Ricardo Alberto Silveira de CarvalhoOIHComM (Portuguese pronunciation:[ʁiˈkaɾðukɐɾˈvaʎu]; born 18 May 1978) is a Portuguese professionalfootball coach and former player who is currently assistant head coach of thePortugal national team. He was widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs of his generation.[3][4][5]
Carvalho began his career atPorto, where he had loan spells atLeça,Vitória de Setúbal andAlverca, before winning domestic and European trophies underJosé Mourinho's management. In July 2004, Carvalho transferred toChelsea for a fee of just under €30 million. With the Blues, he won twoPremier League titles in a row and oneLeague Cup, in his first two seasons. In 2008, he was voted the team's Players' Player of the Year. Two years later, he helped Chelsea win theleague andFA Cup, the firstDouble in the club's history. In August 2010, after six years with Chelsea, he transferred toReal Madrid for a fee of £6.7 million, winning two domestic honours under Mourinho's management before a free transfer toMonaco in 2013.
In international football, Carvalho's national team career began on 11 October 2003 in a friendly match againstAlbania. He represented Portugal in threeUEFA European Championships and twoFIFA World Cups, and was a member of the team that wonUEFA Euro 2016. He was a regular in Portugal's lineup duringEuro 2004, when his country advanced all the way to thefinal before losing toGreece. At the2006 World Cup, he played in six matches for Portugal, who finished fourth after reaching the semi-finals.
Ricardo Carvalho was brought to thePorto junior team in the 1996–97 season. In the oncoming season, Carvalho made his professional debut when he signed on loan forLeça. Between 1999 and 2001, he had loan spells atVitória de Setúbal andAlverca.[6][7] He returned to Porto in the2001–02 season, being third choice behindJorge Costa andJorge Andrade, but he quickly won a place in the starting XI, forming a terrific partnership with Andrade in the centre of defence, which brought disappointment tocaptain Jorge Costa who,[8] in April 2002, joinedCharlton Athletic on a five-month loan spell.[9] Carvalho made 25 appearances in thePortuguese league that season.[10] In the followingseason, Jorge Costa returned to Porto and Jorge Andrade moved toDeportivo de La Coruña in Spain.[11] WithJosé Mourinho in charge, Carvalho started the campaign as the third option behind Costa andPedro Emanuel,[12] but later, his excellent form led him to a place in the first team,[13] appearing in the most important games of the season, including theUEFA cup semi-finals matches againstLazio and theUEFA Cup final where Porto beatCeltic 3–2 inextra time. It was Carvalho's first international trophy. By his great season, he was namedPortuguese League Footballer of the Year and Porto Footballer of the Year.[14]
It was in the2003–04 season that Carvalho made his name as a world-class footballer. His solid performances helped the club win the Portuguese league title for the second year in a row, and the most prestigious club trophy in European football, theUEFA Champions League. In this tournament, Carvalho played in all of Porto's matches, including the 3–0 win againstMonaco in thefinal. Subsequently, his great performances merited theUEFA Club Best Defender of the Year award, voted into theUEFA Team of the Year, and was named one of the 50 players shortlisted for the2004 Ballon d'Or), finishing ninth in the voting, being the only defender in top ten.[15] He was selected for the PortugueseUEFA Euro 2004squad, in which tournament he was also nominated for theUEFA Euro Team of the Tournament. At the end of the season, Carvalho has been tracked by a host of top European clubs, includingInternazionale,Barcelona,Real Madrid andManchester United.[16] Real Madrid offered€8.2 (£7) million for Carvalho, but Porto warned the Spaniards they would not accept anything less than €23.5 (£20) million for the defender after the Spanish team made a much lower offer.[17] Days later, English clubChelsea offered €30 (£25.5) million for the centre back, which the Portuguese team accepted.[18][19]
AtStamford Bridge, Carvalho, who was considered one of the best centre-backs at Euro 2004, joined his former manager José Mourinho and former teammatePaulo Ferreira[20] on a three-year contract.[21] He signed for a fee of €30 million (£20 million at the time)[19] and performed extremely well in his first season with Chelsea, helping them win thePremier League title, their first top-flight domestic title in 50 years, and theLeague Cup. He scored his first goal for Chelsea in a 3–1 victory overNorwich City.[22] His partnership withcaptainJohn Terry in central defence was hailed as a major factor behind Chelsea's two Premier League titles in a row.[23]
Ricardo Carvalho on tour with Chelsea in 2007.
