Almami Moreira

Almami Moreira

Moreira after a game with Partizan in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Almami Samori da Silva Moreira
Date of birth	16 June 1978
Place of birth	Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
Height	1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Youth career
1991–1994	Sacavenense
1994–1997	Boavista
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1997–2001	Boavista	17	(1)
1997–1998	→ Gondomar (loan)	21	(4)
1998–1999	→ Gil Vicente (loan)	33	(9)
2001–2006	Standard Liège	114	(18)
2004–2005	→ Hamburger SV (loan)	22	(3)
2006	Dynamo Moscow	1	(0)
2007	Aves	8	(3)
2007–2011	Partizan	88	(23)
2011	Dalian Aerbin	22	(4)
2012	Vojvodina	22	(1)
2013	Salamanca	15	(4)
2014	Atlético	11	(3)
Total		374	(73)
National team
1998–1999	Portugal U21	12	(5)
2002	Portugal B	2	(0)
2010–2011	Guinea-Bissau	6	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (goals)

Almami Samori da Silva Moreira (born 16 June 1978) is a Guinea-Bissauan retired footballer who played as a midfielder. He also held Portuguese citizenship.

After starting out at Boavista he went on to represent mainly Standard Liège and Partizan, also playing professionally in four other countries during his career.

Club career

Boavista

Born in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, Moreira reached Boavista FC's youth ranks in 1994, but started out professionally with northern neighbours Gondomar S.C. and Gil Vicente FC, on loan.

He returned in 1999 and went on to have relative impact in the first team, being mainly used as a substitute and being part of the squad as the club won the Primeira Liga in his last year, although he did not appear in any matches whatsoever.

Belgium / Russia

With the start of the new millennium Moreira moved to Standard Liège,^[1] where he quickly became a fan favourite, going on to spend five years in Belgium, a loan to Hamburger SV in 2004–05 notwithstanding.^[2]

In August 2006, he joined Russia's FC Dynamo Moscow, a club that was signing a large number of Portuguese and Portugal-based players at the time. Unsettled as the vast majority of those, he returned to his country of adoption in January, as lowly C.D. Aves battled to avoid relegation from the top level, which eventually did not happen.

Partizan Belgrade

On 5 July 2007, Moreira signed a two-year contract with FK Partizan in Serbia, being handed the #10 shirt whilst also becoming the first Portuguese player to represent the club.^[3] He made his competitive debut on 19 July in a game against HŠK Zrinjski Mostar, and scored his first official goal on 2 August in a UEFA Cup game against the same club.

On 29 September 2007, Moreira scored against city rivals Red Star in a 2–2 draw – this made him the first ever Portuguese to score in a Belgrade derby. In his first season at the club he appeared 28 times and netted seven goals, as Partizan won the league title; to this he added the domestic cup.

In a UEFA Cup match at Sevilla FC, on 3 December 2008, Moreira collapsed early into the game, being immediately taken into observation,^[4] and fully recovering. On 10 April 2009 he agreed to sign a new three-year contract, which would keep him with Partizan until 2012.^[5]

Following impressive and consistent performances, Moreira was named in the 2008–09 SuperLiga Team of the Year, alongside seven teammates, as the double was again conquered. On 5 August 2009, grieving the loss of his mother a day earlier, he decided to play in the second leg of Partizan's UEFA Champions League qualifier against APOEL FC: he scored the opener in the third minute, but the Cypriots eventually progressed 2–1 on aggregate.

On 27 February 2010, Moreira made his 100th competitive match for Partizan, coming on as an 55th-minute substitute for Saša Ilić against FK Borac Čačak.

