Alex (footballer, born 1979)
Domingos Alexandre Martins da Costa (born 6 September 1979), commonly known as Alex, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played mainly as a right-back, currently manager of S.C. Covilhã.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Domingos Alexandre Martins da Costa[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 6 September 1979[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Guimarães, Portugal[1] | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Wing-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Covilhã (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1990–1994 | Vitória Guimarães | ||
| 1994–1995 | Ribeira Pena | ||
| 1995–1998 | Vitória Guimarães | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–2001 | Fafe | 76 | (16) |
| 2001–2003 | Moreirense | 57 | (8) |
| 2003–2005 | Benfica | 14 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | → Vitória Guimarães (loan) | 31 | (4) |
| 2005–2009 | VfL Wolfsburg | 21 | (0) |
| 2009–2013 | Vitória Guimarães | 95 | (0) |
| Total | 295 | (28) | |
| International career | |||
| 2005 | Portugal | 3 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2013–2014 | Felgueiras 1932 | ||
| 2014 | Académico Viseu | ||
| 2016–2018 | Vitória Guimarães (youth) | ||
| 2018–2019 | Vitória Guimarães B | ||
| 2022– | Covilhã | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Over seven seasons (15 years in total as a professional), he amassed Primeira Liga totals of 170 matches and seven goals, mainly at the service of Vitória de Guimarães. He also spent four years in Germany, with VfL Wolfsburg.
Playing career
Alex was born in Guimarães. After five years, spent at the service of AD Fafe and Moreirense FC, he made his Primeira Liga debut with S.L. Benfica, mainly deputising for established Miguel. In 2004–05, he served a season-long loan spell at Vitória de Guimarães.[2]
After good performances at Vitória, which earned him a Portugal national team call-up – three matches, including two in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers[3]– Benfica sold Alex to VfL Wolfsburg on the final days of the summer transfer window.[4] He had a relatively successful debut campaign, but only appeared four times in the Bundesliga over the next three (none in the last two).
In late May 2009, Alex signed with former club Vitória de Guimarães on a free transfer.[5] During that first season he operated mostly as a right-back, going on to be fully reconverted to the position the following years and being first-choice.[6]
Coaching career
On 3 July 2013, Alex announced his retirement from professional football at the age of nearly 34, immediately starting his managerial career with F.C. Felgueiras 1932 in the third division.[7] He first arrived at the professionals in May 2014 after leading his team to safety, being appointed at Segunda Liga side Académico de Viseu FC.[8]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Fafe | 1998–99 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 0 | |||
| 1999–00 | 27 | 8 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | 34 | 9 | ||||
| 2000–01 | 31 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 31 | 8 | ||||
| Total | 75 | 16 | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | 83 | 17 | ||||
| Moreirense | 2001–02 | 27 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 29 | 5 | |||
| 2002–03 | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 32 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 57 | 8 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 61 | 8 | ||||
| Benfica | 2003–04 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| Vitória Guimarães (loan) | 2004–05 | 31 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 34 | 4 | |||
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2005–06 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 17 | 0 | |||
| 2006–07 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| 2007–08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2008–09 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 22 | 0 | |||
| VfL Wolfsburg II | 2007–08 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Vitória Guimarães | 2009–10 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | 28 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 0 | |||
| 2011–12 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
| 2012–13 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 | |||
| Total | 95 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 123 | 0 | |
| Vitória Guimarães B | 2012–13 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 295 | 28 | 35 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 344 | 29 | |
Honours
Moreirense
Benfica
Vitória Guimarães
References
- "Alex" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- "Alex: «Objectivo é voltar ao Benfica»" [Alex: "Goal is to return to Benfica"]. Record (in Portuguese). 20 May 2005. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- "Estreias com Scolari raramente são a doer" [Debuts with Scolari rarely happen when it matters]. Record (in Portuguese). 30 May 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- "Fußball: VfL Wolfsburg verpflichtet portugiesischen Verteidiger Alex" [Football: VfL Wolfsburg acquire Portuguese defender Alex] (in German). Kicker. 20 August 2005. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- "Alex verlässt Wolfsburg in Richtung Portugal" [Alex leaves Wolfsburg towards Portugal] (in German). Goal. 26 June 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- "Gémeos falsos" [False twins]. Record (in Portuguese). 13 November 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- Sousa, Pascoal (3 July 2013). "Alex despediu-se em lágrimas" [Alex said goodbye in tears]. A Bola (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
- "Alex é o novo treinador do Ac. Viseu" [Alex is the new manager of Ac. Viseu] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 20 May 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- Alex at ForaDeJogo (archived)
- Alex at Soccerway
- "Alex". European Football. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
External links
- Alex at ForaDeJogo (archived)
- Alex manager stats at ForaDeJogo (archived)
- Alex at fussballdaten.de (in German)
- Alex at National-Football-Teams.com