Current team Porto (assistant) Role Footballer 1982–1985 Varzim Height 1.7 m | 1986–1989 Rio Ave Name Paulinho Santos | |
 | ||
Full name Joao Paulo Maio dos Santos Date of birth (1970-11-21) 21 November 1970 (age 45) Place of birth Vila do Conde, Portugal | ||
Paulinho Santos vs New England College
João Paulo Maio dos Santos (born 21 November 1970), commonly known as Paulinho Santos, is a Portuguese retired footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder.
Contents
- Paulinho Santos vs New England College
- Paulinho santos nos numeros miticos
- Club career
- International career
- Club
- References
He spent 11 years of his professional career with Porto, playing in several positions and winning 19 major titles whilst appearing in more than 300 official games for the club.
Santos represented Portugal at Euro 1996.
Paulinho santos nos numeros miticos
Club career
Born in Vila do Conde, Santos started playing with hometown's Rio Ave FC, competing two seasons in the second division and one in the third. He moved in 1992 to FC Porto, helping the latter (often in an instrumental role) to seven Primeira Liga titles and five domestic cups, having taken over from the player he idolized while growing up, António André – who had also played in his first club.
In Porto, Santos and four others became the only players in the history of Portuguese football to win five consecutive league titles from 1994 to 1999. Upon winning the 2003 edition of the UEFA Cup, he was already second-fiddle – five games in his last two seasons combined – and retired at the end of that campaign.
A player of aggressive approach, Santos often scuffled with S.L. Benfica's João Vieira Pinto during his career: As a symbolic gesture, however, they exchanged shirts before Santos' last match, against Sporting Clube de Portugal (where Pinto was playing), at Estádio das Antas, in June 2003.
Three years later, Santos began a coaching career, spending several years with Porto's various youth sides, mainly as an assistant. In the same predicament, in 2011–12, he was promoted to the first team, joining Vítor Pereira's staff.
International career
Santos earned 30 caps for the Portugal national team, scoring two goals (including a solo effort in a 1–1 away draw against Austria on 11 October 1995). His first game was on 19 January 1994 in a 2–2 draw with Spain in Vigo, in a friendly match, and his last came on 10 February 1999 in a 0–0 draw with the Netherlands at the Parc des Princes in Paris, in another exhibition game.
Santos participated at UEFA Euro 1996, where he played as left back, and missed Euro 2000 due to injury.