Hugo Miguel Ferreira Gomes Viana (; born 15 January 1983) is a Portuguese retired professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who played as a
central midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
.
After starting out at
Sporting CP
Sporting Clube de Portugal, founded Sporting Club de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP, often known abroad as Sporting Lisbon , is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Lisbon. It is best known for the professional foot ...
he moved abroad at the age of 19, going on to have unassuming spells in England (
Newcastle United) and Spain (
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
) before settling back in his country with
Braga
Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants (in ...
. He amassed
Primeira Liga totals of 165 matches and 23 goals, over six seasons.
Viana represented
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
in two
World Cups
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
and
Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
, also appearing with the
under-23s at the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
.
Club career
Sporting CP
Born in
Barcelos, Viana started his professional career at
Sporting CP
Sporting Clube de Portugal, founded Sporting Club de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP, often known abroad as Sporting Lisbon , is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Lisbon. It is best known for the professional foot ...
. There, he won the Young
European Footballer of the Year
The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual football award presented by French news magazine '' France Football'' since 1956. Between 2010 and 2015, in an agreement with FIFA, the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year (f ...
award after an excellent
debut season in the
Primeira Liga.
Newcastle United
On 20 June 2002, 19-year-old Viana was signed by
Newcastle United from the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
for
€
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists ...
12 million (£8.5 million),
[ his transfer fee becoming a record for the Magpies for a teenager by surpassing the £5 million paid to ]Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
for England under-21 international Jermaine Jenas
Jermaine Anthony Jenas ( ; born 18 February 1983) is an English television presenter, football pundit and former professional footballer. He played as a central midfielder for English club sides Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, Tottenham Ho ...
. The transfer was also a record for a player of his age, breaking the 1999 record held by Robbie Keane;[ Newcastle invested heavily in young players in that year, and chairman ]Freddie Shepherd
Freddy Shepherd (29 October 1941 – 25 September 2017) was an English businessman and the chairman of Newcastle United football club from 1997 until 2007.
During his time at Newcastle, both as an active assistant to and later replacement of ...
reasoned by claiming consensus that he was the best young player in the world of football.[ The signing was also the first major deal between Portuguese agent ]Jorge Mendes
Jorge Paulo Agostinho Mendes (born 7 January 1966) is a Portuguese football agent. He is registered with the Portuguese Football Federation and heads the GestiFute company, founded in 1996. Mendes is among the most influential football agents i ...
and an English club.
Viana joined former Sporting manager Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William Robson (18 February 1933 – 31 July 2009) was an English footballer and football manager. His career included periods playing for and later managing the England national team and being a UEFA Cup-winning manager at Ipswich ...
at his new team, and was mentored by veteran Gary Speed
Gary Andrew Speed (8 September 1969 – 27 November 2011) was a Welsh professional footballer and manager. As manager of Wales, Speed is often credited as being the catalyst for the change in fortunes of the national team and as setting t ...
. He scored four goals in all competitions during his spell at St James' Park
St James' Park is a football stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Premier League club Newcastle United F.C. With a seating capacity of 52,305 seats, it is the eighth largest football stadium in England.
St James' Pa ...
, against FK Željezničar Sarajevo and Feyenoord
Feyenoord Rotterdam () is a Dutch professional football club (association football), football club in Rotterdam, which plays in the Eredivisie, the top tier in Dutch football. Founded as Wilhelmina in 1908, the club changed to various names bef ...
in the UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
and Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Sin ...
and West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
in the league
''The League'' is an American sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, Illinois, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football leagu ...
.
Viana was unable to cement a starting position, as Speed – for whom Robson saw the Portuguese as a future replacement – was not declining with age, while Kieron Dyer
Kieron Courtney Dyer (born 29 December 1978) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He was recently the U23s manager at Ipswich Town.
Born in Ipswich, Dyer played youth football for his home club Ipswich Town ...
