Fernando Aguiar

{{for|the Brazilian footballer|Fernando Aguiar (Brazilian footballer)}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Fernando Aguiar

| image =

| fullname = Fernando João Lobo Aguiar

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|3|18|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Chaves, Portugal

| height = 1.85 m

| position = Defensive midfielder

| youthyears1 = 1981–1986 | youthclubs1 = Scarborough Blizzard

| youthyears2 = 1987 | youthclubs2 = Wexford

| youthyears3 = 1988–1989 | youthclubs3 = Oshawa Turul

| years1 = 1991–1993 | clubs1 = Toronto Blizzard | caps1 = 22 | goals1 = 9

| years2 = 1994–1995 | clubs2 = Marítimo | caps2 = 7 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1995–1997 | clubs3 = Nacional | caps3 = 39 | goals3 = 4

| years4 = 1997–1999 | clubs4 = Maia | caps4 = 54 | goals4 = 9

| years5 = 1999–2001 | clubs5 = Beira-Mar | caps5 = 75 | goals5 = 10

| years6 = 2002–2004 | clubs6 = Benfica | caps6 = 38 | goals6 = 3

| years7 = 2002–2003 | clubs7 = → União Leiria (loan) | caps7 = 28 | goals7 = 4

| years8 = 2004 | clubs8 = Landskrona BoIS | caps8 = 1 | goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2004–2005 | clubs9 = Penafiel | caps9 = 21 | goals9 = 3

| years10 = 2005–2009 | clubs10 = Gondomar | caps10 = 93 | goals10 = 10

| years11 = 2013–2014 | clubs11 = Pedrouços | caps11 = 17 | goals11 = 5

| totalcaps = 395 | totalgoals = 57

| nationalyears1 = 1992 | nationalteam1 = Canada U23 | nationalcaps1 = 4 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1995–1999 | nationalteam2 = Canada | nationalcaps2 = 13 | nationalgoals2 = 0

}}

Fernando João Lobo Aguiar (born 18 March 1972) is a Canadian former professional soccer player who played as a defensive midfielder.

He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 138 matches and 13 goals over six seasons, appearing in the competition for Marítimo, Beira-Mar, Benfica, União de Leiria and Penafiel. He added 195 games and 25 goals in the Segunda Liga.

Aguiar represented Canada internationally.

Club career

Born in Chaves, Aguiar moved to Canada at an early age, beginning his career in the Canadian Soccer League where he represented hometown's Toronto Blizzard. Although the league disbanded in 1992, he remained with the team for their only season in the American Professional Soccer League.

Dubbed RoboCop due to his powerful frame,{{cite news|url=http://www.record.xl.pt/Futebol/Nacional/1a_liga/beira_mar/interior.aspx?content_id=93283|title=Beira Mar frente à Naval: Fernando Aguiar, o possante "Robocop"|trans-title=Beira Mar against Naval: Fernando Aguiar, the powerful "Robocop"|newspaper=Record|language=Portuguese|date=22 July 2001|accessdate=10 February 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221195403/http://www.record.xl.pt/Futebol/Nacional/1a_liga/beira_mar/interior.aspx?content_id=93283|archivedate=21 February 2014}}{{cite news|url=http://www.record.xl.pt/Futebol/Nacional/taca_portugal/interior.aspx?content_id=294628|title=Gondomar-Belenenses, 1–4: O trem de Belém|trans-title=Gondomar-Belenenses, 1–4: The Belém train|newspaper=Record|language=Portuguese|date=22 January 2007|accessdate=10 February 2014}} Aguiar started competing in Europe in 1994, with Portuguese Primeira Liga club C.S. Marítimo. He had trouble making the lineups and subsequently dropped down to the Segunda Liga where he spent four of the next five years, playing for C.D. Nacional, F.C. Maia and S.C. Beira-Mar, helping the latter to achieve promotion in 2000 and subsequently stay in the top flight.{{cite web|url=https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/geral/29-11-2001/benfica-tem-medio-do-beira-mar-na-lista-de-reforcos|title=Benfica tem médio do Beira Mar na lista de reforços|trans-title=Benfica have Beira Mar midfielder on their shopping list|publisher=Mais Futebol|language=Portuguese|date=29 November 2001|accessdate=11 December 2023}}

