Vítor Pontes

Vítor Pontes
Personal information
Full name	Vítor Manuel Pereira Pontes
Date of birth	16 August 1958 (age 65)
Place of birth	Leiria, Portugal
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1972–1976	União Leiria
Senior career*
Years	Team
1976–1985	União Leiria
1977–1978	→ Vieirense (loan)
1985–1987	Vitória Guimarães
1987–1988	O Elvas
1988–1989	Louletano
1989–1992	Nacional
1992–1993	Tirsense
1993–1994	Guarda
Managerial career
2002	União Leiria
2003–2005	União Leiria
2005–2006	Vitória Guimarães
2007–2009	Portimonense
2011	União Leiria
2012–2013	Chibuto
2014	Ferroviário Maputo
2016	Sichuan Longfor
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Vítor Manuel Pereira Pontes (born 16 August 1958) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and is a manager.

Playing career

Born in Leiria, Pontes started his professional career with local União Desportiva. However, during his 18 years as a senior, he played almost exclusively as a backup, only appearing in seven Primeira Liga matches during his career – five for O Elvas C.A.D. in the 1987–88 season, and two for C.D. Nacional in two years combined.

Coaching career

After retiring in 1994 at age 36 with lowly A.D. Guarda (third division), Pontes began immediately working as a goalkeeper coach with his first club, also going to serve there as an assistant manager.^[1] He then coached Leiria's first team for two full seasons after a brief interim spell in 2002, subsequently signing with Vitória S.C. for the 2005–06 campaign and being one of two managers in a season which ended in top level relegation – the other was Jaime Pacheco.

In 2007, Pontes signed with division two side Portimonense SC, and remained there two seasons. On 8 September 2011, after two years out of the managerial scene, he returned to active and União de Leiria, replacing fired Pedro Caixinha.^[2] His first game in charge was a 1–0 away win against S.C. Beira-Mar,^[3] but he left his post after only one more match, however.^[4]

In September 2012, Pontes took over at FC Chibuto in Mozambique.^[5] He moved to the China League Two in May 2016, signing with Sichuan Longfor FC.^[6]

Other ventures

After leaving Portimonense, Pontes worked as a football pundit for Sport TV, in the channel's domestic and UEFA Champions League coverage.

References

^ "Morreu Fernando Ferreira, treinador dos guarda-redes da União de Leiria" [Fernando Ferreira, União de Leiria goalkeeper coach, has died]. Público. 25 June 2004. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
^ "Vítor Pontes é o novo treinador" [Vítor Pontes is the new manager]. A Bola. 8 September 2011. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
^ "Shaffer garante primeira vitória leiriense" [Shaffer ensures first leiriense victory]. A Bola. 11 September 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
^ Uniao de Leiria swap coaches... again; PortuGOAL, 26 September 2011
^ "Vítor Pontes assume comando do Chibuto" [Vítor Pontes takes over at Chibuto]. Record (in Portuguese). 7 September 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
^ "Vítor Pontes assume comando de equipa chinesa" [Vítor Pontes takes over at Chinese team]. Mais Futebol. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2017.