, Jenas and Laurent Robert
Pierre Laurent Robert (born 21 May 1975) is a French former professional footballer. He played as a left winger, and represented the France national team.
Robert began his professional career in his native France before making a move to English ...
were also in form.[ He returned to Sporting on loan in July 2004.] He found his old form and enjoyed a successful spell, even helping the ''Lions'' to the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
of the UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay ...
.
Valencia
Viana moved to Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol (, ca-valencia, València Club de Futbol ), commonly referred to as Valencia CF (or simply Valencia) is a professional football club based in Valencia, Spain, that currently plays in La Liga, the top flight of the Spa ...
at the start of 2005–06, again on loan. In March 2006, reports stated that he had been signed on a permanent deal for £1.5 million. During his first season he struggled to claim a first-team spot, facing tough competition from the likes of David Albelda
David Albelda Aliqués (; born 1 September 1977) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, currently a manager.
He played mainly for local Valencia during his extensive professional career, being team captain for ...
and Rubén Baraja
Rubén Baraja Vegas (; born 11 July 1975) is a Spanish retired footballer, currently manager of Valencia.
A complete central midfielder with good tackling, technique, and offensive qualities, together with accurate passing and goalscoring abili ...
, manager Quique Sánchez Flores
Enrique "Quique" Sánchez Flores (; born 5 February 1965) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a right-back, currently manager of Getafe.
He began his professional career with Valencia in 1984, going on to amass La Liga totals of 304 ga ...
' preferred duo; still, he featured in 19 league games, and displayed some flashes of talent that allowed him to preserve his place in the Portugal national squad.
In a bid to secure first-team football, Viana decided to join fellow La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men's ...
side CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna (, ''Osasuna Athletic Club''), or simply Osasuna, is a Spanish professional football club in Pamplona, Navarre. Founded on 24 October 1920, the club currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at the 23,576-capacity El S ...
on loan, on 13 July 2007. However, a serious injury during pre-season forced him out for four months. After recovering, he played all of the last three matches, helping to a narrow escape from relegation.
In the 2008–09 campaign, Viana took no part in manager Unai Emery
Unai Emery Etxegoien (born 3 November 1971) is a Spanish football manager and former player who is the head coach of Premier League club Aston Villa.
After a career spent playing mostly in Spain's Segunda División, Emery transitioned into coa ...
's plans, being restricted to four UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay ...
matches and two appearances in the Copa del Rey
The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey or simply La Copa and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–36) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–76), is an annual knockout footb ...
.
Braga
On 31 July 2009, Viana was loaned to S.C. Braga
Sporting Clube de Braga () (), commonly known as Sporting de Braga or just Braga, is a Portuguese sports club from the city of Braga. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portuguese ...
for one season, thus returning to Portugal after three years. As they led the league in its early stages, he scored his first goals upon returning to his country, hitting twice in a 3–1 home win over C.F. Os Belenenses
Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses, commonly known as Os Belenenses (), is a Portuguese sports club best known for its football team. Founded in 1919, it is one of the oldest Portuguese sports clubs. It is based in the 25,000-seat Estádio do Rest ...
on 30 August. On 31 October, he again found the net, from a free kick
A free kick is an action used in several codes of football to restart play with the kicking of a ball into the field of play.
Association football
In association football, the free kick is a method of restarting the game following an offe ...
against S.L. Benfica
Sport Lisboa e Benfica (), commonly known as Benfica, is a professional football club based in Lisbon, Portugal, that competes in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portuguese football.
Founded on 28 February 1904 as ''Sport Lisboa'', Be ...
in a 2–0 home victory where he received player of the match
In team sport, a player of the match or man of the match or woman of the match award is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chosen from the winn ...
accolades. The Minho side eventually finished in a best-ever second place, losing the title to precisely this team in the last matchday, with the player making 28 appearances (six as a reserve, he lost his importance after the return of Uruguayan Luis Aguiar
Luis Bernardo Aguiar Burgos (born 17 November 1985) is an Uruguayan professional footballer who plays for Club Oriental de Football as an attacking midfielder.
