Marco Ferreira

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Marco Ferreira

| image =

| fullname = Marco Júlio Castanheira Afonso Alves Ferreira{{WorldFootball.net|marco-ferreira}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|3|12|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Vimioso, Portugal

| height = 1.77 m

| position = Winger

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 1988–1989

| youthyears2 = 1989–1992

| youthyears3 = 1994–1996

| youthclubs1 = GD Parada

| youthclubs2 = Bragança

| youthclubs3 = Águia Vimioso

| years1 = 1996–1997

| years2 = 1997

| years3 = 1998

| years4 = 1998–1999

| years5 = 1999–2002

| years6 = 2003–2005

| years7 = 2004–2005

| years8 = 2005

| years9 = 2006–2008

| years10 = 2007

| years11 = 2008

| years12 = 2008–2010

| clubs1 = Tirsense

| clubs2 = Atlético Madrid B

| clubs3 = Yokohama Flügels

| clubs4 = Paços Ferreira

| clubs5 = Vitória Setúbal

| clubs6 = Porto

| clubs7 = → Vitória Guimarães (loan)

| clubs8 = → Penafiel (loan)

| clubs9 = Benfica

| clubs10 = → Leicester City (loan)

| clubs11 = → Belenenses (loan)

| clubs12 = Ethnikos Piraeus

| caps1 = 17

| caps2 = 4

| caps3 =

| caps4 = 19

| caps5 = 89

| caps6 = 23

| caps7 = 21

| caps8 = 7

| caps9 = 5

| caps10 = 0

| caps11 = 6

| caps12 = 32

| totalcaps = 223

| goals1 = 2

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 =

| goals4 = 0

| goals5 = 14

| goals6 = 3

| goals7 = 3

| goals8 = 1

| goals9 = 0

| goals10 = 0

| goals11 = 0

| goals12 = 5

| totalgoals = 28

| nationalyears1 = 2002

| nationalteam1 = Portugal

| nationalcaps1 = 3

| nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Marco Júlio Castanheira Afonso Alves Ferreira (born 12 March 1978) is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a winger.

He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 127 games and 15 goals over the course of eight seasons, representing mainly in the competition Vitória de Setúbal and Porto. He also played professionally in Spain, Japan, England and Greece.

Club career

Ferreira was born in Vimioso in the Bragança District, and started his career at F.C. Tirsense in the Segunda Liga. In 1998 he moved to Atlético Madrid B, but only lasted a few months in Spain, finishing the season at Yokohama Flügels in the J1 League.{{cite web|url=https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/o-outro-lado-do-dragao-marco-ferreira-o-japones|title=O outro lado do Dragão: Marco Ferreira, o «japonês»|trans-title=The other side of the Dragon: Marco Ferreira, the "Japanese"|publisher=Mais Futebol|first=Filipe|last=Caetano|language=Portuguese|date=24 May 2004|accessdate=21 February 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://tribuna.expresso.pt/a-casa-as-costas/2018-04-21-Marco-Ferreira-Ha-uma-frase-do-Eurico-que-me-ficou-Es-um-homenzinho.-O-futebol-da-te-mulheres-mas-as-mulheres-nao-te-dao-futebol|title=Marco Ferreira: "Há uma frase do Eurico que me ficou: 'És um homenzinho. O futebol dá-te mulheres, mas as mulheres não te dão futebol"|trans-title=Marco Ferreira: "These words by Eurico stuck with me: 'You're a grown man now. Football gives you women, but women do not give you football"|newspaper=Expresso|first=Alexandra|last=Simões de Abreu|language=Portuguese|date=21 April 2018|accessdate=21 February 2025}}

