João Pica

João Miguel Passos Manuel Pica (born 8 April 1986) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Académico de Viseu F.C. as a central defender.

João Pica
Personal information
Full name João Miguel Passos Manuel Pica
Date of birth (1986-04-08) 8 April 1986
Place of birth Moura, Portugal
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Club information
Current team
 Académico Viseu
Number 3
Youth career
1995–2003 Moura
2003–2004 Desportivo Beja
2004–2005 Vitória Setúbal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2007 Vitória Setúbal B 3 (0)
2007 Elvas
2008–2009 Ribeirão 43 (1)
2009–2010 Varzim 21 (1)
2011–2012 Moreirense 16 (1)
2011–2012 → Tondela (loan) 26 (2)
2012–2017 Tondela 103 (6)
2017– Académico Viseu 50 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 September 2020

Club career

Pica was born in Moura, Alentejo. Until the age of 23, he alternated between the third and fourth levels of Portuguese football, representing Vitória de Setúbal B, O Elvas C.A.D. and G.D. Ribeirão.

In the summer of 2009, Pica signed for Segunda Liga club Varzim S.C. and, on 8 August, made his professional debut in a 1–0 home win against C.D. Fátima in the first round of the Taça da Liga.[1] In January 2011, he moved to fellow league side Moreirense FC.[2]

In June 2012, after spending one season with C.D. Tondela in division three on loan, Pica agreed to a permanent deal after helping to promotion to the second tier. In the 2014–15 campaign, he contributed with 19 games and one goal[3] as his team reached the Primeira Liga for the first time in their history[4] and, subsequently, renewed his expiring contract for a further year.[5]

Pica played his first match in the top flight on 20 December 2015, featuring the full 90 minutes in a 1–3 home loss against Vitória de Setúbal.[6][7] Initially fourth or fifth-choice stopper, he was an everpresent figure in the season's final stretch,[8] scoring three goals in seven games as Tondela avoided relegation in the last matchday.[9][10][11]

References
  1. "Varzim 1–0 Fátima" (in Portuguese). SAPO. 8 August 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  2. "Reforço Pica estreia-se nos convocados" [Addition Pica makes squad for the first time]. Record (in Portuguese). 8 January 2011. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  3. "Tondela-Chaves, 2–2: Empate adia decisões para a última jornada" [Tondela-Chaves, 2–2: Draw postpones decisions to last round]. Record (in Portuguese). 17 May 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  4. "Freamunde-Tondela, 1–1: Golo nos descontos carimbou subida" [Freamunde-Tondela, 1–1: Injury time goal sealed promotion]. Record (in Portuguese). 24 May 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  5. "João Pica renova por mais um ano" [João Pica renews for one more year]. Record (in Portuguese). 11 June 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  6. "Petit estreia Pica e Jaquité na receção ao Vitória de Setúbal" [Petit hands debuts to Pica and Jaquité in reception to Vitória de Setúbal]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 20 December 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  7. "Não há quem marque penaltis" [No penalty scorers]. O Beirão (in Portuguese). 21 December 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  8. "FC Porto 0–1 Tondela" (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  9. "Pica: "O golo foi uma alegria enorme, mas podia ter sido mais cedo"" [Pica: «Goal was an incredible joy, but it could have come sooner»] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  10. "Pica fechou as "linhas aéreas" na revolução de abril do Tondela" [Pica closed «airlines» in Tondela's April revolution] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  11. "Rio Ave na Europa, Tondela assegura permanência" [Rio Ave in Europe, Tondela confirm survival] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 14 May 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
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