Nuno Ricardo de Oliveira Ribeiro,
OIH (born 11 November 1977), aka Maniche (maˈniʃɨ, or less commonly [maˈnik(ɨ)]), is a
PortuguesePortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
footballer who plays as a central midfielder.
Known for his teamwork, stamina and powerful shot, the
Portuguese internationalThe Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
received his nickname after Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 1980s legendary
DanishDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
forward
Michael MannicheMichael Manniche is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a centre forward.Even though he played for four different clubs in his country, he is best known for his spell with Portugal's Benfica.-Football career:...
.
He is amongst the players who have competed in all four major
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an leagues. In
2004The 2004 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on 26 May 2004, to decide the winner of the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League...
, he helped F.C. Porto win the
UEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, winning a total of eight trophies with that club. Maniche won more than 50
capsIn sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for
PortugalThe Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, representing the nation in one
World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and one
European ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
.
Portugal
Born in
LisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Maniche began his career in the junior teams of local Sport Lisboa e Benfica. After a stint with neighbours
F.C. AlvercaFutebol Clube de Alverca is a Portuguese football club based in Alverca do Ribatejo, Vila Franca de Xira, Lisbon. Founded on 1 September 1939, it currently plays in the Lisbon District Championships.-History:...
, he returned to the Reds in 1999, where he initially played as a winger.
Following disciplinary problems at Benfica, he was signed by
José MourinhoJosé Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
, then manager of F.C. Porto. Mourinho made Maniche a key member of his team, reconverting him to centre midfielder.
Maniche enjoyed a successful period at Porto, winning both the UEFA Cup in 2003 and the
UEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in 2004. As the club also managed back-to-back league titles, he contributed with 13 goals in 60 matches.
Abroad
Maniche was sold to
FC Dynamo MoscowDynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow, currently playing in the Russian Premier League. Dynamo's traditional kit colours are blue and white...
in May 2005, for
€The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
16 million. He was accompanied in that adventure by Porto teammates Giourkas Seitaridis and
CostinhaFrancisco José Rodrigues da Costa, OIH , aka Costinha , is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder....
(another club player,
DerleiVanderlei Fernandes Silva , aka Derlei, is a retired Brazilian-Portuguese footballer who played as a striker.He spent most of his 16-year professional career in Portugal , having represented all three most important clubs in the country, and amassing top division totals of 187 games and 70...
, had left for the
RussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n team in January). Unsettled, as the vast majority of foreign players bought by new team owner Alexei Fedorychev, he left the side on January 2006, loaned to Premier League side
ChelseaChelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
.
Maniche played a significant role in Chelsea's 2006 championship run, the second consecutive for the club, though it was not the sort of involvement he would have hoped for. Making his first start for Chelsea in a home game against
West Ham UnitedWest Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, he failed to stop opponent
James CollinsJames Michael Collins is a Welsh footballer who plays for Aston Villa and the Wales national football team.-Cardiff City:...
from putting the Hammers ahead on 14 minutes, had an opportunity to score an equaliser but smashed his shot against the crossbar, and was then shown an immediate
red cardIn sports, an ejection is one of several disqualifying actions assessed to a player or coach by a game official , usually for unsportsmanlike conduct....
three minutes later for a challenge on
Lionel ScaloniLionel Sebastián Scaloni is an Argentine footballer who plays for S.S. Lazio in the Italian first division. A player of wide range, he can appear as both a right defender or midfielder....
. However, Chelsea went on to secure an improbable 4–1 victory.
However, Maniche did not make enough appearances in the league to earn a winners' medal. Chelsea had the option of making the transfer permanent at the end of the season, for
£The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
5 million (
$The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
9 million), but the player eventually returned to Dynamo Moscow.
Maniche was subsequently signed by Atlético Madrid in late August 2006. Partnering countrymen Costinha and
Zé CastroJosé Eduardo Rosa Vale e Castro , aka Zé Castro, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Deportivo de La Coruña in Spain, as a central defender.-Club career:...
, he scored four goals in 28
La LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
matches in his first season, as the
capitalMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
team finished seventh.
Following a run-in with Atlético coach,
MexicanThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
Javier AguirreJavier Aguirre Onaindía , popularly nicknamed El Vasco , is a Mexican football manager and former midfielder. He was also a member of the Mexico national team and later became manager in two different occasions, but resigned after the 2010 FIFA World Cup...
, Maniche was cut from the squad, and agreed to join
F.C. Internazionale MilanoFootball Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
on a January loan, running for the second part of 2007–08. Splitting time between the bench and the first eleven in eight
Serie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
appearances, he managed to score one goal, in a 22 March 2008, 2–1 home defeat against
JuventusJuventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, also hitting the post in stoppage time.
On July 2008, Maniche returned to Atlético Madrid, playing a major part in the Colchoneros early season, as the club had returned to the UEFA Champions League after a 12-year absence. However, he was ousted in late February 2009 after a new quarrel with the management, now led by former club goalkeeper
Abel ResinoAbel Resino Gómez , sometimes just Abel, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and a current coach....
.
According to additional reports in the Spanish press, Maniche was told to be surplus to requirements in Madrid after he rejected the club's offer of a new deal, as his contract was going to expire on 30 June 2009.
"We informed Maniche three or four weeks ago that we wanted to renew his contract” said Atlético’s general managerGeneral manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Miguel Ángel Gil Marín."
"We really wanted him to accept the conditions and sign the contract. It is a shame for us."
Maniche was released from contract on 6 May, even before the season was over, being left available to sign for any club, with a return to Porto one of the possible destinations.
