Alex (footballer, born 1979)
Domingos Alexandre Martins Costa (born 6 September 1979), commonly known as Alex, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played mainly as a right back, and a current manager.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Domingos Alexandre Martins Costa | ||
| Date of birth | 6 September 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Guimarães, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Wingback | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1990–1994 | Vitória Guimarães | ||
| 1994–1995 | Ribeira Pena | ||
| 1995–1998 | Vitória Guimarães | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–2001 | Fafe | 76 | (16) |
| 2001–2003 | Moreirense | 57 | (8) |
| 2003–2005 | Benfica | 14 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | → Vitória Guimarães (loan) | 31 | (4) |
| 2005–2009 | VfL Wolfsburg | 21 | (0) |
| 2009–2013 | Vitória Guimarães | 95 | (0) |
| Total | 295 | (28) | |
| National team | |||
| 2005 | Portugal | 3 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2013–2014 | Felgueiras 1932 | ||
| 2014 | Académico Viseu | ||
| 2016–2018 | Vitória Guimarães (youth) | ||
| 2018–2019 | Vitória Guimarães B | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Over seven seasons (15 years in total as a professional), he amassed Primeira Liga totals of 170 matches and seven goals, mainly at the service of Vitória de Guimarães. He also spent four years in Germany, with Wolfsburg.
Playing career
Alex was born in Guimarães. After five seasons, spent at both AD Fafe and Moreirense FC he made his Primeira Liga debut with S.L. Benfica, mainly deputising for established Miguel. In 2004–05, he served a season-long loan spell at Vitória de Guimarães.[1]
After good performances at Vitória, which earned him a Portugal national team call-up (three matches, including two in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers),[2] Benfica sold Alex to VfL Wolfsburg on the very last days of the summer transfer window.[3] He had a relatively successful debut campaign, but only appeared four times in the Bundesliga in the next three combined (none in the last two).
In late May 2009, Alex signed for former club Vitória de Guimarães on a free transfer.[4] During that first season he operated mostly as a right back, going on to be fully reconverted to the position in the following years and being an automatic first-choice.[5]
Coaching career
On 3 July 2013, Alex announced his retirement from professional football at the age of nearly 34, immediately starting his managing career with F.C. Felgueiras 1932 in the regional championships.[6]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Fafe | 1998–99 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 0 | |||
| 1999–00 | 27 | 8 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | 34 | 9 | ||||
| 2000–01 | 31 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 31 | 8 | ||||
| Total | 75 | 16 | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | 83 | 17 | ||||
| Moreirense | 2001–02 | 27 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 29 | 5 | |||
| 2002–03 | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 32 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 57 | 8 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 61 | 8 | ||||
| Benfica | 2003–04 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| Vitória Guimarães (loan) | 2004–05 | 31 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 34 | 4 | |||
| Wolfsburg | 2005–06 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 17 | 0 | |||
| 2006–07 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| 2007–08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2008–09 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 22 | 0 | |||
| Wolfsburg II | 2007–08 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Vitória Guimarães | 2009–10 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | 28 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 0 | |||
| 2011–12 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
| 2012–13 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 | |||
| Total | 95 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 123 | 0 | |
| Vitória Guimarães B | 2012–13 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Career Total | 295 | 28 | 35 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 344 | 29 | |
Honours
Moreirense
Benfica
Vitória Guimarães
References
- "Alex: «Objectivo é voltar ao Benfica»" [Alex: «Goal is to return to Benfica»]. Record (in Portuguese). 20 May 2005. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- "Estreias com Scolari raramente são a doer" [Debuts with Scolari rarely happen when it matters]. Record (in Portuguese). 30 May 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- "Fußball: VfL Wolfsburg verpflichtet portugiesischen Verteidiger Alex" [Football: VfL Wolfsburg acquire Portuguese defender Alex] (in German). kicker. 20 August 2005. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- "Alex verlässt Wolfsburg in Richtung Portugal" [Alex leaves Wolfsburg towards Portugal] (in German). Goal. 26 June 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- "Gémeos falsos" [False twins]. Record (in Portuguese). 13 November 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- "Alex despediu-se em lágrimas" [Alex said goodbye in tears]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 3 July 2013. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
- "Alex". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- Alex at Soccerway
- "Alex". European Football. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
External links
- Alex at ForaDeJogo
- Alex manager stats at ForaDeJogo
- Alex at fussballdaten.de (in German)
- Alex at National-Football-Teams.com