Flávio Meireles

Flávio Meireles
Personal information
Full name Flávio Miguel Magalhães Sousa Meireles
Date of birth (1976-10-03) 3 October 1976 (age 48)
Place of birth Ribeira de Pena, Portugal
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1989–1992 Ribeira de Pena
1992–1995 Vitória Guimarães
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–1996 Vitória Guimarães 0 (0)
1996–1997 Moreirense 4 (0)
1997–1999 Fafe 22 (0)
1999–2000 Fafe 27 (2)
2000 Vitória Guimarães 2 (0)
2000–2003 Moreirense 90 (7)
2003–2011 Vitória Guimarães 182 (7)
Total 327 (16)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Flávio Miguel Magalhães Sousa Meireles (born 3 October 1976) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and is the director of football of Vitória de Guimarães.

Most of his 16-year professional career was associated with Vitória de Guimarães, which he represented in three different spells, appearing in nearly 250 official games.

Club career

Born in Ribeira de Pena, Vila Real District, Meireles began his professional career with Vitória de Guimarães, having no impact whatsoever at the club in his first spell and moving to the lower leagues in 1996, first with Moreirense FC (where he also appeared very rarely, in the second division) then AD Fafe.

Meireles returned to Vitória in 1999, meeting the same fate and quickly moving again to Fafe. The following season he switched to another former side, Moreirense, being instrumental as they – also based in Guimarães – promoted from the third level to the Primeira Liga in only two years, under manager Manuel Machado.

For the 2003–04 campaign, Meireles re-joined Vitória de Guimarães[1] for a third spell. His first appearance was on 18 August 2003, when he played the entire 1–0 home win over U.D. Leiria.[2] At the Minho team, he was now an automatic first-choice and team captain from the start, helping them achieve promotion in 2007 and qualifying to the UEFA Champions League in the following season, with the player appearing in all games but one and scoring three goals;[3][4][5] in two different stints at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, he was again coached by Machado.

On 22 May 2011, after appearing in the final of the Portuguese Cup against FC Porto, 34-year-old Meireles announced his immediate retirement from football.[6] Shortly after, he was appointed as a coach at the club.[7]

In May 2012, still with Vitória, Meireles was appointed new director of football.[8] In remained in the position for several years.[9][10]

References

  1. ^ "Flávio Meireles: «Volto com orgulho ao clube do coração»" [Flávio Meireles: «I return proudly to the club of my heart»]. Record (in Portuguese). 19 June 2003. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  2. ^ "V.Guimarães-U. Leiria, 1–0: Outro matador activo contra Helton indefeso" [V.Guimarães-U. Leiria, 1–0: Another active killer against helpless Helton]. Record (in Portuguese). 19 August 2003. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  3. ^ "Naval-V. Guimarães, 1–4 (Paulão 13; Flávio Meireles 31, Fajardo 33, Mrdakovic 49, Ghilas 77)". Record (in Portuguese). 21 September 2007. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  4. ^ Machado, Catarina (4 May 2008). "Belenenses-V. Guimarães, 1–1 (crónica)" [Belenenses-V. Guimarães, 1–1 (match report)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  5. ^ "Guimarães termina campeonato no terceiro lugar" [Guimarães end league in third place]. Açoriano Oriental (in Portuguese). 11 May 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  6. ^ ""Ainda não caí na real" – Flávio Meireles" ["I'm still up in a cloud" – Flávio Meireles]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 22 May 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  7. ^ "Flávio Meireles na equipa técnica" [Flávio Meireles in coaching staff]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 31 May 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  8. ^ "Flávio Meireles eleito diretor do futebol profissional" [Flávio Meireles elected director of professional football]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 12 May 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  9. ^ "Guimarães confirma negociações com o Benfica para a saída de Rui Vitória" [Guimarães confirm negotiations with Benfica for departure of Rui Vitória]. Jornal de Negócios (in Portuguese). 5 June 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  10. ^ Ferreira, Rui (20 December 2018). "Administrador da SAD e diretor desportivo do Vitória suspensos na sequência do jogo com o FC Porto" [Vitória's PLSC administrador and sporting director suspended in the aftermath of match with FC Porto]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 September 2019.