Nuno Gomes

Nuno Miguel Soares Pereira Ribeiro OIH (born 5 July 1976), known as Nuno Gomes, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a striker.

For other people named Nuno Gomes, see Nuno Gomes (disambiguation).

Nuno Gomes
Gomes in 2017
Personal information
Full name Nuno Miguel Soares Pereira Ribeiro
Date of birth (1976-07-05) 5 July 1976[1]
Place of birth Amarante, Portugal[1]
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1987–1990 Amarante
1990–1994 Boavista
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–1997 Boavista 79 (23)
1997–2000 Benfica 101 (60)
2000–2002 Fiorentina 53 (14)
2002–2011 Benfica 192 (65)
2011–2012 Braga 20 (6)
2012–2013 Blackburn Rovers 18 (4)
Total 463 (158)
National team
1990 Portugal U15 3 (3)
1991–1992 Portugal U16 9 (4)
1992–1993 Portugal U17 5 (2)
1993–1994 Portugal U18 15 (5)
1995–1996 Portugal U20 13 (9)
1995–1997 Portugal U21 14 (5)
1996 Portugal U23 5 (1)
1996–2011 Portugal 79 (29)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He was given the nickname Gomes during childhood after Fernando Gomes,[2] and was one of the country's most recognisable attacking players in the 1990s and 2000s; he consistently scored for both club and country, and was also capable of being a good link-up player, accumulating a number of assists throughout his career,[3] which was spent mainly with Benfica, for which he netted 166 goals in 398 games over the course of 12 seasons.[4][5]

Gomes represented Portugal in two World Cups and three European Championships. He helped the national team finish second at Euro 2004 and third at Euro 2000, and won 79 senior caps.

Club career

Boavista / Benfica

Born in Amarante, Gomes established his reputation with Boavista FC, where he made his Primeira Liga debut in the 1994–95 season, aged 18. He collected his first silverware as his team beat S.L. Benfica to lift the Taça de Portugal in 1997, scoring one goal in a 3–2 win in the final.

Gomes ranked joint-fourth top scorer in his last year at the Estádio do Bessa, before moving to Benfica. In the 1998–99 campaign he netted 34 times across all competitions, in an eventual third-place finish in the league.[6]

Fiorentina / Return to Benfica

After three seasons at Benfica, in which he scored over 60 goals in over 100 appearances, his Euro 2000 exploits earned Gomes a €17 million move to ACF Fiorentina. He won the Coppa Italia over Parma F. C. in his first year, scoring in a 1–1 draw in the second leg of the final at home, which allowed his team to clinch the title 2–1 on aggregate;[7] however, his second season was less successful, as financial collapse by the Viola and their subsequent relegation precipitated a 2002 return to his previous club.[8][9][10]

A series of nagging injuries limited Gomes to under 70 games from 2002 to 2005,[11][12] but he still helped Benfica win the domestic cup in 2003–04 and the league the following season – in the latter, he contributed with seven goals from 23 appearances. He enjoyed his best season in 2005–06, scoring 15 goals in the league, including two in an away win over FC Porto (0–2)[13] and a hat-trick against U.D. Leiria,[6] finishing second in the scorers' list and adding the subsequent Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, where he netted the game's only goal against Vitória de Setúbal.[14]

Gomes celebrating a goal for Benfica in 2007

From 2006–07 onwards, Gomes faced tough competition for a starting place in Benfica's attack: he only netted six times in the league, and would suffer even more after the signing of Paraguayan Óscar Cardozo the following summer. However, still a valuable member of the squad, he finished the campaign with nine overall goals, and was also made captain over legendary Rui Costa.[15]

On 2 October 2008, Gomes scored his 150th goal for Benfica in a UEFA Cup game against S.S.C. Napoli (2–0 home win, 4–3 aggregate victory) with a fine header.[16] Following the June 2009 signing of Argentine Javier Saviola, he further fell down in the striker pecking order.[17]

Again a reserve player in 2010–11 – but playing even less – the 34-year-old Gomes made the most with the minutes provided to him by manager Jorge Jesus. He scored his first goal in the season on 14 November 2010 in a 4–0 home defeat of Associação Naval 1º de Maio, the 200th in the competition,[18] and dedicated it to his father Joaquim who had died in August.[19] In two consecutive league games in March 2011, he scored three goals, one at home against Portimonense SC (1–1 draw)[20] and two in a 5–1 away rout of F.C. Paços de Ferreira,[21] appearing as a late substitute in all three matches.