Club career
Born in Mercedes, Soriano Department, Aguiar started his career with ...
on loan).
Viana regained his starting position in 2010–11 under the same manager, Domingos Paciência
Domingos José Paciência Oliveira, known simply as Domingos as a player (; born 2 January 1969), is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a striker, currently a manager.
He achieved success with both Porto and the Portugal national te ...
, as Aguiar eventually leaving the club. On 6 March 2011, again from a direct free kick and against Benfica, he equalised for the hosts in an eventual 2–1 home win. He added nine games (all starts) in Braga's UEFA Europa League runner-up run.
On 27 November 2011, in a game against FC Porto, Viana displayed a white T-shirt with the words 'Gary – Rest In Peace', in a tribute to Speed, who had committed suicide earlier that day.
Al Ahli and Al-Wasl
On 5 June 2013, Al Ahli Club from Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
announced the signing of Viana effective as of 1 July, when his contract with Braga expired. He made his debut on 30 August in the year's Arabian Gulf Super Cup at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium
Al-Jazira Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium ( ar, ستاد محمد بن زايد) is a multi-purpose stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is currently used mostly for football and cricket matches and is the home ground of Al Jazira Club. It i ...
, a penalty shootout
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
victory after a goalless draw against Al Ain FC
Al Ain Football Club ( ar, نادي العين لكرة القدم; transliterated: Nady al-'Ayn) or Al Ain FC or simply Al Ain is a professional football club, based in the city of Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is one of many ...
; his performance was described as "quiet" by ''The National'', who attributed it to his unfamiliarity with the heat of the Middle Eastern summer. He totalled 39 appearances and three goals across his first season, helping the team conquer a domestic treble after adding the UAE Arabian Gulf League and the UAE League Cup
The UAE League Cup ( ar, كأس رابطة المحترفين الإماراتية) or the Pro League Cup is a knockout tournament for clubs in the UAE Pro-League. The first edition of the tournament was played in the 2008–2009 season.
In the 2 ...
.
Viana agreed to a deal with Al-Wasl F.C. of the same city and league, but the transfer was one of several declared void by the UAE Football Association
The United Arab Emirates Football Association (UAEFA; ar, الاتحاد الاماراتي لكرة القدم) is the governing body of association football, beach soccer and futsal in the United Arab Emirates.
Association staff
Presiden ...
for missing the 3 October 2014 deadline. It was completed the following 19 January. He retired on 13 October 2016, aged 33.
Director
In May 2017, Viana was appointed director of football
A sporting director, or director of sport, is an executive management position in a sports club. The role is well known as a manager role for European football clubs, which are sometime also "sports clubs", offering many types of sports. The sport ...
at Belenenses. He left his post six months later.
Viana returned to Sporting in 2018, in the same capacity. In August 2021, he was suspended for 15 days and fined €2,295 for insulting the refereeing team after a game against F.C. Famalicão
Futebol Clube de Famalicão, commonly known as Famalicão, is a Portuguese association football, football club from Vila Nova de Famalicão. Founded on 21 August 1931, its senior team currently plays in the Primeira Liga, the top tier of Portugu ...
held four months earlier.
International career
Viana made his debut with Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
on 14 November 2001, in a 5–1 friendly defeat of Angola
, national_anthem = " Angola Avante"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
, religion_ref =
, coordina ...
. Replacing suspended Daniel Kenedy in the last minute, he was an unused member at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but missed UEFA Euro 2004
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2004, was the 12th edition of the UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football competition contested by the men's national teams of UEFA member associations. The ...
on home soil.[ Manager ]José Romão
José Pratas Romão (born 13 April 1954) is a Portuguese former football winger and manager.