Ferreira would go on to represent F.C. Paços de Ferreira – also in the Portuguese second division – spending the following three and a half seasons as a key player at Primeira Liga club Vitória de Setúbal.{{cite news|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/campeonato-de-portugal/v--setubal/detalhe/marco-ferreira-o-heroi-do-vimioso-que-alimenta-o-sonho|title=Marco Ferreira: O «herói» do Vimioso que alimenta o sonho|trans-title=Marco Ferreira: The Vimioso "hero" nursing the dream|newspaper=Record|language=Portuguese|date=18 March 2002|accessdate=21 February 2025}} In January 2003 he joined FC Porto,{{cite news|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/liga-betclic/fc-porto/detalhe/a-hora-de-marco-ferreira|title=A hora de Marco Ferreira|trans-title=Marco Ferreira's time|newspaper=Record|language=Portuguese|date=15 January 2003|accessdate=21 February 2025}} being part of the José Mourinho-led squad that defeated Celtic in the final of the 2002–03 UEFA Cup, coming on for Capucho in the 98th minute.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/3043029.stm|title=Porto end Celtic's Uefa dream|publisher=BBC Sport|date=21 May 2003|accessdate=2 October 2007}}{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/3047207.stm|title=Uefa Cup final player ratings|publisher=BBC Sport|date=21 May 2003|accessdate=3 October 2017}} He also featured in several UEFA Champions League games in the following campaign but was not selected for the decisive match, and added two consecutive league championships during his tenure with the northerners.{{cite web|url=https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/f-c-porto-campeao-afinal-ha-vida-depois-de-mourinho|title=F.C. Porto campeão: afinal há vida depois de Mourinho|trans-title=Champions F.C. Porto: there's life after Mourinho after all|publisher=Mais Futebol|first=Filipe|last=Caetano|language=Portuguese|date=22 April 2006|accessdate=22 February 2025}}

After that, Ferreira was loaned to Vitória de Guimarães for 2004–05. He made the same move the following year, now to F.C. Penafiel, but was released in January 2006 and promptly signed for S.L. Benfica, until June 2009; while in Lisbon, he was unable to establish himself as a first-team player, and was placed on the transfer list.

On 31 August 2007, Ferreira joined English side Leicester City on loan until the end of the year,{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leicester_city/6973455.stm|title=Leicester recruit Benfica winger|publisher=BBC Sport|date=31 August 2007|accessdate=2 October 2007}} but his contract was terminated in December after he became unsettled, making no competitive appearances (he was an unused substitute in a 3–2 away win over Nottingham Forest in the second round of the League Cup on 18 September).{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/6996432.stm|title=Nottingham Forest 2–3 Leicester|publisher=BBC Sport|date=18 September 2007|accessdate=16 February 2008}}{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/2992177/ferreira-returns-to-portugal|title=Ferreira returns to Portugal|publisher=Sky Sports|first=Francisco|last=Acedo|date=19 December 2007|accessdate=21 February 2025}} He finished the season with C.F. Os Belenenses, where he was coached by his former Setúbal manager Jorge Jesus.

Ferreira signed with Ethnikos Piraeus F.C. in August 2008. He spent 18 months at the Greek second division club, being released and retiring at the age of 32; it was also in this country where he met his second wife, Athina.

International career

Ferreira's debut for Portugal came in a 1–1 friendly draw against Tunisia on 12 October 2002, playing six minutes after taking the place of Luís Figo.{{cite news|url=http://www.record.xl.pt/Futebol/selecoes/interior.aspx?content_id=461735|title=Sílvio é o 14.º a estrear-se com Agostinho Oliveira|trans-title=Sílvio is debutant number 14 with Agostinho Oliveira|newspaper=Record|language=Portuguese|date=7 September 2010|accessdate=10 June 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610050325/http://www.record.xl.pt/Futebol/selecoes/interior.aspx?content_id=461735|archive-date=10 June 2015}} He went on to earn a further two caps that year.

Honours

Porto

Primeira Liga: 2002–03, 2003–04{{cite web|url=https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/liga/sporting/marco-ferreira-do-feitio-especial-de-conceicao-ao-amorim-relacoes-publicas-como-poucos|title=Marco Ferreira: do feitio especial de Conceição ao Amorim relações-públicas como poucos|trans-title=Marco Ferreira: from Conceição's special character to one-of-a-kind public relations Amorim|publisher=Mais Futebol|first=Nuno|last=Mendes|language=Portuguese|date=17 December 2023|accessdate=21 February 2025}}
Taça de Portugal: 2002–03{{cite news|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/liga-betclic/fc-porto/detalhe/marco-ferreira-terminou-epoca|title=Marco Ferreira terminou época|trans-title=Marco Ferreira ended season|newspaper=Record|language=Portuguese|date=29 May 2003|accessdate=21 February 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/fc-porto/uniao-leiria/f-c-porto-u-leiria-1-0-cronica|title=F.C. Porto-U. Leiria, 1–0 (crónica)|trans-title=F.C. Porto-U. Leiria, 1–0 (report)|publisher=Mais Futebol|first=Nuno|last=Madureira|language=Portuguese|date=15 June 2003|accessdate=21 February 2025}}
Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2003
UEFA Champions League: 2003–04
UEFA Cup: 2002–03