Neno (footballer, born 1962)

Neno
	Neno at the 2011 Legends Cup
Personal information
Full name	Adelino Augusto da Graça Barbosa Barros
Date of birth	27 January 1962
Place of birth	Cidade Velha, Cape Verde
Date of death	10 June 2021 (aged 59)
Place of death	Guimarães, Portugal
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1975–1978	Santoantoniense
1978–1981	Barreirense
Senior career*
Years	Team
1981–1984	Barreirense
1984–1985	Vitória Guimarães
1985–1987	Benfica
1987–1988	Vitória Setúbal
1988–1990	Vitória Guimarães
1990–1995	Benfica
1995–1999	Vitória Guimarães
Total
International career
1989–1996	Portugal
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Adelino Augusto da Graça Barbosa Barros (27 January 1962 – 10 June 2021), known as Neno, was a Portuguese professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

He appeared in 242 Primeira Liga games over 15 seasons, representing mainly Vitória de Guimarães and Benfica.

Club career

Born in Cidade Velha, Portuguese Cape Verde to a teacher and a housewife as one of seven siblings, Neno started his career with F.C. Barreirense, moving to Vitória S.C. in 1984. After one season, already in the Primeira Liga, he signed with S.L. Benfica, originally backing up legendary Manuel Bento.^[1]

After a single campaign at Vitória F.C. and a second spell at Guimarães, Neno rejoined Benfica, going on to experience an interesting battle for first-choice status with Silvino, who also played with both Vitória sides (but not in the same periods); he was the starter in most of 1990–91 and the entire 1993–94, which finished in league conquest.^[1]

Following Michel Preud'homme's move to the Estádio da Luz after the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Neno backed him up for one season, but left in 1996 to finish his career with his second club, retiring at 37. Subsequently, he continued to work there in a directorial capacity, while also acting as Vitória SC's goalkeeper coach.^[1]

International career

Neno won nine caps for the Portugal national team, his debut coming on 8 June 1989 in a 4–0 friendly defeat against Brazil. His last game was a 3–2 loss to France on 24 January 1996 in another exhibition game, and he would miss selection for UEFA Euro 1996 due to having lost the number one position at his club to younger Nuno Espírito Santo.^[2]^[1]

Death

On 10 June 2021, Neno died after suffering a heart attack at the parish where he lived, in the village of Polvoreira in Guimarães, at the age of 59.^[3]

Honours

Benfica

Primeira Liga: 1986–87, 1990–91, 1993–94
Taça de Portugal: 1985–86, 1986–87, 1992–93

Vitória de Guimarães

Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 1988

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Simões de Abreu, Alexandra (11 June 2021). "Neno (1962–2021): "Estava cheio de mulheres, porra, tinha de sair dali. É quando aparece o Julio Iglesias: 'El portero?' Pá, portero sou eu"" [Neno (1962–2021): "The place was crowded with women, bloody hell, I had to get out of there. That's when Julio Iglesias shows up: ‘El portero?’ Man, I'm the portero"]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 June 2021.
^ "Neno" (in Portuguese). F.C. Barreirense. 23 June 1999. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
^ "Morreu o antigo guarda-redes do Vitória Neno" [Former Vitória goalkeeper Neno has died] (in Portuguese). Guimarães Digital. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.

External links

Neno at ForaDeJogo (archived)
Neno at National-Football-Teams.com
Neno at EU-Football.info

[NENO-1] Simões de Abreu, Alexandra (11 June 2021). "Neno (1962–2021): "Estava cheio de mulheres, porra, tinha de sair dali. É quando aparece o Julio Iglesias: 'El portero?' Pá, portero sou eu"" [Neno (1962–2021): "The place was crowded with women, bloody hell, I had to get out of there. That's when Julio Iglesias shows up: ‘El portero?’ Man, I'm the portero"]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 June 2021.

[2] "Neno" (in Portuguese). F.C. Barreirense. 23 June 1999. Retrieved 11 June 2021.

[3] "Morreu o antigo guarda-redes do Vitória Neno" [Former Vitória goalkeeper Neno has died] (in Portuguese). Guimarães Digital. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.

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