The start of2005–06 season was not as smooth for him, as he was publicly lambasted by Mourinho after making comments about his selection policy. Carvalho said the Chelsea manager's decision to drop him for the first game of the season was "incomprehensible", but Mourinho responded, "Carvalho seems to have problems understanding things, maybe he should have an IQ test," and then left him out for next game, againstArsenal, and fined him a reported £85,000.[24][25] He later returned to favour, though, and was a near-regular in the side from September. On 19 October 2005, he scored his first goal of the season in a 4–0 home win againstReal Betis in theUEFA Champions League group stage.[26] Carvalho continued his scoring run inEurope by netting his second goal of the season in Chelsea's 2–0 away victory overAnderlecht on 23 November.[27] In January, in a 1–1 Premier League draw againstCharlton Athletic, Carvalho received the firstred card of his Chelsea career, after he received his second yellow for what the referee judged to be a tackle from behind on Charlton strikerDarren Bent.[28] Later, on 29 April 2006, he scored again a goal, his third of the season, in a 3–0 Premier League victory overManchester United, finishing off a move he had started on the edge of his ownpenalty area by smashing the ball into the net, to help Chelsea clinch the title for the second consecutive year.[29]
In the2006–07 season, Carvalho scored again against Manchester United an important goal in a 1–1 draw – a header from aFrank Lampard corner that also bounced offLouis Saha's head.[30] On 7 April, he scored another goal againstTottenham Hotspur, firing a low, 30-yard drive past the reach of Spurs goalkeeperPaul Robinson; as a result Chelsea narrowed the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester United to three points.[31][32] Just 21 days later, on 28 April, Carvalho injured the medial ligaments of his right leg in a Premier League match againstBolton Wanderers.[33] The injury meant Carvalho missed the second leg of theChampions League semi-final againstLiverpool.[34] He also missed theFA Cup final against Manchester United, which Chelsea won after a goal fromDidier Drogba during extra time.[35] On 18 May 2007, the day of his 29th birthday, Carvalho signed a five-year contract extension with Chelsea, keeping him at the club through the2011–12 season.[36] For his great performances during the 2006–07 season, Carvalho has been recognized by a number of organisations.Sky Sports listed him as one of seven candidates for the Premiership's "Defender of the Year".[37] He was also one of three Chelsea players nominated for the club's "Player of the Year" honour, which was ultimately won byMichael Essien.[38]
Carvalho continued his excellent form into the2007–08 season. Following the departure of managerJosé Mourinho,[39] the Spanish champions, Real Madrid, have once again expressed their interest in Carvalho. A Madrid source said, "We have never been able to get Carvalho because of his connection with Mourinho. Now he has left Chelsea, we feel there's a real chance."[40] But the Portuguese did not leave the English club. On 26 December 2007, in a 4–4 home draw againstAston Villa, on the 79th minute, the home side were outmanoeuvred in the middle of the field leaving only goalkeeperPetr Čech and Carvalho between Villa'sstriker,Gabriel Agbonlahor, and the goal, Carvalho attempted the block, went in two-footed and was red carded for the foul,[41] in the same night, he issued a public apology for his horror tackle on the forward.[42] In that season, Carvalho was one of the most consistent performers at the club and his efforts were rewarded when he scored his first goal of the season in his 150th appearance for the club, a 1–0 Premier League victory overMiddlesbrough.[43][44] Later, on 26 April, Carvalho made his 100th appearance in the Premier League against Manchester United, despite Chelsea's 2–1 win, he marred his centenary mark with an error that allowedWayne Rooney to equalise.[45] His solid performances in theChampions League helped the club reach thefinal, Chelsea's first ever Champions League final appearance and Carvalho's second.The Blues, however, lost 6–5 onpenalties against Manchester United after a 1–1 draw followingextra time. Carvalho played in all 120 minutes and he was booked one time for a high challenge onCristiano Ronaldo right before the end of first half.[46] On 8 May 2008, Carvalho was voted by his fellow Chelsea colleagues as Chelsea's "Players Player of the Year", while finishing in the top three for Chelsea's "Player of the Year" award voted by Chelsea fans, along withMichael Ballack andJoe Cole.[47]
