João Moutinho - another favorite of the Portuguese team?

The path to glory is difficult and thorny, and even more so when it concerns the glory of the football idol. You need to have the strength of will and a strong character to make your way to the top of the football Olympus. It is these qualities that characterize the Portuguese midfielder João Moutinho. Thanks to his perseverance and diligence, he was able to reach heights, of which many continue to just dream.

Carier start

In the Portuguese city of Portimane on September 8, 1986 a new star of national and world football - João Moutinho was born. The age of the player today is 30 years (this year he celebrates a round date). Since childhood, keen on football, like many Portuguese boys, he played for 13 years for a local football team. In 1994, João was enrolled in the academy of the local club "Portimonense" as a promising child. Thanks to diligence and a desire to learn, for his first 5 years at the Academy, João Moutinho became the best student and quite deservedly moved to the Sporting Academy in 1999.

The next 6 years, the future star of Portuguese football actively trained together with other youth teams, thereby winning the right to transition to professional football.

The first club

The first club with which young João Moutinho signed his contract was Sporting, who brought him up. This happened in the summer of 2005 and was the beginning of the professional career of the football player. In the debut season of 2005/2006 João several times went on the field in the first team and got a chance to firmly take his place in the team. He was very convincing in his game, and the coach of "Sporting" more and more often released a young player in the basis.

Professional growth in the Lisbon "Sporting" continued for Joao Moutinho until 2010. The result - 21 goals scored and 163 matches in the first team.

FC "Porto" has long been closely following the progress of the young midfielder and in the summer of 2010 a five-year contract with the football player was signed, according to which João Moutinho joined the "Porto" for a long time.

"Sporting" received 11 million euros for its former player and a wonderful pupil. The money the team spent on Joao's training returned with a huge profit.

Careers in Porto

Arriving at the famous club, João Moutinho immediately began training before the start of a new game season. Andrea Villas Boas, who at that time was the head coach of Porto, looked at the new acquisition and decided on further plans for the young football player.

In the first season he spent 50 games for the team. In the championship of Portugal could not score, but João scored two goals in the national cup. In the same season he became the champion of the Europa League as part of his new team.

The season of 2013 was remembered by the fans with a spectacular goal, which João sent to the net of the goal of "Malaga" in the 1/8 finals of the Europa League.

The wedding with Ana Sophia Gomez took place in 2008, and already in 2009 Lara, the eldest daughter of João Moutinho, was born. Photo of a young happy family the fans could see in the "Instagram".

Way to the title

Although the contract with Porto was signed before 2015, in 2013 João and his friend Rodriguez's club moved to Monaco, where the player remains until this time. The amount Porto received for the players was 70 million euros.

In the national team of Portugal João Moutinho began to be invited since August 2005. In the debut match for the national team footballer went on the field against Egypt - it was then only 18 years. Only three years later, the first goal for the national team was scored in the gates of the Georgian team.

The triumph of football career for Joao was in 2016, when the Portuguese national team won the European Championships. The unconvincing play of the Portuguese national team throughout the final stage of the tournament, forced many skeptics to doubt their success. A number of draws, a victory in extra time or the results of a penalty - is this game should be demonstrated by the best European team?

A convincing victory in the semi-final over the Wales team was the first step on the way to the championship title. In the final, nerves were strained to the limit, because they had to play against the hosts of the tournament - the French team. Thousands of support of the French fans, their confidence in their team did not prevent the Portuguese from making a small miracle.

Playing without his injured captain, in extra time the only goal in the French goal was scored by Eder. João Moutinho and his teammates have forever recorded their names in the history of European football as the best team of the Old World in 2016.