# João Pinto (footballer, born 1961)

João Domingos da Silva Pinto (born 21 November 1961) is a Portuguese former footballer and manager. Having spent his entire professional career with Porto (16 years, winning a total of 24 major titles, including nine Primeira Liga and the 1987 European Cup), he was regarded as one of the greatest Portuguese right-backs of all time.
Pinto represented the Portugal national team for more than one decade, appearing with them in one World Cup and one European Championship.

## Playing career

Pinto was born in Oliveira do Douro, Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto District. A FC Porto trainee, it did not take him long to establish himself in the side's starting XI. When Fernando Gomes broke his leg before the 1986–87 European Cup final against FC Bayern Munich, he was picked as the captain, and reportedly only released the cup on Portuguese soil after the 2–1 win in Vienna.
Always an undisputed starter, Pinto retired after the 1996–97 season after 16 years as a professional, helping the northerners to their first three Primeira Liga titles in a row (in total, he won nine national championships and four Taça de Portugal, and was part of the treble-winning squad which won the Champions Cup, the European Supercup and the Intercontinental Cup). Given his devotion and long service to the club, he was subsequently given a place coaching its youth teams.
Pinto totalled 70 caps with one goal for Portugal, being selected as captain on 42 occasions. After seeing the nation's 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification hopes squashed following a 1–0 away loss against Italy he left the field in tears, further enhancing his nickname, Capitão; he played internationally in UEFA Euro 1984 and at the 1986 World Cup – Bobby Robson, who coached Porto, once remarked of him: "He has two hearts and four legs. It's extremely difficult to find a player like him."
In September 2023, Pinto was given the One-Club Man Award by Athletic Bilbao, a Spanish club renowned for its youth system policies.

## Coaching career

Pinto began working as a head coach in the Segunda Liga. He started with S.C. Covilhã, moving in January 2013 to G.D. Chaves and helping the latter side to promote to that level in his only season.

## Career statistics
### Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | Europe | Europe | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Porto | 1981–82 | Primeira Divisão | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Porto | 1982–83 | Primeira Divisão | 23 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 1 |
| Porto | 1983–84 | Primeira Divisão | 26 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 0 |
| Porto | 1984–85 | Primeira Divisão | 30 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| Porto | 1985–86 | Primeira Divisão | 18 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 1 |
| Porto | 1986–87 | Primeira Divisão | 29 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 3 |
| Porto | 1987–88 | Primeira Divisão | 34 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 48 | 1 |
| Porto | 1988–89 | Primeira Divisão | 35 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 1 |
| Porto | 1989–90 | Primeira Divisão | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 0 |
| Porto | 1990–91 | Primeira Divisão | 30 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 1 |
| Porto | 1991–92 | Primeira Divisão | 33 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 8 |
| Porto | 1992–93 | Primeira Divisão | 25 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 38 | 3 |
| Porto | 1993–94 | Primeira Divisão | 31 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 1 |
| Porto | 1994–95 | Primeira Divisão | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| Porto | 1995–96 | Primeira Divisão | 13 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Porto | 1996–97 | Primeira Divisão | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Career Total | Career Total | Career Total | 408 | 17 | 75 | 2 | 76 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 587 | 20 |
* ↑ Includes Taça de Portugal
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Appearances in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
* 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Cup
* 1 2 3 4 Appearances in UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
* 1 2 3 4 5 Appearances in European Cup
* ↑ Two appearances in European Super Cup, one appearance in Intercontinental Cup
* 1 2 3 4 Appearances in UEFA Champions League

### International

Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Portugal | 1983 | 4 | 0 |
| Portugal | 1984 | 10 | 0 |
| Portugal | 1985 | 7 | 0 |
| Portugal | 1986 | 1 | 0 |
| Portugal | 1987 | 2 | 0 |
| Portugal | 1989 | 11 | 1 |
| Portugal | 1990 | 3 | 0 |
| Portugal | 1991 | 9 | 0 |
| Portugal | 1992 | 8 | 0 |
| Portugal | 1993 | 7 | 0 |
| Portugal | 1994 | 5 | 0 |
| Portugal | 1995 | 2 | 0 |
| Portugal | 1996 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 70 | 1 |
    Scores and results list Portugal's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Pinto goal.
List of international goals scored by João Pinto :
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 26 April 1989 | Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal | Switzerland | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1990 World Cup qualification |

## Honours
### Player

Porto
* Primeira Divisão: 1984–85, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97
* Taça de Portugal: 1983–84, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1993–94
* Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994
* European Cup: 1986–87
* European Super Cup: 1987
* Intercontinental Cup: 1987
Individual
* UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1984
* One Club Award: 2023

### Manager

Chaves
* Segunda Divisão: 2012–13