Carvalho opened his account for the2008–09 season againstManchester City in a 1–3 away victory, on 13 September 2008.[48] He was a somewhat peripheral figure for the rest of the season, as injury, the sacking ofLuiz Felipe Scolari, and subsequent appointment ofGuus Hiddink meant that he lost his place in the team to Brazilian teammateAlex.[49] He clocked up only 18 appearances in all competitions, two as substitute, scoring one goal.[50]
In July 2009, Carvalho told Chelsea he wanted to quit the club to joinInternazionale. He said, "I have had four extraordinary years at Chelsea until this year, which has not been very good - indeed it was the worst of my career."[51] He played only 18 times in that season at Chelsea.[52] But a move to Inter to link up with Mourinho collapsed when the Italian club wanted to sign him as a free transfer.[53]
The appointment ofCarlo Ancelotti, coupled with recovery from injury, saw Carvalho regain his place in the Chelsea team. He made a fine start to the2009–10 season, scoring a diving header in the2009 FA Community Shield match against Manchester United, a game in which he also received theMan of the Match award. Chelsea got off to a terrible start conceding inside 10 minutes, but second-half goals from Carvalho and Frank Lampard looked enough to pull the team back from behind to win the trophy, only for Wayne Rooney to clip home an equaliser in stoppage time, forcing penalties. Chelsea went on to win the match 4–1 on penalties, following a 2–2 draw at the end of normal time.[54] On 20 December 2009, Carvalho made his 200th appearance[55] in a 1–1 draw againstWest Ham United in the Premier League, where the defender was booked just before the half-hour mark for a challenge onGuillermo Franco, before West Ham had their best chance of the opening stages.[56] On 24 March, in a 5–0 win overPortsmouth,[57] Carvalho suffered ankle ligament damage; it seemed serious but it was not necessary a corrective surgery on this injury, leaving the team with just two first-choice central defenders in Alex and captain John Terry,[58] and scaring thePortugal national team head coach,Carlos Queiroz, with the risk of not being able to go to2010 FIFA World Cup.[59] Due to the injury, Carvalho missed all the following league matches, including the title match victory againstWigan Athletic.[60] It was Carvalho's third Premier League title with the Blues. Six days later, on 15 May, he missed another important match, the2010 FA Cup final, which they won after a single goal from Didier Drogba. By winning the title, Chelsea secured the first everDouble in the club's history.[61] At the end of the season, on 24 July,The Sun carried reports that Carvalho had expressed his desire to leave Chelsea and link up with former manager José Mourinho, who was now in charge at Real Madrid in Spain.
Carvalho andAlexandre Pato ofMilan in a Champions League match in October 2010
On 10 August 2010, Real Madrid signed Carvalho for a reported fee of €7.9 (£6.7) million on a two-year contract.[62] He made his debut on 13 August 2010 in a friendly match againstBayern Munich, which Real Madrid won 4–2 on penalties after a 0–0 draw.[63] HisLa Liga debut came on 29 August, in a 0–0 draw againstMallorca,[64] and, in the following match, againstOsasuna, he scored his first Liga goal;Mesut Özil raced to the penalty area and managed to thread a low cross forCristiano Ronaldo, whose first time shot was blocked by the Osasuna's goalkeeperRicardo, but the Portuguese managed to tip-toe the rebound for Carvalho to score the go-ahead goal, giving his team a 1–0 home victory.[65] On 19 October 2010, in aUEFA Champions League victory againstMilan, Carvalho was named the Man of the match by the Spanish newspaperMarca.[66] Some weeks later, on 7 November, Carvalho proved again to be in good shape in a 2–0derby victory againstAtlético Madrid, where he scored his second goal in La Liga, being named again the man of the match.[67] Next month on day 19, in a 1–0 home victory againstSevilla, Carvalho received his first red card for the club; having already been booked in the first half, he was shown a second yellow following an aerial challenge with Sevilla'sÁlvaro Negredo in the second half.[68] On 19 February 2011, he scored his third and last season goal againstLevante in another 2–0 league victory.[69] Carvalho made 48 appearances in all competitions that season, bringing calmness and solidness to the defence, and was a heavy reason why Real Madrid had the best defense in Champions League, only letting five goals get past their goalkeeper.
