Cláudio Fonseca

{{Infobox basketball biography

| image =

| name = Cláudio Fonseca

| position = Center

| team = CAB Madeira

| number = 17

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 9.5

| weight_lbs = 225

| nationality = Portuguese

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1989|01|22}}

| birth_place = Lisbon, Portugal

| college =

| draft_year =

| career_start = 2007

| career_end =

| years1= 2006–2008

| team1 = Valencia BC II

| years2 = 2008

| team2 = Valencia BC

| years3 = 2008–2009

| team3 = CB Peñas Huesca

| years4 = 2009

| team4 = CB Almàssera

| years5 = 2009–2010

| team5 = Lucentum Alicante

| years6 = 2010–2012

| team6 = Vitória de Guimarães

| years7 = 2012

| team7 = Plasencia

| years8 = 2012–2016

| team8 = Benfica

| years9 = 2016

| team9 = → Palma Air Europa (loan)

| years10 = 2016–2017

| team10 = Palma Air Europa

| years11 = 2017–2019

| team11 = Benfica

| years12 = 2019–2021

| team12 = Sporting CP

| years13 = 2021–present

| team13 = CAB Madeira

| highlights =

}}

Cláudio dos Santos Fonseca (born January 22, 1989) is a Portuguese professional basketball player who plays as a center for CAB Madeira.

Club career

Born in Lisbon, Fonseca basketball career started in 2006, when at 17, he joined the junior team of Valencia BC, where he would stay for two seasons, before progressing into their reserve team, who competed in the Liga EBA, the fourth tier of Spanish basketball.{{cite web|title=Claudio Fonseca Profile|url=http://www.acb.com/jugador.php?id=Y16|website=ACB|accessdate=23 June 2015|language=Spanish|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623232943/http://www.acb.com/jugador.php?id=Y16|archive-date=23 June 2015|url-status=dead}}

He made his debut for the first team on 14 October 2007 in a league game against Bàsquet Manresa,{{cite news|title=Cláudio Fonseca estreia-se pelo Pamesa Valencia|trans-title=Cláudio Fonseca debuts for Pamesa Valencia|url=http://www.record.xl.pt/modalidades/basquetebol/detalhe/claudio-fonseca-estreia-se-pelo-pamesa-valencia.html|accessdate=1 April 2016|work=Record|date=14 October 2007|language=Portuguese}}{{cite web|title=Cláudio Fonseca – O futuro já começou|trans-title=Claudio Fonseca - The future has begun|url=https://seis25.wordpress.com/2007/10/17/claudio-fonseca-o-futuro-ja-comecou/|website=Seis 25|accessdate=23 June 2015|language=Portuguese|date=17 October 2007}} and debuted on the European stage on 19 February 2008 in a match for the 2007–08 ULEB Cup, against Panionios B.C.{{cite web|title=Claudio Fonseca|url=http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=000767&seasoncode=U2007#!highs|website=Euroleague|accessdate=23 June 2015}} In the following season, Fonseca was loaned out to gain experience, joining CB Peñas Huesca on 30 July 2008.{{cite news|title=Três más para el Penãs de Huesca|trans-title=Three more at Penãs de Huesca|url=http://www.solobasket.com/competiciones-feb/tres-mas-para-el-penas-de-huesca|accessdate=23 June 2015|work=Solobasket|date=30 July 2008|language=Spanish}} He stayed there briefly, being release on 3 February 2009,{{cite news|title=Cortado el Pivot Claudio Fonseca|trans-title=Center Claudio Fonseca cut from the squad|url=http://www.solobasket.com/competiciones-feb/cortado-el-pivot-claudio-fonseca|accessdate=23 June 2015|work=Solobasket|date=3 February 2009|language=Spanish}} to complete the season at CB Almàssera. Already a free player, Fonseca played one season with CB Lucentum Alicante in their return to the top tier.

He returned to Portugal on 8 July 2010, signing with Vitória de Guimarães,{{cite news|title=Cunha, Sobrinho e Fonseca em Guimarães|trans-title=Cunha, Sobrinho and Fonseca in Guimarães|url=http://www.planetabasket.pt/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12281&Itemid=306|accessdate=23 June 2015|work=Planeta Basket|date=8 July 2010|language=Portuguese}} and competing there for nearly two seasons, until he moved abruptly to LEB Plata team, Plasencia, on 8 February 2012.{{cite news|title=El internacional portugués Claudio Fonseca se une a Plasencia Extremadura|trans-title=Portuguese international, Claudio Fonseca, joins Plasencia Extremadura|url=http://www.solobasket.com/competiciones-feb/el-internacional-portugues-claudio-fonseca-se-une-plasencia-extremadura|accessdate=23 June 2015|work=Solobasket|date=8 February 2012|language=Spanish}}{{cite news|title=Cláudio Fonseca deixa Vitória SC e ruma a Espanha|trans-title=Claudio Fonseca leaves Vitoria and heads off to Spain|url=http://www.basketpt.com/news/liga-portuguesa-de-basquetebol-2659/|accessdate=23 June 2015|work=BasketPT|date=8 February 2012|language=Portuguese}}

On 18 September 2012, Fonseca returned to Portugal to play for Benfica, helping them win three league titles, fifteen other cups, and also debuting in European competitions, in the 2014–15 EuroChallenge.{{cite news|title=Basquetebol: Cláudio Fonseca e LaceDarius Dunn fecham plantel|trans-title=Cláudio Fonseca and LaceDarius Dunn end signings|url=http://www.slbenfica.pt/noticias/detalhedenoticia/tabid/2788/articleid/24606/detalhedenoticia.aspx|accessdate=23 June 2015|work=SL Benfica|date=18 September 2012|language=Portuguese}} Halfway through 2015–16, the 27-year old moved back to Spain, representing Palma Air Europa on a six-month loan deal.{{cite news|title=Cláudio Fonseca emprestado|trans-title=Cláudio Fonseca loaned|url=http://www.slbenfica.pt/30/news/info/OqvsrdHuIU69vR0DjZKo8Q?language=pt-PT|accessdate=13 July 2016|work=SL Benfica|date=18 February 2016|language=Portuguese}} The move was made permanent in July 2016, with Fonseca signing for one year with the LEB Oro-side.{{cite news|title=Claudio Fonseca sigue en el Palma Air Europa|trans-title=Cláudio Fonseca will stay at Palma Air Europa|url=http://www.bahiasanagustin.es/index.php/leb-oro-16-17/3266-claudio-fonseca-sigue-en-el-palma-air-europa|accessdate=13 July 2016|work=Bahía San Agustín|date=7 July 2016|language=Spanish}} In March 2017, Fonseca returned to Benfica.{{cite news|title=Cláudio integra plantel |trans-title=Cláudio joins Benfica |url=http://www.slbenfica.pt/30/news/info/5Sct7tDma0CMwkr9UjG4CQ|accessdate=9 March 2017|work=SL Benfica|date=2 March 2017|language=Portuguese}} In July 2019, was announced in Sporting CP.

International career

Fonseca represented his national team on all three youth levels, always in Division B. In 2011, he helped Portugal reach the EuroBasket for the third time in their history, finishing the finals in 21st place.{{cite web|title=Claudio Fonseca Profile|url=http://www.fibaeurope.com/eurochallenge/cid_04nV5LW1InMnPsDwhkujE0.playerID_48887.compID_BYg5Rb55Jw-G5I3MZ6JB01.season_2015.roundID_10369.teamID_975.html|website=FIBA Europe|accessdate=13 July 2016}}