Bruno Gaspar

Bruno Miguel Boialvo Gaspar (born 21 April 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Vitória de Guimarães.

Bruno Gaspar
Personal information
Full nameBruno Miguel Boialvo Gaspar[1]
Date of birth (1993-04-21) 21 April 1993 (age 31)[1]
Place of birthÉvora, Portugal[1]
Height1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Position(s)Right-back
Team information
Current team
Vitória Guimarães
Number76
Youth career
2001–2005GDR Canaviais
2005–2012Benfica
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2013–2015Benfica B37(1)
2014–2015Vitória Guimarães (loan)24(0)
2014Vitória Guimarães B (loan)1(0)
2015–2017Vitória Guimarães56(0)
2015Vitória Guimarães B1(0)
2017–2018Fiorentina15(0)
2018–2022Sporting CP16(1)
2019–2020Olympiacos (loan)15(0)
2021Vancouver Whitecaps FC (loan)17(1)
2022–Vitória Guimarães35(2)
International career
2008Portugal U153(0)
2009Portugal U166(1)
2010–2011Portugal U184(0)
2014Portugal U211(0)
2019Angola4(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:47, 27 June 2024 (UTC)

After starting out at Benfica's reserves, he went on to play 96 Primeira Liga matches in representation of Vitória de Guimarães and Sporting CP. He also played professionally in Italy with Fiorentina, in Greece with Olympiacos and in Canada with Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Born in Portugal, Gaspar represented that country as a youth, before switching to Angola at senior level and playing at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Club career

Benfica

Born in Évora, Alto Alentejo Province, Gaspar joined S.L. Benfica's youth academy as a 12-year-old. He made his professional debut for their reserves on 6 January 2013, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 away draw against C.D. Santa Clara as the visitors ended with nine players.[3]

Gaspar scored his first goal as a senior – and in the Segunda Liga – on 15 February 2014, in a 2–0 home victory over S.C. Braga B.[4] He finished the season with 24 appearances, helping the team finish in fifth place.

Vitória Guimarães

On 2 September 2014, Gaspar was loaned to Primeira Liga club Vitória de Guimarães.[5] His first match in the competition occurred 12 days later, in a 1–1 home draw with FC Porto where he conceded a penalty after grabbing Yacine Brahimi in the penalty area.[6] He, teammate Hernâni Fortes and opponent Salvador Agra were all sent off at the end of a goalless draw at Minho rivals S.C. Braga on 7 December.[7]

For the 2015–16 campaign, the move was made permanent and the player signed a four-year contract.[8]

Fiorentina

On 19 June 2017, Gaspar agreed to a five-year deal with ACF Fiorentina from Italy.[9] His maiden Serie A appearance took place on 27 August, when he came on as 46th-minute substitute for Nenad Tomović and provided the assist to Milan Badelj in a 1–2 home loss against UC Sampdoria.[10]

Sporting CP

Gaspar returned to his homeland and its capital in June 2018, signing a five-year contract with Sporting CP.[11] He scored his only goal for the club on 3 January 2019 (with collaboration from opposing player Vincent Sasso), in a 2–1 home victory over B-SAD.[12]

On 31 August 2019, Olympiacos F.C. announced the acquisition of Gaspar on loan.[13] On 9 March 2021, again on loan, he joined Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer with a purchase option at the end of the season,[14] which was not activated;[15] he scored once in his year in Canada, opening a 1–1 draw at the San Jose Earthquakes on 23 October.[16]

Return to Vitória

Gaspar returned to Vitória Guimarães on the last day of the 2022 January transfer window (alongside Geny Catamo on loan), in a deal where Marcus Edwards moved in the opposite direction.[17]

International career

Gaspar won his first and only cap for the Portuguese under-21 side on 13 November 2014, playing seven minutes in a 3–1 away friendly defeat against England.[18] On 20 May 2019, he was pre-called up by Angola for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations,[19] making his debut on 8 June by featuring 29 minutes in a 2–0 friendly victory over Guinea-Bissau held in Penafiel.[20]

Career statistics

As of 19 July 2020[21]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupEuropeTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Benfica B2012–13Segunda Liga100100
2013–14241241
2014–153030
Total371371
Vitória Guimarães (loan)2014–15Primeira Liga2402010270
2015–162801010300
2016–172806020360
Total8009040930
Vitória Guimarães B (loan)2014–15Segunda Liga1010
2015–16Liga Pro1010
Total20000020
Fiorentina2017–18Serie A15020170
Sporting CP2018–19Primeira Liga161503050291
Olympiacos (loan)2019–20Super League Greece1503020200
Career total165219070701982

Honours

Sporting CP

Olympiacos

References