José Viterbo

Quality and personality

I first met Tozé when he was playing in the junior team of A.A.C./oaf. He stood out even then as an excellent athlete, and also as a person.

He has always been a high goal scorer, at decisive moments, and always the best scorer of his team, as long as he played frequently enough. Now playing abroad, he is surpassing all expectations – even those of people like myself, who know him well. He deserved more recognition in his own country, and more support from the club that trained him. But then, it is said that people are not recognised at home...

Well, my friend, you had to emigrate to do what you do best and like most – score goals!

I wish you all the luck in the world. There are always opportunities that we have to seize, especially when offered by those who don't know us, but still have faith in us (that is, you).

So go for it, CHAMPION! Over here, you have someone who always believed in you, and knows that you can achieve even more.

Good luck, and all the best!

José Viterbo – Coach, Level IV

Rui Silva

  This story begins like they all do.

     “Once upon a time”… one fine day a few years ago, a young Mirandense first year player showed up at the Estádio Universitário in Coimbra for a trial with the Académica beginners where I was the coach.

     This young fellow now says that he put himself forward as a midfielder attacker or defender. As we only needed to train for the midfield and had more attackers than defenders (at that age, they all want to be midfielders or forwards), I asked him to train as a centre defender. He didn’t like this, but said nothing and didn’t return. This was of course Tozé. It was he himself who recounted that episode. As it was the end of the season, a lot of players were trying to get a place on one of the various teams of the most representative club in the central region and one of the most historic in Portuguese football. So I have only a vague idea of the situation.

     I can say now that already at that time he showed a strong personality which would grow stronger in the following years.

     The fact is that, advised by a friend, he came back at the end of the next season, at the end of his second year as a beginner, and already on his way to the first year Juvenil team. Once again he put himself forward as a midfielder. Was this obstinacy, a strong personality, or a show of conviction in his character and ambitions? Probably, or most likely, a mixture of all of these.

     As an attack midfielder he showed much promise both in technique and practice and he had an impressive physique for his age. Of course he stayed on as part of the Juvenis team for the next season where he became a first year youth player. With me, he began to play as a centre midfielder. But he soon showed evidence of progress in the structure and reading of the game and of tactical skills near and within the penalty area and also a capacity for shooting so that he became a striker - one of those penalty area strikers which coaches are always looking for. And that is what happened that very season, something which would be confirmed in the following season as a Juvenil player where he was the team striker.

     And it was in that year that occurred an episode (one of many) which I can never forget and which defines Tozé as a man to a large extent. Early on in the pre-season, he suffered an annoying injury which affected his training and kept him out of the first games of the championship and the longed-for title. Either he wasn’t selected or he remained on the bench which always tested his temper. Like any young man, what he wanted was to play and he nursed a grudge against the coach, that is to say me. The championship was going badly, the teams were very strong (Sporting, Benfica, Belenenses, Estrela da Amadora, U. Leiria, Alverca) and the results were not coming in. At that time, a trainer who had arrived a few months previously (2 or 3) to train the Académica team (a club with which I had been connected with for 12 years: 7 as a player and 5 as coach) tried to set me up a trap. Just like that. He told Tozé, who, as I said, was very annoyed at not being able to play. So that gentleman thought he had Tozé on his side. Quite wrong! Tozé was very upset. He didnt think this was right and he told his parents who contacted the Coordinator for the Académica juvenile football league. The outcome of the situation was that the trainer left the club and the working group carried on serenely and united. This attitude of Tozé’s (in spite of not playing, he would not compromise himself with betrayal or underhand behaviour) reflects his strong personality and his sense of justice and solidarity. I shall not forget it. For this and many other reasons, for the qualities he has demonstrated and for the adult way in which he treats football and life, for the sacrifices he has made, for the difficulties and obstacles he has faced and overcome, this ex-youngster of mine deserves that fate should continue to shine upon him with ever more intensity.

