Playing position 1999–2003 Campomaiorense Height 1.90 m Career start 1999 | Number 6 Role Footballer Weight 80 kg Salary 600,000 EUR (2013) | |
Name Rolando Fonseca Full name Rolando Jorge Pires da Fonseca Date of birth (1985-08-31) 31 August 1985 (age 30) Place of birth Sao Vicente, Cape Verde Current teams Olympique de Marseille (#6 / Defender), Portugal national football team (Defender) Similar People Bruno Alves, Paulo Bento, Walter Mazzarri, Raul Meireles, Alvaro Pereira | ||
Rolando footballer
Rolando Jorge Pires da Fonseca (born 31 August 1985), known simply as Rolando, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for French club Olympique de Marseille as a central defender.
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Belenenses
Rolando was born in Sao Vicente, Cape Verde. After beginning his career in the youth ranks of lowly S.C. Campomaiorense he finished his football formation with Lisbon's C.F. Os Belenenses, which he joined at nearly 18. In his first division debut, on 28 August 2004, he played 90 minutes and scored a goal in a 3–0 home win against C.S. Maritimo.
Rolando went on to become an essential defensive figure onwards, appearing in all 30 games in the 2007–08 season as the club finished in eighth place.
Porto
On 15 April 2008, FC Porto confirmed that Rolando had agreed to part ways with Belenenses and join them on a four-year contract. In his first season he quickly beat competition from veteran Pedro Emanuel, partnering Bruno Alves in the centre and netting three times in 28 matches as the northerners won the league and the domestic cup.
In 2010–11 Rolando rarely missed a game for Porto, who won another national championship. On 17 February 2011 he opened the score at Sevilla FC through a header, in an eventual 2–1 win for the season's UEFA Europa League, which ended in conquest.
Rolando started the 2011–12 campaign in scoring fashion, netting both Porto goals in the season's Portuguese Supercup, a 2–1 win against Vitoria de Guimaraes in Aveiro. On 30 January 2013, completely ostracized by manager Vitor Pereira as practically all Portuguese players, he was transferred to S.S.C. Napoli in the Serie A, being loaned until June.
On 10 August 2013 Internazionale confirmed the signing of Rolando, in a season-long loan with the option to make the move permanent afterwards. He scored his first goal for the club on 27 October, contributing to a 4–2 home win over Hellas Verona FC.
In February 2015, after spending the first half of the new campaign ousted from the squad due to a run-in with the board of directors after he refused to join the team's pre-season, Rolando was loaned to R.S.C. Anderlecht until June.
International career
Although born in Cape Verde, Rolando moved to Portugal at age of 14 and became a naturalized citizen in 2006, immediately starting playing for the nation's under-21s, for whom he appeared at the 2007 UEFA European Championship.
On 11 February 2009 Rolando was first called up to the full side but did not make his debut, in a friendly match with Finland in Faro (1–0 win). He was selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, but did not leave the bench.