Braga

Gomes was released by Benfica on 30 June 2011, after the club decided not to renew his contract; he was, however, offered a position in the managerial structure, effective immediately or when he eventually retired.[22][23] Shortly after, he signed with fellow league side S.C. Braga.[24]

On 11 September 2011, Gomes scored a brace in a 3–1 home win against Gil Vicente FC.[25] During his only season with the Minho team, he was mostly used as a backup.[26]

Blackburn Rovers

On 3 July 2012, Gomes signed a two-year deal at Blackburn Rovers in the Football League Championship, becoming their third signing of the 2012–13 summer transfer window.[27] On 18 August he made his league debut for his new club, against Ipswich Town,[28] scoring his first goal the following round against Leicester City (2–1 home win).[29]

On 28 June 2013, aged nearly 37, Gomes was released from his contract.[30] After retiring, he was appointed director of Benfica's academy at Futebol Campus in Seixal, leaving his position in September 2017.[31]

International career

Gomes represented Portugal at every level, earning 143 caps all categories comprised and scoring at an excellent rate overall. He helped the under-20s finish third in the 1995 FIFA World Youth Championship by netting four goals in as many games, including two in the third-place game against Spain; the following year he appeared at the 1996 Summer Olympics, helping to a fourth place.[32]

Gomes made his senior international debut at 19, in a 1996 friendly against France. He scored his first goal in Portugal's opening match at the UEFA Euro 2000, marking his fourth start with the winner as the side came from two goals down to beat England 3–2.[33] He would finish the competition with four goals as the national team reached the last four, but earned a seven-month international ban after pushing referee Günter Benkö following the semi-final defeat by France, in which he had opened the score;[34] he was selected to the UEFA team of the tournament.

With seven goals in only six matches, Gomes helped Portugal qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup – this included a four-goal performance in a 7–1 away demolition of Andorra.[35] He would struggle to hold a starting place in the finals in South Korea and Japan, only appearing twice from the bench; on 19 November 2003 he scored his second hat-trick, in only 21 minutes of play against Kuwait.[36]

Things went better for Gomes at Euro 2004, where he played each game and, after coming on as a half-time substitute, scored the winning goal against Spain to send the hosts through to the quarter-finals.[37] He was often injured during the nation's 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign, only managing to play four times, with one goal; he found limited time at the final stages and only made two appearances, but managed to find the back of the net with a header against hosts Germany in the third-place playoff, a 1–3 defeat.[38]

After the retirement of Pauleta, Gomes was expected to become his successor in the striker role. He played ten matches and scored three times in Euro 2008's qualifying campaign, captained Portugal at the finals and scored against Germany in the quarter-finals, thus becoming the fourth player to score at three straight European Championships.[39]

After the appointment of Carlos Queiroz as coach, Gomes was constantly left out of the squad due to his lack of minutes at his club. During the 2010 World Cup qualification, he only took part in four out of twelve matches, all as a substitute, with Liédson and Hugo Almeida being preferred; he was later on left out of the 23-men squad for the final stages in South Africa, this being the first time the player was left out of a major tournament.

On 7 October 2011, after more than two years out of international play, 35-year-old Gomes replaced Hélder Postiga in the last minute of a 5–3 home victory over Iceland for the Euro 2012 qualifiers. Four days later, he played against Denmark in what was his last full appearance;[40][41][42] due to little playing time for his club in 2011–12, he was left out of Paulo Bento's squad for the finals in Poland and Ukraine.

Personal life

Gomes' younger brother, Tiago (born 1981), was also a footballer and a striker.[43] He spent most of his career in the lower leagues but, from 2004 to 2007, competed in the Segunda Liga with F.C. Marco (two seasons) and C.D. Olivais e Moscavide (one), amassing overall totals of 30 games and one goal.