On 20 July 2009, Maniche moved to the
German BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
with
1. FC Köln1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
, signing a two-year contract and rejoining former Benfica and Portugal teammate
PetitArmando Gonçalves Teixeira , commonly known as Petit, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for 1. FC Köln in the German first division, as a defensive midfielder....
.
Return to Portugal
After only one season in
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Maniche, aged 32, was released from contract and, on 16 June 2010 returned to his native country, signing a one-year deal (plus an option for two further seasons) with the club he still had not represented in the
Portuguese Big ThreeThe Big Three is the nickname of the three most successful sports clubs in Portugal. The football teams of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Futebol Clube do Porto and Sporting Clube de Portugal have a great rivalry, and are usually the main contenders for the title. They share all but two of the Portuguese...
,
Sporting Clube de Portugal.
Frequently injured during his spell with the Lions and vastly underperforming, the 33-year old rescinded his contract by mutual consent on 6 July 2011.
International career
Maniche played for
his countryThe Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
in their second-place finish at UEFA Euro 2004, having just made his debut the previous year. He scored from long-range against the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
in the semi-final, in a 2–1 win.
On 21 June 2006, in the
2006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup 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 won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, Portugal played
MexicoThe Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
, in the nation's final
group gamePlay in Group D of the 2006 FIFA World Cup completed on 21 June 2006. Portugal won the group, and advanced to the second round, along with Mexico. Angola and Iran failed to advance.Detailed results of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Group D...
. Maniche scored in the 6th minute, and Portugal went on to win 2–1, progressing as group-winners. On 25 June, in the round-of-16, as the national side faced the Netherlands once again, he netted the only goal in the game, and was the only Portuguese player to feature on
AdidasAdidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
' Golden Ball shortlist.
After appearing significantly during the qualifying stages for Euro 2008, he was surprisingly left out of the nation's final squad, although younger brother, left back
Jorge RibeiroJorge Miguel de Oliveira Ribeiro is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Granada CF in La Liga. Mainly a left defender, he can also appear as a midfielder.-Club career:Brought up through S.L...
, would make the final cut. He also featured little during the
qualificationThe European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...
for the
2010 World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, and was subsequently left out of the squad for the final stages by manager
Carlos QueirozCarlos Manuel Brito Leal Queiroz ComIH is a Portuguese football manager. He is currently the manager of the Iran national football team. A former manager of Real Madrid, and Portugal national football team, he has also twice been Alex Ferguson's assistant manager at English club Manchester...
.
International goals
Club
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|1995–96||Benfica||Portuguese League||0||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1996–97||rowspan="3"|
AlvercaFutebol Clube de Alverca is a Portuguese football club based in Alverca do Ribatejo, Vila Franca de Xira, Lisbon. Founded on 1 September 1939, it currently plays in the Lisbon District Championships.-History:...
||rowspan="2"|
Second DivisionThe Liga de Honra , known for sponsorship reasons as the Liga Orangina, is the Portuguese second level football league. It was formerly called Segunda Divisão and Segunda Divisão de Honra . When the LPFP took control of the two nationwide levels, it was renamed Segunda Liga, before renaming it...
||23||2||||||||||||||||
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|1997–98||29||5||||||||||||||||
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|1998–99||Portuguese League||26||3||||||||||||||||
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|1999–00||rowspan="3"|Benfica||rowspan="3"|Portuguese League||28||10||||||||||||||||
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|2000–01||26||1||||||||||||||||
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|2001–02||0||0||||||||||||||||
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|2002–03||rowspan="3"|Porto||rowspan="3"|Portuguese League||29||6||||||||||||||||
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|2003–04||31||7||||||||||||||||
|-
|2004–05||20||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|2005||
Dynamo MoscowDynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow, currently playing in the Russian Premier League. Dynamo's traditional kit colours are blue and white...
||
Russian LeagueThe Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
||12||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|2005–06||
ChelseaChelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
||Premier League||8||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2006–07||rowspan="2"|Atlético Madrid||rowspan="2"|
Spanish LeagueThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||28||4||||||||||||||||
|-
|2007–08||15||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|2007–08||
InternazionaleFootball Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
||
Italian LeagueSerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||8||1||||||||||||||||
|-
|2008–09||Atlético Madrid||
Spanish LeagueThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||21||1||1||0|| || ||4||1||26||2
|-
|
2009–10The 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 47th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season commenced on 7 August 2009 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart. The last games were played on 8 May 2010...
||
Köln1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
||
German LeagueThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
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Club
- Porto:
- UEFA Cup: 2002–03
- UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 2003–04
- Intercontinental Cup
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
: 2004The 2004 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 12 December 2004 between FC Porto, winners of 2003–04 UEFA Champions League, and Once Caldas, winners of the 2004 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the neutral venue of the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan, in...
- Portuguese League: 2002–03, 2003–04
- Portuguese Cup
The Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is...
: 2002–03
- Portuguese Supercup: 2003, 2004
- Chelsea
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
:
- Inter
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
:
- Italian League
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
: 2007–08
Orders
- Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa
The Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa is an dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Braganza, the former Portuguese Royal Family...
(House of BraganzaThe title Duke of Braganza in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Since the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal in 1640, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown was known as the Duke of Braganza and Prince of Brazil until 1822, or...
)
Personal life
Jorge RibeiroJorge Miguel de Oliveira Ribeiro is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Granada CF in La Liga. Mainly a left defender, he can also appear as a midfielder.-Club career:Brought up through S.L...
, Maniche's younger brother, is also a footballer; mainly a left midfielder, he also represented, amongst many other clubs, Benfica.
External links