     Tó, congratulations for what you have achieved, but don’t give up fighting for more and more. With your loyalty, hard work and patience, your successes will also be mine and as such enjoyed intensely. I am following your career closely. When bad times come (as they will and it is necessary to get through them) you know that you can count on me and your various friends.

     Football is your life, but it is only a game after all. There are many important things which you shouldn’t neglect.

     I send you a big hug.

 

* Degree in Sport Sciences and Physical Education (Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education - University of Coimbra)

Master in Biocinetics of the Development (Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education - University of Coimbra)

Teacher of Physical Education

Football Coach (Level II)

Tó Miranda

     I met TOZÉ during the last two years of his training with the youth teams of the Associaçăo Académica de Coimbra/oaf, when I was coach there, in the sports seasons of 2004/05 and 2005/06.

     When he arrived at the team, he was 17 years old, shy, humble, not very talkative, and had a great desire to work hard. I remember being amazed by his height and corpulence, as he was the tallest and strongest in the team. His previous coach had given me good reports on his performance and the speed with which he would appear in the penalty area.

     During the first training sessions, I realised that he was indeed a promising young man, as he possessed the ideal characteristics for a forward: tall, vigorous, fast and capable of beating the opposing defenders. I quickly realised that he had enormous ability to read an offensive game, as he seized every opportunity to score whenever the ball reached the penalty area. Technically he had the ability to shoot from midfield, and a strong heading ability that developed later around the goalposts. Tactically he had a gift rarely found in a young forward: the ability to join the defence when needed. Indeed, he proved much better than his team mates, always among the first to put on the pressure.

     In the first year he was selected 30 times for 30 games. He played 1,268 minutes and scored 10 times. In the following year he was selected 29 times for 30 games, played for 2,228 minutes and scored 21 goals, becoming the 2^nd best scorer of the whole championship. A very good performance and an impressive development!

     During this period he played mostly as centre forward, alone in the centre corridor of the usual 4.3.3 pattern. On other occasions he shared the position with another team mate when we played with 2 forwards, having played on the right wing in more difficult games, when the formation was 4.5.1, since he moved to the centre when attacking. He developed his experience of several game systems.

     In my opinion, Tozé did brilliantly in my youth team, and I was sad to see him leave as it is difficult to find players like him.

     I think his selection for the National Team came a bit late. I know it will come again shortly, as news of his performance has reached Portugal through the media, and we are much in need of good strikers!

     TOZÉ, I send you a big hug. Once again, congratulations on the path you have followed. I know you will continue to pursue new challenges and new conquests - and here in Portugal I will keep my fingers crossed for your success. We are all very proud of you, and of what you have achieved. Good luck, from your coach and friend, António Miranda.

Doctor of Science of Sport and Physical Education at the University of Coimbra
Master of Science in Sport and Physical Education at the University of Porto
Coach-level UEFA B

Herman Nijman

A CLINICAL GOALSCORER

During his year at FC Zwolle Tozé emerged as a clinical goalscorer. He is not the greatest technical player, but stell good, although Zwolle played a passing game in which Toze was the last station in the attack.
In the box he can be deadly and he knows perfectly where the goal is and when to shoot. He has a nose for the goal, as we say in Holland.

Specially in the first part of the season, the almost unknown striker from Portugal was a sensation in de Jupiler League (the first division in Holland). Tozé scored ten goals before the christmasbreak. In the second part of the season the young striker, although he scored a hattrick against TOP Oss and an important goal in de quarter-final of the Dutch Cup against Feyenoord (Zwolle lost 2-1). Tozé was the top striker in the team which reached the fourth place in the league and the finals of the play-offs in which De Graafschap was just too strong (0-1 and 0-0).

For FC Zwolle Tozé was a terrific striker, he deserves a chance in a big Portuguese team or a foreign team at the highest level. Still he's just 21 years of age...

Good Luck

Herman Nijman