Gomes was married twice, first to Isméria with whom he had a daughter, Laura, born in 1999. In July 2006 he married lawyer Patrícia Aguilar, with whom he also fathered another child, born in July 2010.[44]

He was featured on the cover of the Portuguese edition of FIFA Football 2002.[45]

Career statistics

Club

[46][47]

Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Boavista 1994–95 17110–41222
1995–96 28721–00308
1996–97 341554–624521
Total 792385–1039731
Benfica 1997–98 331864–104022
1998–99 342423–774334
1999–2000 341821–514120
Total 10160108–13812476
Fiorentina 2000–01 30934–003313
2001–02 23510–623117
Total 531444–626420
Benfica 2002–03 28910–00299
2003–04 21730–552912
2004–05 23752–633412
2005–06 291541–80422172
2006–07 24633–1444113
2007–08 257310081369
2008–09 247102161339
2009–10 133202061234
2010–11 6410110085
Total 1936523752531527590
Braga 2011–12 206202050296
Blackburn Rovers 2012–13 184200000204
Total (Benfica) 2941253315526623399166
Total (Portugal) 3931544320728126525203
Career total 4641724924728728609227

1 includes one match in the Italian Supercup.
2 includes one match and one goal in the Portuguese Supercup.

International
Portugal
YearAppsGoals
199610
199720
199820
199930
200094
200199
200271
200333
2004114
200572
200673
200771
200872
200920
201000
201120
Total[48][49]7929

International goals

Honours

Club

Boavista

Fiorentina

Benfica[51]

