António Simões
Simões in 1975
Personal information
Full name António Simões da Costa
Date of birth (1943-12-14) 14 December 1943[1]
Place of birth Corroios, Portugal
Height 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)[1]
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
1957–1959 Almada
1959–1961 Benfica
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1961–1975 Benfica 312 (46)
1975–1976 Boston Minutemen 27 (5)
1975–1976 Estoril 6 (0)
1976–1977 San Jose Earthquakes 33 (0)
1977–1978 União Tomar 16 (1)
1978 New Jersey Americans 4 (0)
1979 Dallas Tornado 6 (1)
1979–1980 Detroit Lightning (indoor) 2 (0)
1980–1981 Chicago Horizon (indoor) 20 (7)
1981–1982 Kansas City Comets (indoor) 3 (0)
Total 429 (60)
International career
1962–1973 Portugal 46 (3)
Managerial career
1982–1984 Phoenix Inferno
1984–1985 Las Vegas Americans (assistant)
1987–1991 Austin Sockadillos
2003–2004 União Madeira
2004–2005 Lusitânia
2008–2010 Portugal Olympic
2011–2014 Iran (assistant)
2012–2014 Iran B
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Portugal
FIFA World Cup
Third place1966 England
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

António Simões da Costa (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐ̃ˈtɔniu siˈmõjʃ]; born 14 December 1943), known as Simões, is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a left winger.

He spent 14 professional seasons with Benfica, playing 449 official games and scoring 72 goals. In the late 1970s and early 1980s he represented several teams in the United States, and subsequently worked as a manager in both continents.[2]

Simões played more than 40 times for Portugal, including appearing at the 1966 World Cup.

Club career

Benfica

Born in Corroios, Seixal, Setúbal District, Simões joined S.L. Benfica when he was 15,[3] and was already an important first-team member just two years later, being part of the squads that won ten Primeira Liga championships and one European Cup. In the 1962 final of the latter competition, a 5–3 win against Real Madrid, he became the youngest ever player to conquer the tournament, at 18 years and four months.[2][4]

Simões left Benfica at the end of the 1974–75 season after winning his last league. He contributed 26 scoreless matches in the process.[2]

United States

Simões moved to the United States at the age of 32, signing with the Boston Minutemen of the North American Soccer League.[5] He spent two seasons in the city before moving to the San Jose Earthquakes in 1976, and subsequently the Dallas Tornado.

In 1979, Simões joined Major Indoor Soccer League club Detroit Lightning. After one season he moved to the Chicago Horizon, before finishing his career with the Kansas City Comets; he returned twice to his country during the off-season period, briefly representing G.D. Estoril Praia and U.F.C.I. Tomar.[6]

Immediately after quitting football, Simões was hired as coach of the Phoenix Inferno of the MISL.[7] He was dismissed in March 1984 and replaced by Ted Podleski, joining the Las Vegas Americans as assistant to Alan Mayer afterwards and also leaving in January 1985; in 1989, he was the SISL indoor season coach of the year with the Austin Sockadillos.[8]

International career

Simões made his debut with the Portugal national team on 6 May 1962, in a 2–1 friendly defeat to Brazil in São Paulo. He was a member of the squad that finished third in the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England, scoring the first goal in the group stage opener against the same opponent (3–1 win).[9]

The recipient of 46 caps with three goals,[10] Simões missed the Brazil Independence Cup due to injury. He made his last appearance on 13 October 1973, in a 2–2 home draw against Bulgaria for the 1974 World Cup qualifiers.[11]

Simões joined Iran's coaching staff in April 2011, acting as assistant to compatriot Carlos Queiroz.[12] He left in February 2014, due to personal reasons.[13]

António Simões: International goals
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition[14]
129 April 1964Hardturm, Zurich, Switzerland  Switzerland0–22–3Friendly
219 July 1966Goodison Park, Liverpool, England Brazil1–03–11966 FIFA World Cup
313 October 1973Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal Bulgaria1–02–21974 World Cup qualification

Style of play

A diminutive winger known for his above-average skills, creativity and crossing, able to play with both feet,[15] Simões holds the record of youngest player (18 years and 139 days old) to play and win a European Cup final, when he appeared for Benfica against Real Madrid on 2 May 1962.[16]

Honours

Benfica

Portugal

References

  1. 1 2 António Simões at WorldFootball.net
  2. 1 2 3 Malheiro, João (July 2006). Memorial Benfica 100 Glórias [Benfica Memorial, 100 glories] (in Portuguese) (Third ed.). QuidNovi. pp. 132–133. ISBN 978-972-8998-26-4.
  3. 1 2 Simões de Abreu, Alexandra (8 December 2018). ""No Benfica, aos 18 anos, senti que estava a entrar no deslumbramento estúpido. Ia aos bailes, deitava-me tarde, comprei carro e bati logo"" ["At Benfica, aged 18, I stupidly felt I had it made. I would go dancing, went to bed late, bought a car and crashed immediately"]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Eusebio-inspired Benfica rock Real". FIFA. 2 May 2012. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "Dólares" [Dollars]. Diário de Lisboa (in Portuguese) (18753): 16. 2 May 1975. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  6. ↑ Marques, Francisco (30 December 2018). "Glória do Benfica agredido na Praia e assistido em Portugal" [Benfica legend assaulted in Praia and assisted in Portugal] (in Portuguese). Euronews. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  7. ↑ Yannis, Alex (7 November 1982). "Indoor soccer starts a new season as a one-league sport". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  8. ↑ Litterer, Dave. "The Year in American Soccer – 1989". Sover. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  9. 1 2 Paixão, Paulo; Castanheira, José Pedro (13 July 2016). "A lenda dos Magriços começou há 50 anos" [The legend of the Magriços started 50 years ago]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  10. ↑ "Lista completa dos internacionais portugueses" [Complete list of Portuguese internationals] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 18 February 2004. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  11. ↑ "Despedidas sem glória" [Farewells without glory]. Record (in Portuguese). 13 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "Namazi celebrates World Cup berth with Iran". The Washington Post. 24 June 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  13. ↑ "António Simões: "Decisão muito privada"" [António Simões: "Very private decision"]. Record (in Portuguese). 21 February 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  14. ↑ "António Simões". European Football. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "A honra de marcar ao gigante" [Time to score against giants] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 16 May 2001. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  16. ↑ "Recordes e estatísticas da final da Champions League" [Champions League final records and statistics] (in Portuguese). UEFA. 10 June 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  17. ↑ "Especial 'Tetra'" ['Tetra' special edition]. Mística (in Portuguese). No. 33. Portugal: Impresa Publishing. April–June 2017. p. 70. ISSN 3846-0823.
  18. 1 2 "Bicampeões para a história" [Back-to-back champions for the ages]. Visão (in Portuguese). Portugal: Impresa Publishing. May 2015. p. 48. ISSN 0872-3540.
  19. ↑ "Intercontinental Cup 1961". FIFA. 7 May 2007. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  20. ↑ "Extraordinary Pele crowns Santos in Lisbon". FIFA. 11 October 2012. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.

Further reading

  • Simões, António (December 2013). António Simões, personalidades e reflexões do mais jovem campeão europeu da história [António Simões, personalities and thoughts of the youngest European champion ever] (First ed.). QuidNovi. ISBN 978-989-554-977-1.
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