Playing career
Born in Beja, Alentejo, Romão started playing for local C.D. Beja. He also represented Vitória de Guimarães, AD Fafe, F.C. Penaf ...
called him up for the under-23 team for the football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
in Greece; he and João Paulo were sent off
In sports, an ejection (also known as dismissal, sending-off, disqualification, or early shower) is the removal of a participant from a contest due to a violation of the sport's rules. The exact violations that lead to an ejection vary depending ...
in a 4–2 group stage elimination by Costa Rica.
Viana then returned to the senior side, and scored his only international goal on 12 October 2005 to conclude a 3–0 home win over Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
in 2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
qualification
Qualification is either the process of qualifying for an achievement, or a credential attesting to that achievement, and may refer to:
* Professional qualification, attributes developed by obtaining academic degrees or through professional exper ...
; he appeared in two matches – both as a substitute – as the team came fourth at the finals in Germany. He was called as a last-minute replacement for injured Carlos Martins to the Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
squad, with the team already in training camp; he was unused in a run to the semi-finals but ended a five-year international exile in a pre-tournament friendly against Macedonia.
Style of play
Viana was known for his range of passing and his control of the ball, as well as for taking powerful shots from distance, including from free kicks. Conversely, his ability to contribute equally to defence was criticised by pundits.[ His comparative lack of pace meant that he struggled when placed on the left ]wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...
due to Newcastle's strength in central midfield.[ Charlie Woods, the scout who recommended him to the club, reflected in 2020 that he played like Mesut Özil.][
]
Personal life
Viana married Raquel Gomes in a Catholic ceremony in Orada, Albufeira
Albufeira () is a city and seat of its own municipality in the district of Faro, in the southernmost Portuguese region of Algarve. The municipality population in 2021 was 44,158, in an area of . The city proper had a population of 28,645 in 2021 ...
in March 2003. The marriage produced a daughter and a son.
In 2004, Viana lost his wedding ring on Newcastle Town Moor, but it was returned by a young fan due to the name engraved onto it.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Portugal's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Viana goal.''
, + List of international goals scored by Hugo Viana
Honours
Sporting CP
* Primeira Liga: 2001–02
*Taça de Portugal
The Taça de Portugal (; "Cup of Portugal") is an annual association football competition and the premier knockout tournament in Portuguese football. For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Taça de Portugal Placard since the 2015–16 sea ...
: 2001–02
*UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay ...
runner-up: 2004–05
Braga
* Taça da Liga: 2012–13
*UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2010–11
Al Ahli
* UAE Arabian Gulf League: 2013–14
* Arabian Gulf Super Cup: 2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
*UAE League Cup
The UAE League Cup ( ar, كأس رابطة المحترفين الإماراتية) or the Pro League Cup is a knockout tournament for clubs in the UAE Pro-League. The first edition of the tournament was played in the 2008–2009 season.
In the 2 ...
: 2014
Orders
*Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa
The Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (also known as The Order of Our Lady of Conception of Vila Vicosa; pt, Ordem de Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Vila Viçosa) is a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Braganza, the f ...
(House of Braganza
The Most Serene House of Braganza ( pt, Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), also known as the Brigantine Dynasty (''Dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Ame ...
)
References
External links
*
*
*
National team data
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Viana, Hugo
1983 births
Living people
People from Barcelos, Portugal
Sportspeople from Braga District
Portuguese footballers
Association football midfielders
Primeira Liga players
Segunda Divisão players
Sporting CP B players
Sporting CP footballers
S.C. Braga players
Premier League players
Newcastle United F.C. players
La Liga players
Valencia CF players
CA Osasuna players
UAE Pro League players
Al Ahli Club (Dubai) players
Al-Wasl F.C. players
Portugal youth international footballers
Portugal under-21 international footballers
Portugal international footballers
2002 FIFA World Cup players
2006 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 2012 players
Olympic footballers of Portugal
Footballers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Portuguese expatriate footballers
Expatriate footballers in England
Expatriate footballers in Spain
Expatriate footballers in the United Arab Emirates
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in England
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in the United Arab Emirates