Aguiar's good form was noticed by S.L. Benfica, for whom he signed a six-month contract in December 2001,{{cite news|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/liga-betclic/benfica/detalhe/fernando-aguiar-assinou-contrato-por-seis-meses|title=Fernando Aguiar assinou contrato por seis meses|trans-title=Fernando Aguiar signed six-month contract|newspaper=Record|language=Portuguese|date=12 December 2001|accessdate=11 December 2023}} going on to play a somewhat important defensive role. On 25 January 2004 he scored the only goal in a 1–0 away win against Vitória de Guimarães (in the 90th minute), assisted by Miklós Fehér who would die in the hospital just hours later;{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/jan/26/newsstory.sport4|title=Benfica's Miklós Fehér dies after heart attack on pitch|newspaper=The Guardian|first=John|last=Ashdown|date=26 January 2004|accessdate=23 May 2013}} he also helped the Lisbon-based side capture the 2004 Taça de Portugal.{{cite news|url=https://www.publico.pt/2004/05/16/desporto/noticia/benfica-vence-taca-de-portugal-21-1193962|title=Benfica vence Taça de Portugal (2–1)|trans-title=Benfica win Portuguese Cup (2–1)|newspaper=Público|language=Portuguese|date=16 May 2004|accessdate=6 October 2018}}

After his cup-winning exploits, Aguiar transferred to Swedish club Landskrona BoIS. However, an injury and his high wages ruined the move, and he left after only a few months for F.C. Penafiel.{{cite news|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/2--liga/penafiel/detalhe/fernando-aguiar-cumpri-a-palavra-mas-perdi-dinheiro?ref=Penafiel_BucketDestaquesPrincipais&act=0&est=Aberto|title=Fernando Aguiar: "Cumpri a palavra mas perdi dinheiro"|trans-title=Fernando Aguiar: "I kept my word but i lost money"|newspaper=Record|language=Portuguese|date=25 August 2004|accessdate=11 December 2023}} In August 2005 he joined second-tier Gondomar SC, representing it for four years and suffering relegation in the last,{{cite news|url=https://www.dn.pt/desporto/futebol-nacional/liga-decreta-descida-de-gondomar-e-vizela-por-corrupcao-1258658.html|title=Liga decreta descida de Gondomar e Vizela por corrupção|trans-title=League decrees relegation of Gondomar and Vizela for corruption|newspaper=Diário de Notícias|language=Portuguese|date=9 June 2009|accessdate=11 December 2023}} after which he was released at age 37, retiring shortly after.{{cite news|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/detalhe/fernando-aguiar-jogava-mais-5-anos-864715|title=Fernando Aguiar: "Jogava mais 5 anos"|trans-title=Fernando Aguiar: "I would play another 5 years"|newspaper=Record|language=Portuguese|date=25 January 2014|accessdate=11 December 2023}}

On 13 November 2013, more than four years after his last match, Aguiar came out of retirement, moving to Pedrouços A.C. in the Porto regional divisions.{{cite web|url=http://www.agentedesportivo.com/2013/11/13/af-porto-pedroucos-fernando-aguiar-antigo-medio-do-benfica-regressa-aos-relvados/|title=AF Porto – Pedrouços: Fernando Aguiar (antigo médio do Benfica) regressa aos relvados|trans-title=Porto FA – Pedrouços: Fernando Aguiar (former Benfica midfielder) returns to the pitches|publisher=Agente Desportivo|language=Portuguese|date=13 November 2013|accessdate=9 February 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222233550/http://www.agentedesportivo.com/2013/11/13/af-porto-pedroucos-fernando-aguiar-antigo-medio-do-benfica-regressa-aos-relvados/|archivedate=22 February 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://sjpf.pt/?pt=entrevista&op=detail&id=101|title="Vou tentar divertir-me"|trans-title="I will try to have fun"|publisher=SJPF|language=Portuguese|date=9 January 2014|accessdate=10 February 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306093406/http://sjpf.pt/?pt=entrevista&op=detail&id=101|archivedate=6 March 2014}}

International career

Aguiar possessed both Portuguese and Canadian citizenship but, having grown up in Canada, he eventually featured for its national team. Ironically, he made his debut in a January 1995 SkyDome Cup match against Portugal,{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/skydome.html|title=Skydome Cup (Canada 1995)|publisher=RSSSF|first1=Barrie|last1=Courtney|first2=José Luis|last2=Pierrend|accessdate=13 May 2016}} and went on to earn a total of 13 caps scoring no goals.{{cite web|url=https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/geral/10-11-2003/benfica-fernando-aguiar-convocado-para-a-seleccao-do-canada|title=Benfica: Fernando Aguiar convocado para a selecção do Canadá|trans-title=Benfica: Fernando Aguiar called for Canada national team|publisher=Mais Futebol|language=Portuguese|date=10 November 2003|accessdate=11 December 2023}}

Aguiar represented Canada in four FIFA World Cup qualification matches.{{FIFA player|154490}} His final international appearance was in July 1999, with Saudi Arabia.