Carvalho started the2011–12 season well and remained as first-choice centre-back along withPepe, until a lower back injury kept him sidelined. He returned to action on 18 January in Real Madrid's 2–1 home defeat toBarcelona, in theCopa del Rey quarter-finals first leg at theSantiago Bernabéu.
There was significant speculation about his future with Real Madrid in the2012–13 season, with manager José Mourinho publicly stating on 29 August 2012 that "his services were no longer needed" by the club. However, he opted to stay at the club until the end of his contract.[70][71]
On 28 May 2013,Monaco confirmed on their website that they had secured the services of the Portuguese defender from Real Madrid. He moved to the newly promotedLigue 1 club on a free transfer when his Real Madrid contract expired on 1 July. Carvalho signed a one-year contract with Monaco, with the option of a second year.[71]
Carvalho was sent off for two yellow cards on 10 August 2014, as Monaco began their season with a 2–1 defeat at home againstLorient.[72] On 14 April 2015, he fouledÁlvaro Morata to concede a penalty which was converted byArturo Vidal as Monaco lost toJuventus in the first leg of the quarter-finals of theChampions League.[73] In July 2015, he signed a new one-year deal, keeping him at the club until July 2016.[74]
On 10 August 2016, it was announced that Monaco had not renewed his contract, ending a three-year spell with theLigue 1 club.[75]
On 9 January 2017, Carvalho was announcing his engagement byAndré Villas-Boas'sShanghai SIPG in theChinese Super League. He officially joined Shanghai SIPG on 15 February 2017.[76]On 6 October 2017, Carvalho was handed a seven-month suspended prison sentence in Spain for tax fraud.[77]
During the 2003–04 season, Carvalho earned his firstcap for thePortugal national team on 11 October 2003 in a 5–3 friendly match win overAlbania.[78] He established himself as a key member of the national team starting XI during theUEFA Euro 2004 championship on home soil, after replacing captainFernando Couto in the heart of Portugal's defence following the team's defeat againstGreece in the opening group game.[79] In the tournament, he was nominated for theUEFA Euro Team of the Tournament along with his compatriotsManiche,Luís Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo.[80] Carvalho formed a strong partnership with Jorge Andrade in the Portuguese defence as his country reached thefinal, though they lost 1–0 to Greece in a stunning upset.[81] Carvalho started in all of Portugal's six games in the tournament, including an epic game againstEngland, where the defender was namedCarlsberg Man of the Match,[82] and Portugal emerged victorious6–5 on penalties.[83]BBC Sport football expertAlan Hansen said that Carvalho was, along withSol Campbell, the best defender at Euro 2004.[84]
Carvalho represented Portugal at the2006 World Cup in Germany, finishing fourth overall. During the quarter-final game against England, refereeHoracio Elizondo adjudgedWayne Rooney to have trodden on Carvalho's groin, right in front of him, and the English player was sent off for violent conduct.[85] The English media, however, speculated that teammate Cristiano Ronaldo had influenced Elizondo's decision by aggressively complaining, after which he was seen in replays winking at the Portuguese bench following Rooney’s dismissal.[86] In the following semi-final game againstFrance inMunich on 5 July 2006, Carvalho was whistled for a foul against France'sThierry Henry in the penalty area, resulting in a penalty kick.Zinedine Zidane converted the spot kick to give France a 1–0 win over Portugal.[87] Also in the same game, Carvalho was booked with his second yellow card of the knockout phase, and was forced to miss the third place game against hostsGermany on 8 July inStuttgart, which ended in a 3–1 defeat.[88] He in played each of his team's other preceding matches throughout the World Cup, as a member of Portugal's central defensive pairing in the team's starting lineup alongsideFernando Meira, and as a result of his performances, he was one of the 23 players nominated for theAll Star Team of the tournament.[89][90]
