Ernesto Figueiredo

Ernesto de Figueiredo Cordeiro (born 6 July 1937) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a striker.

Ernesto Figueiredo
Personal information
Full nameErnesto de Figueiredo Cordeiro[1]
Date of birth (1937-07-06) 6 July 1937 (age 86)[1]
Place of birthTomar, Portugal[1]
Position(s)Striker
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1955–1956Matrena
1956–1959União Tomar
1959–1960Cernache
1960–1968Sporting CP155(100)
1968–1970Vitória Setúbal41(14)
International career
1966–1969Portugal6(0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Portugal
FIFA World Cup
Third place1966 England
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Born in Tomar, Santarém District, Figueiredo arrived at Sporting CP in summer 1960 from amateurs União Desportiva e Recreativa de Cernache, aged already 23.[2] He scored 17 goals in only 24 games in his first season with his new team, good enough for Primeira Liga runner-up accolades.

At the end of the 1965–66 campaign, Figueiredo finished joint-top scorer alongside S.L. Benfica's Eusébio – both at 25 goals – but his team won the league by one point.[3] He netted 147 times in 232 competitive appearances during his tenure; additionally, in the 1963–64 edition of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, he featured in the final against MTK Budapest FC, won after a replay and with the player scoring twice in the first match (3–3 draw).[4]

Nicknamed Altafini of Cernache while at the Estádio José Alvalade,[3] Figueiredo retired in 1970 after two years with Vitória de Setúbal also in the top division, aged 33.

International career

Figueiredo earned six caps for Portugal,[5] making his debut on 21 June 1966 in a friendly with Denmark. He was selected by manager Otto Glória for his 1966 FIFA World Cup squad, being an unused member for the third-placed team.[6]

Honours

Sporting CP

Portugal

References