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Fernando Manuel Silva Couto

Birthplace:
2 August 1969/Espinho,Portugal

Played for:
FC Porto(1987-1988)
FC Famalicão(1988-1989)
Académica(1989-1990)
FC Porto(1990-1994)
Parma AC(1994-1996)
FC Barcelona(1996-1998)
SS Lazio(1999-2005)
Parma F.C.(2005-?)

Biography:
Fernando Couto was born on a saturday in the Summer of 1969 in Espinho, a coastal town in the North of Portugal (a few kilometres from Porto), where he spent his childhood. He grew up in a large family (they are 8 siblings in total) and he always loved playing football, but his parents, in the beginning, thought he should carry on his studies. Fernando Couto studied until 9th grade, which he finished in a private school, but the time had come to make a decision. So he dedicated himself to his greatest passion: the ball.

He went from Sporting de Espinho to Lusitânia de Lourosa and then to FC Porto. In the youth teams he stood out due to his physical strength and to his excellent heading, and in November 1986 he was called to the Under-18 National Team.

He was promoted to the senior team in 87/88 but in 88/89 he went on loan to Famalicão, from the Portuguese 3rd Division. But at the end of that season he would live one of the happiest moments in his football career: in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he and the Portuguese Under-20 National Team became World Youth Champions.

In the following season he went on loan again, this time to Académica de Coimbra, from the Portuguese 2nd Division. He went back to FC Porto in 1990/91 and he got the place in the center of the defense, side by side with Aloísio. They played together for four years and they were considered to be among the best in the World.

Meanwhile, Fernando Couto was promoted to the A National Team; his first match was a friendly against United States, on December 19th 1990, in Maia.

All this spread Fernando Couto's name all over Europe and, as expected, some approaches started to arrive from foreign countries. Portuguese football wasn't, as it still isn't, at the level of some other European countries, mainly in what concernes to financial potential, and, even though Fernando Couto's heart wanted to stay and the Portistas wanted him to stay, parting was inevitable. His destination was Parma.

In Italy the press and even the supporters are very tough towards foreign players, and the image the Italians had of Fernando Couto wasn't exactly the best, since he had hit Casiraghi in November 1993 in an Italy x Portugal match for the USA-94 Qualifying. But that didn't scare Fernando Couto. On the contrary: he imposed himself on Parma's team, which, at the time, was a dream team. He was, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most important players in the team, in a season when Parma finished second in Serie A and won the UEFA Cup.

But the following year everything changed. Couto went from unquestionable to neglected and played very few times. Still, he remembers his second year in Italy as a time in which he grew a lot and gained maturity.

It all seemed too complicated for Fernando Couto, but Portugal's 15-day participation in Euro-96 completely changed his situation. Contradicting what one would expect from a player that didn't play regularly in his club during the season, Fernando Couto played amazingly well in England. Therefore, manifestations of interest, rumors and approaches appeared from everywhere. Although Parma, after the European Championship and with a new coach, wanted him to stay, Barcelona entered the race and won. Couto would dress in 'blaugrana' and would meet his friend Vítor Baía (transferred to Barcelona in that same season) and the also Portuguese Luís Figo, as well as Bobby Robson and his assistant José Mourinho, that had worked with him in his last months in FC Porto.

In Barcelona, Couto lived two seasons of success, the first of which was, once again, crowned with an European title: the Cup Winners' Cup.

In 98/99 he went back to Italy, this time to play for a club from the capital city: Lazio. Today Couto is on his seventh season in the 'biancoceleste' team and the balance is extremely positive. He has already raised trophies like the Scudetto or the Cup Winners' Cup and conquered the respect and admiration of his teammates and adversaries.

But this second adventure in Italy also included the saddest moment in Fernando Couto's career: in April 2001 he was accused of doping. According to the laboratory, the analysis related to the match against Fiorentina, in January of the same year, revealed the presence of nandrolone in his body. It was a very strange case and it has never been proved that Fernando Couto was really doped - because the truth is he wasn't. Proving it are a series of analysis with a negative result before and after the fateful January 28th test, among them a hair analysis dated April 2002 which scientifically proved that the player didn't take any illegal substance in the past 6 months. More: in Italy doping is considered a crime, therefore Couto should have been punished, but his case was dismissed for lack of evidence that he had taken any illegal substance. Fernando Couto himself affirmed his innocence from the beggining. Those who know him never doubted him. And neither did the Portuguese people.

Despite all this, Couto faced a ten-month suspension, which was later reduced to five. This reduction allowed our Captain to return on time for the last qualifying match for World Cup 2002, against Estonia, in October 2001. With the nightmare left behind, Fernando Couto also returned to Lazio's team, where, despite being a foreigner, he even held the Captain arm band.

In 2005/06 he went back to Parma, where he was received with open arms by a crowd that always missed him.

In the National Team, Couto was the Captain until the end of Euro 2004, because he was (and still is) the most international player in the team (and also the most international portuguese player ever).

Today, his stamina and charisma are the same as 15 years ago and his maturity is much greater, but unfortunately it looks like the current National Team coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, doesn't count on him anymore. However, Couto will keep on playing while he feels he's at a good level, so we can still admire his style on the pitch with the gialloblu shirt. For years to come, we hope.

