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Renato Veiga
Renato Palma Veiga (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁɨˈnatuˈvɐjɡɐ]; born 29 July 2003) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Chelsea and the Portugal national team. Mainly a left-back, he can also play as a defensive midfielder or centre-back. He came through Sporting CP's youth academy, and was loaned to Bundesliga side Augsburg in January 2023, before joining Swiss Super League side Basel in August. After a season in Switzerland, he moved to Premier League side Chelsea in July 2024. Veiga is a former Portugal youth international, representing his country at various levels. He made his full debut in 2024 in the UEFA Nations League. Club careerSporting CPEarly careerVeiga was born in Lisbon, Portugal.[1] He joined Sporting CP's academy in 2010,[2] then moved on to Real Massamá, before rejoining Sporting CP in 2019, swiftly progressing from the under-17 team to the reserves as he was thrown in alongside players well above his age group.[3] Veiga made his debut for Sporting CP B against Cova Piedade U23 on 12 September 2020. On 31 October 2020, he scored his first goal against Marítimo's U23. However, despite his swift progress, first-team opportunities would be hard to come by under head coach Rúben Amorim, although he was included in Sporting's UEFA Champions League squad to face Manchester City on 9 March 2022, with his mananger revealing that Veiga was included "because [Sporting] had a few midfielders [out] at the moment, being with the first team help the young players grow."[3] FC Augsburg (loan)Having failed to make a first-team breakthrough by the time he turned 19, Veiga was loaned to Bundesliga side Augsburg in January 2023, on what was intended to be a one year loan up until 31 December 2023.[4] He made his league debut on 11 February in a 3–1 defeat against Mainz 05.[5] However, despite being afforded plenty of minutes across 13 appearances, he failed to impress and on 15 August, the club announced that after analyzing the first six months together with the player, they ultimately came to the decision to end the loan early.[6] BaselOn 28 August 2023, Swiss Super League side Basel announced that they had signed Veiga on a four-year contract.[7] This was reported to have had a fee of €4.6 million, with Sporting keeping a 10% sell-on clause.[8] On the next day, Veiga joined Basel's first team during their 2023–24 season under head coach Timo Schultz. Veiga played his domestic league debut for his new club in the home game in the St. Jakob-Park on 3 September, playing in the starting eleven. He scored his first goal for the team in the same game, an excellent goal from a free kick, as Basel played a 2–2 draw with Zürich.[9] He was named player of the week by the Swiss Super League and the strike ultimately earned Basel's Goal of the Season award.[10] Under Schultz, he played a variety of roles, mainly playing as a defensive midfielder, whilst also filling in at centre-back and left-back, where he emerged as one of the best players in the league. However, the second half of his season was hampered by an ankle sprain, which saw him missing the relegation play-offs as Basel secured survival.[3] ChelseaOn 12 July 2024, Veiga signed a seven-year contract with Premier League club Chelsea with a further one-year option.[11] The fee was reported to be €14 million.[12] On 18 August, he made his debut for the club, as a substitute, in a 2–0 loss against Manchester City in the league.[13] He scored his first goal on 3 October, in the 4–2 victory over Gent, during the inaugural matchday of the newly formatted UEFA Conference League league stage.[14] International careerVeiga represented Portugal at under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels, for a total of 17 caps.[15] On 8 September 2023 he won his first cap for Portugal at under-21 level, playing the 3–0 win against Andorra in the 2023 UEFA European Championship qualification campaign,[16] and scored his first goal against Belarus, in a 6–1 rout at the same phase.[17] He was called up to the senior Portugal national team for the first time for the UEFA Nations League matches against Croatia and Scotland in September 2024.[18] He made his debut on 13 October, starting in a 3–1 away victory over Poland in the UEFA Nations League.[19] Personal lifeVeiga is the son of the Cape Verde international footballer Nélson Veiga.[20] Style of playA left-footed versatile defender, Veiga started out playing as a defensive midfielder, while also filling in at center back or left-back during his spell at Basel, under manager Timo Schultz. His style combines physicality, athleticism, and technical skill, making him effective in breaking up play, tackling, and distributing the ball from deep areas. At Basel, he was trusted to initiate attacks with his vision and passing range, ranking highly in progressive and long passes within the Swiss Super League.[21][22][23] Defensively, Veiga is assertive, quick for his size, and excels in pressing opponents to force turnovers. His physical attributes and aggressive nature make him effective in duels, while his athleticism and long strides provide speed and coverage, allowing him to recover and press opponents quickly. In possession, his passing ability stands out, as he can switch play effortlessly and deliver precise long balls, often breaking the lines and initiating attacks.[21][22][23] Career statisticsClub
International
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