Freitas
Personal information
Full name Marco Luis Verissimo de Freitas
Date of birth (1972-08-29) 29 August 1972
Place of birth Benguela, Angola
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Defensive Midfielder
Youth career
1985−1989 Machico
1989−1991 Nacional
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991−1995 Nacional 62 (5)
1991−1992 → Machico (loan)
1995−1998 Vitória de Guimarães 62 (3)
1998−2003 Benfica 1 (0)
1998−1999 → Alverca (loan) 30 (3)
1999−2000 Benfica B 1 (0)
2000−2001 → Alverca (loan) 9 (0)
2001−2003 → Salgueiros (loan) 22 (1)
2003−2004 Felgueiras 24 (0)
2004−2005 Pontassolense 24 (3)
2005−2008 Machico 37 (0)
Total 272 (15)
International career
2001−2002 Angola 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Born in Benguela, Angola, Freitas emigrated to Madeira as a 13-year-old, joining A.D. Machico youth ranks, where he would spend four seasons, moving to C.D. Nacional in 1989. He returned to his former team in his debut season as a professional in 1991-92. He returned to Nacional in the following seasons, where he became a regular used player, amassing over sixty league caps in the second tier.[1]

In 1995, he joined Vitória S.C., where he had, arguably, the best years of his career, being an important player in a team that reach two consecutive fifth-place finishes, plus a club best, third place in 1997-98. His performances led him to S.L. Benfica in 1998, being immediately loaned out to farm team, F.C. Alverca.[2]

In Alverca, Freitas was a regular starter, partnering in the midfield with Jamir Gomes and Nandinho, and helping the club remain in the top tier.[1][2]

He returned to Benfica in the next year, debuting on 31 October 1999, in an away loss against Alverca. He was mostly a reserve player, almost never being used by Jupp Heynckes.[3][4] Still under contract with Benfica, Freitas returned to Alverca in 2000, spending one year there, now mostly as a bench player, moving to S.C. Salgueiros for the two remaining years of his contract.[5][2]

The later years of his career, were spent on the second tier, and third tier, retiring in 2008.[1][2]

International career

Freitas was on the course to join the Portugal national team in 1996, but it never materialize. He debuted for the Angola national team in 2001, making three caps.[1][2]

References
  1. "Marco Freitas". Glórias do Passado (in Portuguese). 26 July 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  2. "Marco Freitas". Foradejogo.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  3. "Marco Freitas é forte hipótese para o Benfica B" [Marco Freitas could play for Benfica B]. Record (in Portuguese). 19 November 1999. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  4. "Marco Freitas recusa ficar no Benfica sem jogar" [Marco Freitas refuses to stay at Benfica without playing]. Record (in Portuguese). 11 May 2000. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  5. "Marco Freitas, Tiago e Ernesto na apresentação" [Marco Freitas, Tiago and Ernesto presented]. Record (in Portuguese). 3 July 2001. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
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