Eliseu Pereira dos SantosComM (born 1 October 1983), known simply as Eliseu (Portuguese pronunciation:[eliˈzew]), is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played either as a left-back or left winger.
After starting out at Belenenses, he went on to spend most of his career with Málaga after signing in 2007, appearing in 224 official games and scoring 27 goals in two separate spells. In 2014 he signed with Benfica, with whom he won three consecutive Primeira Liga titles among other major trophies over four seasons.
Eliseu was born in Angra do Heroísmo, Azores to a Cape Verdean mother, Inês Furtado (a restaurant owner), and a Portuguese father, José (an ambulance driver). The couple divorced when he was a teenager.[2]
Club career
Belenenses
Eliseu moved to Portugal's mainland in 2002, moving from Sport Clube Marítimo de Angra do Heroísmo to C.F. Os Belenenses.[3] He gradually broke into the Lisbon-based club's first team, appearing in 24 Primeira Liga games in his second season and scoring in a 4–0 home win against C.F. Estrela da Amadora on 7 September 2003;[4] his first had come in his only appearance of 2002–03, to close the 1–1 draw with Vitória de Setúbal after just one minute on the pitch.[5]
After a loan with Varzim S.C. in the Segunda Liga,[6] where he was banned for eight months after a positive doping test,[7] Eliseu continued to be a relatively important attacking player for Belenenses, but was used mainly as a substitute.
For 2007–08, Eliseu and his compatriots Hélder Rosário and Paulo Jorge moved to Málaga CF, helping the Andalusians to return to La Liga after a two-year absence, with the trio combining for 108 matches and six goals (three from Eliseu).[8]The following campaign he continued to be first-choice, scoring his first Spanish top flight goal(s) in a 4–0 away victory over neighbours Recreativo de Huelva on 5 October 2008.[9] He also found the net the following month, but in a 4–3 loss at Real Madrid.[10]
On 25 June 2009, Eliseu joined S.S. Lazio in Italy for exactly €1 million.[11] However, after receiving few opportunities, he moved to Real Zaragoza on 7 January of the following year, on loan until the end of the season.[12] He scored in only his second match for the Aragonese, who lost 4–2 at Villarreal CF.[13]
After contributing to Zaragoza avoiding relegation – he also scored in the last fixture, a 35-yard free kick against the same opponents, in a 3–3 home draw[14]– Eliseu returned to La Rosaleda Stadium. Subsequently, he became teammate of fellow Portuguese Duda.
Eliseu started 2010–11 firmly established in the starting XI. On 27 September 2010, he scored from 25 meters against Villarreal to open the score but, minutes later, he headbuttedCarlos Marchena and was sent off in an eventual 2–3 home loss;[15] as his suspension was lifted, he was able to appear in the next fixture at UD Almería, but he again received his marching orders after elbowingJuan Manuel Ortiz in the 1–1 draw.[16]
After the signing of Nacho Monreal, Eliseu played in the midfield more often than not.[18][19] On 3 October 2012, he scored a brace in a 3–0 away victory against Anderlecht in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, the first coming from 20 meters and the second through a lob over the goalkeeper.[20]
On 24 July 2014, Eliseu signed for Portuguese champions S.L. Benfica for an undisclosed fee rumoured to be around €1.5 million, on a two-year deal with the option for a further one.[21] He was reunited at the club with former Belenenses coach Jorge Jesus, who had previously tried to acquire his services.[22]
Eliseu made his official debut on 10 August 2014, playing the full 120 minutes as a left-back in a penalty shootout win against Rio Ave F.C. in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (0–0 draw).[23] He scored his first goal for his new team with a strike from outside the box, which ended up being the winner at Boavista FC's artificial turf.[24] His second came on 21 September also in the league, striking from 30 meters in a 3–1 home defeat of Moreirense FC.[25]
On 21 February 2015, Eliseu also scored from long range against Moreirense in the league (3–1 away win).[26] He ended the campaign with 33 games in all competitions, as Benfica won the national championship for the second time in a row.
It was reported by Portuguese press in December 2017 that Eliseu had been told by manager Rui Vitória that he would be released at the turn of the year.[27] This did not happen, but in March it was confirmed that his contract would not be renewed once it expired at the end of the campaign.[28]
Already retired, Eliseu returned to the Estádio da Luz in May 2019 to celebrate the team's league win by driving around the pitch on his scooter, wearing sunglasses at night; he had marked the victory two years prior in the same way.[29]
Courtesy of his Málaga performances, Eliseu was first called to the Portugal national team for an exhibition game with Finland on 11 February 2009, but did not leave the bench. He finally made his debut on 10 June, in a 0–0 friendly against Estonia.[30]
Although not part of the provisional 24-player list for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa,[31][32] Eliseu was named in a backup list of six players.[33] He scored his first international goal on 7 October 2011, in a 5–3 home win over Iceland for the UEFA Euro 2012qualifiers where he featured as a left-back and also made two assists.[34]
Eliseu did not make any appearances for his country in 2012 and 2013. He was selected by manager Fernando Santos for his Euro 2016 squad,[35] featuring against Hungary in the group stage (3–3)[36] and Poland in the quarter-finals (1–1, victory on penalties)[37] as the tournament ended in conquest.[38]
Career statistics
Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[39][40][41]
^Pedras, Filipe; Martins, Nuno (23 March 2018). "Eliseu próximo de deixar a Luz" [Eliseu close to leaving the Luz]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 6 December 2019.
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