Vicente Lucas

Vicente
Personal information
Full name Vicente da Fonseca Lucas
Date of birth (1935-09-24) 24 September 1935 (age 89)
Place of birth Lourenço Marques, Mozambique
Position(s) Centre-back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1954–1967 Belenenses 286 (12)
International career
1959–1966 Portugal 20 (0)
Managerial career
1979−1980 Amiense
1980−1981 Sesimbra
1990 Belenenses
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Portugal
FIFA World Cup
Third place 1966 England
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Vicente da Fonseca Lucas (born 24 September 1935), known simply as Vicente, is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a central defender.

Playing career

Born in Lourenço Marques, Portuguese Mozambique, Vicente spent 13 seasons in the Primeira Liga with C.F. Os Belenenses, making his debut in 1954 and winning the Taça de Portugal six years later. He earned 20 caps for Portugal,[1] his debut coming on 3 June 1959 in a 1–0 win against Scotland.[2]

Vicente was picked for the squad that appeared in the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England. As his team went on to finish in third position, he played all the group stage matches plus the 5–3 quarter-final win against North Korea;[3] he was accused of fouling Pelé in the 3–1 group phase victory over Brazil, when it was in fact his teammate João Morais who was responsible.[4][5]

Vicente quit football after the World Cup due to a serious eye injury after a piece of glass hit the organ in a car accident, aged 31.[6] He was remembered for several perfect markings of the best players of his time without making any foul, and was cited by Pelé as the greatest defender that he ever played against.[7]

Coaching career

From 1979 to 1981, Vicente coached in the fourth division, spending one season apiece with Clube Desportivo Amiense and G.D. Sesimbra. In 1990–91, he was one of four managers as his beloved Belenenses could not avoid top-flight relegation – he was in charge for only one game, a 2–1 defeat.[2]

Personal life

Vicente's older brother, Sebastião, was also a footballer. A striker, he played 13 years with Belenenses (sharing teams with his sibling during ten), and also represented the Portugal national team.[8][9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Lista completa dos internacionais portugueses" [Complete list of Portuguese internationals] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 18 February 2004. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Parabéns Vicente" [Happy birthday Vicente.] (in Portuguese). Belém até Morrer. 24 September 2007. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
  3. ^ Paixão, Paulo; Castanheira, José Pedro (13 July 2016). "A lenda dos Magriços começou há 50 anos" [The legend of the Magriços started 50 years ago]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  4. ^ Rodrigues, Berta (27 March 2003). "Portugal-Brasil: as mil versões da história da marcação de Morais a Pelé, em 66" [Portugal-Brazil: the thousand versions of the story of Morais' marking of Pelé, in 66] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Pelé". International Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
  6. ^ Almeida, Isaura (19 August 2018). ""Se cortas ou roubas a bola ao Pelé tens o currículo feito, mas eu fui mais do que isso"" ["If you tackle Pelé or strip him of the ball you pretty much got it made, but I was more than that"]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Vicente: "Era o próprio Pelé a dar-me os parabéns"" [Vicente: "Pelé himself would congratulate me"]. Record (in Portuguese). 3 May 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Grande Vicente!" [Great Vicente!] (in Portuguese). Os Belenenses Blogspot. 27 May 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  9. ^ Fernandes, Nuno (22 September 2019). "Matateu e Vicente. Dois irmãos na história de um Belenenses centenário" [Matateu and Vicente. Two brothers in the history of centenary Belenenses]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 October 2023.