Honors:
2 Cup Winners' Cup (97,99)
1 UEFA Cup (95)
3 Portuguese Football Championship (88,92,93)
3 Portuguese Football Cup (88,91,94)
1 La Liga (Spain) (98)
2 Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) (97,98)
1 Serie A (Italy) (00)
2 Coppa Italia (Italian Cup) (00,04)
1 FIFA World Youth Championship (89)


	Fernando Manuel Silva Couto Birthplace: 2 August 1969/Espinho,Portugal Played for: FC Porto(1987-1988) FC Famalicão(1988-1989) Académica(1989-1990) FC Porto(1990-1994) Parma AC(1994-1996) FC Barcelona(1996-1998) SS Lazio(1999-2005) Parma F.C.(2005-?) Biography: Fernando Couto was born on a saturday in the Summer of 1969 in Espinho, a coastal town in the North of Portugal (a few kilometres from Porto), where he spent his childhood. He grew up in a large family (they are 8 siblings in total) and he always loved playing football, but his parents, in the beginning, thought he should carry on his studies. Fernando Couto studied until 9th grade, which he finished in a private school, but the time had come to make a decision. So he dedicated himself to his greatest passion: the ball. He went from Sporting de Espinho to Lusitânia de Lourosa and then to FC Porto. In the youth teams he stood out due to his physical strength and to his excellent heading, and in November 1986 he was called to the Under-18 National Team. He was promoted to the senior team in 87/88 but in 88/89 he went on loan to Famalicão, from the Portuguese 3rd Division. But at the end of that season he would live one of the happiest moments in his football career: in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he and the Portuguese Under-20 National Team became World Youth Champions. In the following season he went on loan again, this time to Académica de Coimbra, from the Portuguese 2nd Division. He went back to FC Porto in 1990/91 and he got the place in the center of the defense, side by side with Aloísio. They played together for four years and they were considered to be among the best in the World. Meanwhile, Fernando Couto was promoted to the A National Team; his first match was a friendly against United States, on December 19th 1990, in Maia. All this spread Fernando Couto's name all over Europe and, as expected, some approaches started to arrive from foreign countries. Portuguese football wasn't, as it still isn't, at the level of some other European countries, mainly in what concernes to financial potential, and, even though Fernando Couto's heart wanted to stay and the Portistas wanted him to stay, parting was inevitable. His destination was Parma. In Italy the press and even the supporters are very tough towards foreign players, and the image the Italians had of Fernando Couto wasn't exactly the best, since he had hit Casiraghi in November 1993 in an Italy x Portugal match for the USA-94 Qualifying. But that didn't scare Fernando Couto. On the contrary: he imposed himself on Parma's team, which, at the time, was a dream team. He was, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most important players in the team, in a season when Parma finished second in Serie A and won the UEFA Cup. But the following year everything changed. Couto went from unquestionable to neglected and played very few times. Still, he remembers his second year in Italy as a time in which he grew a lot and gained maturity. It all seemed too complicated for Fernando Couto, but Portugal's 15-day participation in Euro-96 completely changed his situation. Contradicting what one would expect from a player that didn't play regularly in his club during the season, Fernando Couto played amazingly well in England. Therefore, manifestations of interest, rumors and approaches appeared from everywhere. Although Parma, after the European Championship and with a new coach, wanted him to stay, Barcelona entered the race and won. Couto would dress in 'blaugrana' and would meet his friend Vítor Baía (transferred to Barcelona in that same season) and the also Portuguese Luís Figo, as well as Bobby Robson and his assistant José Mourinho, that had worked with him in his last months in FC Porto. In Barcelona, Couto lived two seasons of success, the first of which was, once again, crowned with an European title: the Cup Winners' Cup. In 98/99 he went back to Italy, this time to play for a club from the capital city: Lazio. Today Couto is on his seventh season in the 'biancoceleste' team and the balance is extremely positive. He has already raised trophies like the Scudetto or the Cup Winners' Cup and conquered the respect and admiration of his teammates and adversaries. But this second adventure in Italy also included the saddest moment in Fernando Couto's career: in April 2001 he was accused of doping. According to the laboratory, the analysis related to the match against Fiorentina, in January of the same year, revealed the presence of nandrolone in his body. It was a very strange case and it has never been proved that Fernando Couto was really doped - because the truth is he wasn't. Proving it are a series of analysis with a negative result before and after the fateful January 28th test, among them a hair analysis dated April 2002 which scientifically proved that the player didn't take any illegal substance in the past 6 months. More: in Italy doping is considered a crime, therefore Couto should have been punished, but his case was dismissed for lack of evidence that he had taken any illegal substance. Fernando Couto himself affirmed his innocence from the beggining. Those who know him never doubted him. And neither did the Portuguese people. Despite all this, Couto faced a ten-month suspension, which was later reduced to five. This reduction allowed our Captain to return on time for the last qualifying match for World Cup 2002, against Estonia, in October 2001. With the nightmare left behind, Fernando Couto also returned to Lazio's team, where, despite being a foreigner, he even held the Captain arm band. In 2005/06 he went back to Parma, where he was received with open arms by a crowd that always missed him. In the National Team, Couto was the Captain until the end of Euro 2004, because he was (and still is) the most international player in the team (and also the most international portuguese player ever). Today, his stamina and charisma are the same as 15 years ago and his maturity is much greater, but unfortunately it looks like the current National Team coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, doesn't count on him anymore. However, Couto will keep on playing while he feels he's at a good level, so we can still admire his style on the pitch with the gialloblu shirt. For years to come, we hope. Honors: 2 Cup Winners' Cup (97,99) 1 UEFA Cup (95) 3 Portuguese Football Championship (88,92,93) 3 Portuguese Football Cup (88,91,94) 1 La Liga (Spain) (98) 2 Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) (97,98) 1 Serie A (Italy) (00) 2 Coppa Italia (Italian Cup) (00,04) 1 FIFA World Youth Championship (89)