Raul Machado

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Raul Machado

|image = Raúl Machado (1963).jpg

|caption = Machado in 1963

|fullname = Raul Martins Machado

|birth_date = {{birth date|1937|9|22|df=y}}

|birth_place = Matosinhos, Portugal

|death_date = {{death date and age|2023|10|22|1937|9|22|df=y}}

|death_place =

|position = Centre-back

|youthyears1 = |youthclubs1= Bebés do Mar[https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/detalhe/faleceu-raul-machado-antiga-gloria-de-benfica-e-leixoes Morreu Raul Machado, antiga glória de Benfica e Leixões] Record (in Portuguese)

|years1 = 1959–1962 |clubs1 = Leixões |caps1 = 74 |goals1 = 2

|years2 = 1962–1969 |clubs2 = Benfica |caps2 = 122 |goals2 = 2

|years3 = 1969–1970 |clubs3 = Leixões |caps3 = 19 |goals3 = 0

|totalcaps = 216 |totalgoals = 4

|nationalyears1 = 1962–1968

|nationalteam1 = Portugal

|nationalcaps1 = 11

|nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Raul Martins Machado (22 September 1937 – 22 October 2023) was a Portuguese footballer who played as centre-back.

Club career

Born in Matosinhos, Machado joined his home-town club, Leixões, at the age of 21.{{cite book|last1=Malheiro|first1=João|title=Memorial Benfica 100 Glórias|trans-title=Benfica Memorial, 100 glories|date=July 2006|publisher=QuidNovi|isbn=978-972-8998-26-4|edition=Third|page=117|language=Portuguese}} In the three seasons there, he help them maintain in the Primeira Divisão and win the 1961 Portuguese Cup.

His performances led to a move to Benfica in 1962, and made his debut on 21 October 1962, in an away win to Belenenses.{{sfn|Tovar|2012|p=303}} Due to an injury in Germano, he played 37 games in the centre of a WM formation, winning the league title and losing the European Cup Final.{{sfn|Tovar|2012|p=308}}{{cite news|publisher=Record|title=100 anos: Raul Machado: OUTROS GRANDES JOGADORES|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/liga-bwin/benfica/detalhe/100-anos-raul-machado|language=pt|date=13 January 2004}} In the next season, he lost his starting position to Luciano, playing the majority of his games in the domestic cup, which the club successfully conquered.{{sfn|Tovar|2012|p=315}} After a one-year on the right side of the WM formation,{{sfn|Tovar|2012|p=316}} Machado easily adapted to the more common 4–4–2 in 1965 and played four more seasons at Benfica.{{sfn|Tovar|2012|p=329}}{{sfn|Tovar|2012|p=335}}{{sfn|Tovar|2012|p=342}}{{sfn|Tovar|2012|p=349}}

Machado partnered with Germano and later Jacinto Santos, winning three more league titles and losing a third European Cup Final.{{sfn|Tovar|2012|p=323}}{{sfn|Tovar|2012|p=330}}{{sfn|Tovar|2012|p=336}} With the rapid rise of Humberto Coelho, he left in 1969 with 193 matches and seven goals, retiring after a last season at Leixões.

International career

Machado received 11 caps for the national team in a six-year spell. He was first called up by manager José Maria Antunes in 1962, to play the preliminary round of the 1964 European Nations' Cup qualifying against Bulgaria.{{cite web|title=Raul Machado|url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/47408/Raul_Machado.html|website=national-football-teams.com|access-date=9 October 2015}} He played both legs, on 7 November and 16 December, but Bulgaria progressed after a 1–0 on replay.{{cite web|title=Bulgaria 3-1 Portugal|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/3959--portugal-vs-bulgaria/|website=UEFA|access-date=9 October 2015}}{{cite web|title=Portugal 3-1 Bulgaria|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/3959--portugal-vs-bulgaria/|website=UEFA|access-date=9 October 2015}} Due to strong competition in his position, he did not take part in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, but reappeared in the UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying stages in 1967.{{cite web|title=Sweden 1-1 Portugal|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/3853--sweden-vs-portugal/|website=UEFA|access-date=9 October 2015}}{{cite web|title=Portugal 2-1 Norway|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/3860--portugal-vs-norway/|website=UEFA|access-date=9 October 2015}}

Death

Machado died on 22 October 2023, at the age of 86.{{cite news |title=Morreu Raul Machado |url=https://www.abola.pt/futebol/noticias/morreu-raul-machado-2023102214251281100 |access-date=22 October 2023 |work=A Bola |date=22 October 2023}}