Name Custodio Castro Career start 2001 1993–1994 Torcatense Weight 75 kg | Number 27 Height 1.80 m Role Footballer | |
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Full name Custodio Miguel Dias de Castro Date of birth (1983-05-24) 24 May 1983 (age 32) Current teams Akhisar Belediyespor (#27 / Midfielder), Portugal national football team (Midfielder) Similar People Douglao, Hasan Kabze, Bruno Mezenga | ||
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Custódio Miguel Dias de Castro (born 24 May 1983), known simply as Custódio, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Turkish club Akhisar Belediyespor as a defensive midfielder.
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Club career
Custódio was born in the village of Brito, Guimarães. From 2001 to 2007 he played for Sporting Clube de Portugal, making his Primeira Liga debut on 16 August 2003 in a 2–1 away win against Académica de Coimbra and finishing his first season with 22 first-team appearances.
In the 2006–07 campaign, coach Paulo Bento named Custódio team captain, in recognition of his history at Sporting and consistent displays in the previous seasons. Incidentally, in that timeframe, he also fell out of favor in the club's rotation and, in June 2007, was sold to Russian Premier League side FC Dynamo Moscow.
Custódio returned to Portugal in January 2009, re-joining childhood club Vitória de Guimarães along with Cícero Semedo. On 31 August of the following year, he moved to Minho neighbours S.C. Braga.
In his first season with Braga, Custódio battled for first-choice status with Brazilians Leandro Salino and Vandinho, but managed to appear in nearly 25 official games. On 5 February 2011 he scored from close range in a 2–1 away win against C.S. Marítimo, helping his team finish fourth in the league. On 5 May he netted arguably the most important goal of his career, heading from a corner kick for the game's only in a home win against S.L. Benfica for the UEFA Europa League's semifinals second leg, with Braga qualifying to the final on the away goals rule.
Custódio spent the first half of 2011–12 on the sidelines, nursing a serious knee injury. When he returned to full fitness, however, he benefitted from Djamal Mahamat's presence in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations and begun appearing regularly in the starting XI, scoring against Marítimo (2–1 away win) and former team Guimarães (4–0, at home).
International career
A Portuguese under-21 international, Custódio appeared in two UEFA European Championship editions, in 2004 and 2006.
He was selected by full side manager Paulo Bento for his 23-men squad for UEFA Euro 2012, and made his debut on 2 June, a 1–3 friendly loss with Turkey in Lisbon; in the finals in Poland and Ukraine, he played 20 minutes in the decisive 2–1 group stage win against the Netherlands, after replacing injured Raul Meireles.