Hugo Vieira

Hugo Vieira
Hugo Filipe da Costa Oliveira (born 25 July 1988), known as Hugo Vieira, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a striker for Santa Maria.
He had four spells with Gil Vicente, winning the Segunda Liga in 2011, and represented that team and Braga in the Primeira Liga. Additionally, he played in eight foreign countries, providing a key role in Red Star's Serbian SuperLiga conquest in 2016.
Club career
Early career
Born in Barcelos, Hugo Vieira made his debut as a senior with Girondins de Bordeaux's reserve team, after finishing his development with Santa Maria. In July 2007, he was loaned to Estoril Praia, but made no appearances for the side.
In 2009, Hugo Vieira signed for Gil Vicente in the Segunda Liga, helping achieve promotion to the Primeira Liga as champions at the end of the 2010–11 season. On 22 March 2012, he scored to open their 2–2 draw with Braga at the Estádio Cidade de Barcelos in the semi-finals of the Taça da Liga, eventually won in a penalty shootout.
Benfica and Braga
Hugo Vieira agreed to a four-year deal with Benfica on 18 May 2012. On 28 August, he was loaned to Spanish Segunda División club Sporting de Gijón in a season-long deal, but after being rarely used he returned to Gil on 22 January 2013, being loaned until June.
On 23 August 2013, Hugo Vieira moved to Braga after agreeing to a four-year contract, but started only once over the course of the top-flight campaign. He returned to Gil Vicente for a third spell the following 30 January, on a temporary basis.
Torpedo Moscow
On 1 September 2014, Hugo Vieira joined Torpedo Moscow, newly promoted to the Russian Premier League. On his debut thirteen days later, he replaced Kirill Kombarov at the hour-mark and scored a consolation in a 3–1 defeat at Spartak Moscow.
In a season troubled by the death of his partner Edina Carvalho from cancer in January 2015, Hugo Vieira did not find the net again until the penultimate game, when his two penalties helped to a 3–1 win over Ural Sverdlovsk Oblast at the Eduard Streltsov Stadium. The team would eventually suffer a double relegation.
Red Star
On 30 June 2015, Hugo Vieira signed a two-year deal with Red Star Belgrade. On 12 September, he scored twice in the 3–1 Eternal Derby home victory over Partizan, and later said he had dedicated it to Carvalho. He netted a brace against Čukarički on 6 December (7–2 away triumph) and a hat-trick to help beat Radnik Surdulica six days later (5–0, home), as the capital team went on to win a 27th title; the national footballers' union voted him player of the season, and he was a contender for top scorer until missing the final game against Radnički Niš, in which his teammate Aleksandar Katai overtook him to 21 goals.
Yokohama
On 7 January 2017, Hugo Vieira moved to the fifth foreign country of his career, signing for Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan - David Babunski made the same move from Red Star days later. He made his debut in the J1 League as a late substitute on 25 February, scoring the equaliser in a 3–2 home defeat of Urawa Red Diamonds in the season opener; in his first year in the Far East, his team came runners-up in the Emperor's Cup, with him finishing a hat-trick at the end of extra time to best Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3–2 in the fourth round on 20 September.
While Yokohama finished in the bottom half of the 2018 J1 League, Hugo Vieira was in the top ten goalscorers with 13. This included a hat-trick in a 4–4 draw with Shonan Bellmare at the Nissan Stadium on 21 April.
Sivasspor
Hugo Vieira returned to European football in January 2019, signing an 18-month deal with Sivasspor in Turkey. Before making an appearance, he suffered an injury to his left knee and required surgery, ending his involvement for the season.
On 31 October 2019, Hugo Vieira finally made the first of only two appearances for the side from Sivas, coming on in the 59th minute for Abdou Razack Traoré and scoring the last goal of a 6–0 win away to Başkent Akademi in the fourth round of the domestic cup.
Later years
On 28 January 2020, after over five years abroad, Hugo Vieira returned to Portugal's top division and Gil Vicente. Despite signing a new one-year contract in August, he terminated it on 6 October.
Hugo Vieira returned to Japan's top flight with Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo on 29 October 2020. After playing three games in what remained of the season, he was released.
On 7 July 2021, Hugo Vieira signed a one-year deal with FC U Craiova 1948 of the Romanian Liga I, with the option of a further season. Nineteen days later, in his second game, he scored the only goal of a home victory over Dinamo București. On 7 January 2022, his contract was unilaterally terminated by the club.
On 31 January 2022, Hugo Vieira joined Hibernians of the Maltese Premier League until 30 June.
On 26 July 2023, Hugo Vieira returned to his boyhood club, Santa Maria.
Career statistics
Honours
Santa Maria
AF Braga Divisão de Honra: 2008–09
Gil Vicente
Segunda Liga: 2010–11
Red Star
Serbian SuperLiga: 2015–16
Individual
Taça da Liga top scorer: 2010–11 (5 goals)
Serbian SuperLiga Player of the Season: 2015–16
Serbian SuperLiga Team of the Season: 2015–16
References
External links
Stats at Utakmica
1988 births
Living people
Footballers from Barcelos, Portugal
Portuguese men's footballers
Men's association football forwards
Primeira Liga players
Liga Portugal 2 players
Santa Maria F.C. players
G.D. Estoril Praia players
Gil Vicente F.C. players
S.L. Benfica footballers
S.C. Braga B players
S.C. Braga players
Segunda División players
Sporting de Gijón players
Russian Premier League players
FC Torpedo Moscow players
Serbian SuperLiga players
Red Star Belgrade footballers
J1 League players
Yokohama F. Marinos players
Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo players
Sivasspor footballers
Liga I players
FC U Craiova 1948 players
Maltese Premier League players
Hibernians F.C. players
Portuguese expatriate men's footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in France
Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
Expatriate men's footballers in Russia
Expatriate men's footballers in Serbia
Expatriate men's footballers in Japan
Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey
Expatriate men's footballers in Romania
Expatriate men's footballers in Malta
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in France
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Russia
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Serbia
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Japan
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Romania
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Malta