Carvalho was named in thePortuguese squad forEuro 2008. He played in three of Portugal's four matches in the tournament, including the 2–0 win againstTurkey and the 3–1 victory overCzech Republic in thegroup stage and thequarter-finals match where Portugal lost 3–2 to Germany. Two years later, Carvalho was named again in thePortuguese squad for the2010 World Cup. He formed a partnership withBruno Alves in the centre of defence, playing in all group stage matches without conceding a goal. This time, Portugal reached the round of 16, where they subsequently lost 1–0 againstSpain via aDavid Villa goal.[91]
On 31 August 2011, Carvalho retired from international football after leaving the concentration without talking to his coach and teammates before Portugal's match againstCyprus for aEuro 2012 qualifying match, announcing in a statement carried by state news agency Lusa he had been "disrespected".[92]
On 3 October 2014, after an absence of more than three years, Carvalho was called up by newly appointed Portugal managerFernando Santos, for the friendly against France and theEuro 2016 qualifying match againstDenmark.[93] On 29 March 2015, in a qualifier againstSerbia, he headed the opening goal in a 2–1 home victory, his first international goal for over eight years.[94] At 38, he was the oldest outfield player at theEuro 2016 finals in France.[95] He started in all three of his team's group stages matches, but was dropped from the starting line-up for the knock-out stages of the competition;[96] Portugal went on to win the tournament, defeating the hosts 1–0 in thefinal in extra time, although Carvalho remained on the bench.[97]
Carvalho was always acentre back who stood out in particular for his intelligence, and ability to read the game and time his challenges. He was quick, good in the air and possessed superb technique and good passing ability, which led him to be compared to the legendary Italian defenderFranco Baresi.[100][101][102] Although he did not possess the physical strength of other defenders, he was known for his tenacity and hard-tackling style of play; in an interview with the Champions League's official magazine, Carvalho said of his playing style and physique:
(...) Players who grow in England are different, they are tough, strong. My first year was difficult because I wanted the ball, wanted to play, and the pace here is unbelievable. The players are physically strong, and if they don't play well they kick. It wasn't my game. And every time I jumped with my arm my shoulder would pop out. With time it got weaker. In May 2005 I had an operation, I started to work a bit in the gym, which I'd never done before, and I improved a lot. (...) My body is not as strong as a normal centre-back in England, but I like to play hard and tackle. I love to make crazy tackles, I like to slide on the ground.[103]
As such throughout his career, he was often paired with a more physical centre-back, such as his defensive partner at Chelsea,John Terry, whose powerful and aggressive playing style was complemented by Carvalho's mobility, technique, intelligence, speed of thought, and ball–playing ability.[102][104][105][106][107] Despite not being as tall as most centre-backs (1.83 m), Carvalho was also known for his ability to win aerial duels against larger, more physical opponents, as demonstrated by the three headed goals he scored against Manchester United withRio Ferdinand (1.91 m) andNemanja Vidić (1.90 m) in defence. In the same UEFA Champions League's official magazine interview, he stated:
(...) At Porto there were taller centre-backs than me, but they were on the bench because I was quicker, I turned quicker. I said to the coach, 'I have to grow a bit.' But he said: 'No, you'll start to get slow to turn, slow to run. You're good, you are there now.' (...) A defender is one thing, football is about defending and playing. Normally, play comes from us defenders so we have to defend, not concede, close down space, be focused on the strikers and after all that try to get a move going. (...)[103]
Carvalho's Real Madrid profile described him as "known for his perfect positioning, his foresight and his ability to advance the ball out of the first third".[108] At his peak, Carvalho was regarded by several pundits and football figures as one of the best defenders in the world,[107][109][110][111] and is considered to be one of the greatest defenders in the history of the Premier League.[112]
^Szreter, Adam (4 July 2004)."Greece kings of Europe".Union of European Football Associations. Archived fromthe original on 30 November 2011. Retrieved24 May 2008.
