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{{infobox football biography 2
{{infobox football biography 2
| playername = Ricardo Rocha
| playername = Ricardo Rocha
| image =
| image = [[Image:RicardoRocha.jpg|200px]]
| fullname = Ricardo Sérgio Rocha Azevedo
| fullname = Ricardo Sérgio Rocha Azevedo
| dateofbirth = {{birth date and age|1978|10|3|df=y}}
| dateofbirth = {{birth date and age|1978|10|3|df=y}}

Revision as of 01:09, 3 November 2010

Ricardo Rocha
File:RicardoRocha.jpg
Personal information
Full name Ricardo Sérgio Rocha Azevedo
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Team information
Current team
 Portsmouth
Number 33
Youth career
1997–1998 ARC Areias
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–1999 Famalicão 28 (2)
1999–2000 Braga B 33 (2)
2000–2001 Braga 44 (2)
2002–2007 Benfica 115 (3)
2007–2009 Tottenham 14 (0)
2009–2010 Standard Liège 7 (0)
2010– Portsmouth 18 (0)
International career
2002–2006 Portugal 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:43, 16 May 2010 (UTC)
For other people of this name, see Ricardo Rocha (disambiguation).

Ricardo Sérgio Rocha Azevedo (born 3 October 1978 in Santo Tirso, Porto), is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Portsmouth in the Football League Championship, as a central defender.

Club career

Portugal

Having made a name for himself with perennial UEFA Cup qualification candidates Sporting Clube de Braga, and making his first division debuts during 1999–2000, Rocha moved to giants Sport Lisboa e Benfica in December 2001, along with teammate Tiago, and developed into a fierce stopper with good marking ability.

During his four 1/2 seasons with the Lisbon club, he made a total of 162 appearances and scored three goals, which included 33 matches in European competitions. On 28 March 2006, Rocha had a widely lauded performance in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg against FC Barcelona, marking Ronaldinho out of the game in a 0–0 home draw.[1]

Abroad

On 17 January 2007, stories hit the Portuguese and English media confirming that a move to Tottenham Hotspur was a possibility. The following day, Portuguese newspapers reported that the move was imminent following a meeting in Lisbon between the Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, former Tottenham player and now agent Ronny Rosenthal and the Benfica president, with a price of €5 million (£3.2m) plus two friendlies between the clubs, with Benfica receiving all profits from the gate receipts and television money, being arranged.

Rocha was signed by Tottenham for an undisclosed fee thought to be around £3.3 million on a three-and-half-year deal, on 23 January 2007.[2] He played his first game on the 27th, in the 3–1 win over Southend United in the FA cup's fourth round, in place of captain Ledley King who was injured at the time. On 10 February he played his first league match for Tottenham, against Sheffield United.

Rocha made just five league appearances for Tottenham in 2007–08, and none in all competitions in the following season.[3] He was eventually released on 14 June 2009, after his contract expired.[4]

On 31 August 2009, Rocha moved to Belgium with Standard Liège, on a one-year deal.[5] However, his contract was terminated on the 30 January 2010. On 1 February, he returned to England, signing a two-year deal with Portsmouth,[6] making his debut in a 5–0 defeat at Manchester United five days later.[7]

Rocha was sent off in his next two Portsmouth games, against Sunderland on 9 February,[8] and late-on in his return game against Burnley, on the 27th[9], earning him the nickname 'Red' Rocha. Things improved for the defender when he put in a man of the match performance in Portsmouth's FA Cup semi-final victory over former club Spurs.[10]

In the 2010 summer, Portsmouth offered Rocha a new contract,[11] On September 4, he re-signed with the club,[12] with the two-year deal being officially confirmed by the team six days later.[13]

International career

After making his full debut for Portugal in 2002 against Scotland, Rocha returned for two UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers against Finland and Denmark, after a three-year absence, as he was not a regular starter at Benfica then.

Honours

References

  1. ^ "Ronaldinho's shadow back again". UEFA.com. 5 April 2006. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  2. ^ "Spurs snap up Portugal star Rocha". BBC Sport. 23 January 2007.
  3. ^ "Spurs defender wants to leave". Epping Forest Guardian. 14 May 2008.
  4. ^ "Rocha exits Spurs". Sky Sports. 1 June 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
  5. ^ "Standard snap up free agent Rocha". UEFA.com. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  6. ^ "Portsmouth sign former Spurs defender". Ontheminute. 3 February 2010. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  7. ^ "Man United 5 – 0 Portsmouth". BBC Sport. 6 February 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  8. ^ "Portsmouth 1 – 1 Sunderland". BBC Sport. 9 February 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  9. ^ "Burnley 1 – 2 Portsmouth". BBC Sport. 27 February 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  10. ^ "Portuguese man-of-war Rocha dedicates victory to fans".
  11. ^ "Portsmouth move to re-sign Portuguese defender Rocha". Tribal Football. 3 September 2010.
  12. ^ "Lawrence, Kitson & Rocha can kick start our season". Vital Pompey. 4 September 2010.
  13. ^ "Pompey sign Kanu and Rocha". Portsmouth FC. 10 September 2010.
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