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Joo Vieira Pinto - Joo Pinto is also the name of another former Portuguese football player, see Joo Domingos Pinto.
Joo Manuel Vieira Pinto (born 19 August 1971 in Porto, Portugal) is a Portuguese footballer, who made name mostly at domestic level and as a key figure in the Portuguese national team's Golden Generation. Youth As a youth, Joo V. Pinto played for the Bairro do Falco (where he was born, in Campanh, Porto's East side) and the guias da Areosa, and once tried to join Porto's main side FC Porto, but was refused, and joined Boavista FC instead. As a youngster, Joo Pinto impressed for his speed and ball control, and was one of the brightest stars in Portugal's wins in the World Youth Championship in Riyadh and Lisbon in 1989 and 1991. The first earned him a transfer to Atltico de Madrid in 1990, but instead he was placed on Atltico Madrileo, the reserves' side. After a forgetful season, he rejoined Boavista, where he played all games, scoring eight goals, and won the Portuguese Cup. This season earned him a transfer to Lisbon giants SL Benfica. Benfica In Benfica, Joo Pinto's career was threatened in late 1992 by a Pneumothorax, contracted in a game at Scotland for the USA'94 qualifiers. He did recover, but was unable to help Benfica win the title. However, in the next season he played some what most agree was the best football he ever played at Benfica, with his best moment on a derby against Sporting, where Joo Pinto scored three goals and was on the play of the remaining three of a massive 6-3 victory in the Estdio Jos Alvalade, which proven to be decisive for Benfica's title that season. Dubbed The Golden Boy, Joo Pinto won the captaincy from Antnio Veloso after his retirement in 1995, but was unable to win a national title again. Some consider the lack of quality of a poorly managed Benfica side played a part on his lack of development after 1995, as he was pointed as the main talent of the Portuguese squad, which had players such as Lus Figo and Rui Costa. Finally, after a wage dispute with Benfica's president Vale e Azevedo, he was released from contract weeks before the Euro 2000 (turning him the only free-agent in the competition) where he helped the national team reach the semi-finals. Sporting and return to the roots After the end of the Euro 2000, Joo Pinto had several offers from aboard, and after almost signing with rivals' FC Porto, he settled for Sporting instead. After a relatively poor season in 2000-01, after Sporting hired four times Portuguese Golden Boot winner Mrio Jardel, Joo Pinto returned to his golden years in a magnificent run by Sporting, where he captured his second title. Named the father of the team by Jardel, Joo Pinto played all but one game, and scored nine goals. However, as Jardel's form mysteriously faded away in 2002-2003, so did a six-month suspended Joo Pinto. Never recovering fully from the incident at the 2002 World Cup, he failed to impress in the following seasons, where Sporting failed to reach the top two spots, and in 2004 he was released from contract, returned to Boavista, and although he was close of signing with Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia in the January transfer window, he remained with his first professional club. During the past months, while his name fade away from the sports newspapers, it was mentioned more and more frequently by the sensionalist press, after his divorce and an affair with model and actress Marisa Cruz. He ended his Portugal career 77 caps, scored 23 goals, and played in Euro 96, Euro 2000, and the 2002 World Cup. Aggression Although a highly talented player, Joo Pinto was also known for a series of red cards over aggressions and bad tackles. His feud with FC Porto player and national teammate Paulinho Santos (which most times dragged more players) lasted for years, and was frequent both players would end sent-off after hitting each other. Other incidents that stirred some controversy included one aggression to a fireman during the half-time break and elbowing a Estrela da Amadora player during a practice match. The lowest point, however, was after he hit referee Angel Sanchez, who sent him off after a bad tackle early in the match, for which he was suspended for six months. He also got the reputation of being a diver, and although in his later years he gained less fouls over him, his name is still the first that comes to Portuguese minds on a divers list. Pinto, Joo Manuel Vieira Pinto, Joo Manuel Vieira
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