International

Portugal

Individual

Orders

References
  1. "Nuno Gomes". Eurosport. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  2. Vinagre, Hugo (2 January 2019). "Nuno Gomes: "Tive propostas de Itália e Inglaterra. Respondi que só falavamos depois de me reunir com o Benfica"" [Nuno Gomes: “I had offers from Italy and England. I replied that there would only be conversations after I met with Benfica”] (in Portuguese). Playboy. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  3. Magrini, Matteo (26 June 2009). "Esclusiva TMW – Nuno Gomes, il Livorno ci pensa" [TMW exclusive – Nuno Gomes, Livorno are contemplating him] (in Italian). Tutto Mercato Web. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  4. "Nuno Gomes: na história, de qualquer forma" [Nuno Gomes: in history, anyway] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. 15 June 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  5. Hart, Simon (4 October 2012). "Nuno Gomes: Foreigners are not cheats, we just like to jump out of the way". The Independent. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  6. Matias, Jorge Miguel (26 December 2005). "Nuno Gomes – O regresso de um avançado" [Nuno Gomes – The return of a forward]. Público (in Portuguese). Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  7. "Coppa alla Fiorentina col pareggio più bello" [The cup goes to Fiorentina with the most beautiful of draws]. La Repubblica (in Italian). 13 June 2001. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  8. "Club may go out of business if funding isn't found". ESPN. 1 August 2002. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  9. Alexander, David (3 August 2002). "Fulham eye Di Livio as Fiorentina giveaway begins". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  10. "Benfica sign Gomes". BBC Sport. 4 August 2002. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  11. "Early finish for Nuno Gomes". UEFA. 15 May 2003. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  12. Matos Pereira, Rui (5 November 2003). "Nuno Gomes enjoys happy return". UEFA. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  13. "Nuno Gomes inspires Benfica". UEFA. 16 October 2005. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  14. Pietra, Hugo (13 August 2005). "Benfica earn Super Cup success". UEFA. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  15. "Nuno Gomes entrega a braçadeira a Rui Costa" [Nuno Gomes gives armand to Rui Costa] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  16. "Taça UEFA: Benfica-Nápoles, 2–0 (ficha)" [UEFA Cup: Benfica-Napoli, 2–0 (match sheet)] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. 2 October 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  17. Antunes, Luís (21 April 2010). "Nuno Gomes só precisa de 61 minutos para marcar" [Nuno Gomes only needs 61 minutes to score]. Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  18. "Gaitan brings smiles back to Benfica". PortuGOAL. 14 November 2010. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  19. "Nuno Gomes 'gritou de revolta' e reclama mais oportunidades" [Nuno Gomes 'cried in anger' and wants more playing time]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 16 November 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  20. "Benfica held at Luz by Portimonense". PortuGOAL. 13 March 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  21. "Benfica hit five past Pacos". PortuGOAL. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  22. "Nuno Gomes deixa Benfica" [Nuno Gomes leaves Benfica] (in Portuguese). UEFA. 15 June 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  23. "Benfica legend Nuno Gomes set to part ways with the Portuguese club". Bleacher Report. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  24. Ferreira, Almiro (30 June 2011). "Nuno Gomes assinou pelo Braga" [Nuno Gomes signed for Braga]. Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  25. "Liga round-up". PortuGOAL. 11 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  26. "Nuno Gomes joga pouco mas ainda marca muito" [Nuno Gomes plays little but still scores much]. Record (in Portuguese). 23 April 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  27. "Rovers sign Nuno Gomes". Blackburn Rovers F.C. 3 July 2012. Archived from the original on 6 July 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
  28. "Nuno Gomes estreia-se pelo Blackburn com empate em Ipswich" [Nuno Gomes makes Blackburn debut with draw in Ipswich]. Público (in Portuguese). 18 August 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  29. "Blackburn 2–1 Leicester". BBC Sport. 25 August 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  30. "Nuno departs". Blackburn Rovers F.C. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  31. "Nuno Gomes deixa o Benfica" [Nuno Gomes leaves Benfica] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  32. Nuno Gomes – FIFA competition record
  33. "England crushed in five-goal classic". BBC Sport. 13 June 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
  34. "UEFA suspends Portuguese trio". BBC Sport. 2 July 2000. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
  35. "Andorra-Portugal, 1–7". Record (in Portuguese). 1 September 2001. Archived from the original on 24 July 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  36. "A eficácia de Nuno Gomes" [The efficiency of Nuno Gomes]. Record (in Portuguese). 20 February 2004. Archived from the original on 24 July 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  37. Farrelly, David (20 June 2004). "Portugal leave Spain in shade to light up Lisbon". UEFA. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  38. Palmer, Martin (9 July 2006). "Germans give Jurgen a night to remember". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  39. "Consolation prize for Nuno Gomes". UEFA. 20 June 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  40. Antunes, Rui (7 October 2011). "Nuno Gomes desafia a idade" [Nuno Gomes defies age]. Sol (in Portuguese). Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  41. Teixeira, Nuno R. (7 October 2011). "Portugal 5–3 Islândia (ficha)" [Portugal 5–3 Iceland (match sheet)] (in Portuguese). Relvado. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  42. "Selecção nacional A jogos de qualificação Euro 2012" [National team A Euro 2012 qualifiers] (PDF) (in Portuguese). Portuguese Football Federation. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  43. "Tiago Ribeiro irmão de Nuno Gomes e o golo" [Nuno Gomes' brother Tiago Ribeiro and the goal] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 15 November 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  44. "Nuno Gomes e Patrícia Aguilar batizam o filho" [Nuno Gomes and Patrícia Aguilar baptize their son] (in Portuguese). Lux. 30 October 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  45. "FIFA Soccer 2002: Major League Soccer Covers (PlayStation)". MobyGames. 22 June 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  46. Nuno Gomes at ForaDeJogo
  47. Nuno Gomes at Soccerway. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  48. Mamrud, Roberto. "Nuno Miguel Soares Pereira Ribeiro "Nuno Gomes" – Goals in International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  49. "Nuno Gomes". European Football. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  50. "Nuno Gomes" (in Portuguese). Portuguese Football Federation. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  51. "Bicampeões para a história" [Back-to-back champions for the ages]. Visão (in Portuguese). Portugal: Impresa Publishing. May 2015. p. 60. ISSN 0872-3540.
  52. "Selecção distinguida pelo Duque de Bragança" [National team honoured by Duke of Bragança] (in Portuguese). Cristiano Ronaldo News. 30 August 2006. Retrieved 30 August 2006.

Further reading
  • Pereira, António; Pereira, Mário. Nuno Gomes, o menino querido da luz [Nuno Gomes, the apple of Estádio da Luz's eye] (First ed.). Cofina Media Books. ISBN 978-972-8996-98-7.
  • Gomes, Nuno; Jonatas, Rémulo (May 2008). Nuno Gomes 21 (First ed.). Ideias e Rumos. ISBN 978-989-95192-8-2.
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