Later years

Moreira split the following years with Dalian Aerbin F.C. in China and another team in Serbia, FK Vojvodina.^[6] In late 2012 the 34-year-old moved clubs and countries again, joining Spain's UD Salamanca.^[7]

Moreira retired in 2013 at the age of 35, being named Atlético Clube de Portugal's director of football. He came out of retirement in January of the following year, after being convinced by newly appointed coach Neca.^[8]

International career

Moreira played for Portugal under-21s on nearly 20 occasions in the late 90's, and in 2002 he was part of the national B-team that won the Vale do Tejo summer tournament.^[9]

In 2010, with the increasing development and professionalization of football in Guinea-Bissau, he decided to represent the land of his ancestors at full level, earning his first cap in October of that year, at the age of 32.

Club statistics

As of 19 May 2013^[10]

Club performance			League		Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Portugal			League		Taça de Portugal		Europe		Total
1999–00	Boavista	Primeira Liga	17	1	3	0	2	1	22	2
2000–01			0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Belgium			League		Belgian Cup		Europe		Total
2001–02	Standard Liège	Belgian Pro League	26	6	1	1	5	2	32	9
2002–03			32	6	4	0	0	0	36	6
2003–04			27	4	1	0	0	0	28	4
2004–05			3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
Germany			League		DFB-Pokal		Europe		Total
2004–05	Hamburger SV	Bundesliga	22	3	0	0	0	0	22	3
Belgium			League		Belgian Cup		Europe		Total
2005–06	Standard Liège	Belgian Pro League	26	2	4	0	0	0	30	2
Russia			League		Russian Cup		Europe		Total
2006	Dynamo Moscow	Russian Premier League	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	0
Portugal			League		Taça de Portugal		Europe		Total
2006–07	Aves	Primeira Liga	8	3	0	0	0	0	8	3
Serbia			League		Serbian Cup		Europe		Total
2007–08	Partizan	Serbian SuperLiga	28	7	3	0	2	1	33	8
2008–09			27	9	5	2	9	0	41	11
2009–10			25	3	4	1	11	1	40	5
2010–11			8	4	2	1	8	1	18	6
China			League		FA Cup		Asia		Total
2011	Dalian Aerbin	China League One	22	4	0	0	0	0	22	4
Serbia			League		Serbian Cup		Europe		Total
2011–12	Vojvodina	Serbian SuperLiga	9	0	2	0	0	0	11	0
2012–13			13	1	3	0	4	1	20	2
Spain			League		Copa del Rey		Europe		Total
2012–13	Salamanca	Segunda División B	15	4	0	0	0	0	15	4
Total	Portugal		25	4	3	0	2	1	30	5
	Belgium		114	18	10	1	5	2	129	21
	Germany		22	3	0	0	0	0	22	3
	Russia		1	0	1	0	0	0	2	0
	Serbia		110	24	19	4	34	4	163	32
	China		22	4	0	0	0	0	22	4
	Spain		15	4	0	0	0	0	15	4
Career total			299	57	33	5	41	7	373	69

Honours

Club

Boavista

• Primeira Liga: 2000–01

Partizan

• Serbian SuperLiga: 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Serbian Cup: 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11

Dalian Aerbin

• China League One: 2011

Individual

• Man of the Season – Most regular Standard player of the season (through voting in official website): 2001–02; Runner-up 2002–03, 2003–04; Third 2005–06
• Trophy Scharlaken UGH – Standard player of the season (presented by Les Rouches de Flandres fanclub in cooperation with the official website): 2001–02, 2002–03

References

1. "European preview: Portugal". BBC Sport. 15 August 2001. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
2. "Léonard returns to Standard". UEFA.com. 30 August 2004. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
3. "Potpisao i Moreira!" [Partizan signs Moreira!] (in Serbian). FK Partizan. 5 July 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
4. "Sevilla get back in the groove". UEFA.com. 3 December 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
5. "'Dr Mo' keeps Partizan in peak condition". UEFA.com. 11 May 2009. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
6. "Moreira napustio Vojvodinu" [Moreira leaves Vojvodina] (in Serbian). Sportal. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
7. "La UDS ficha de una tacada a dos jugadores" [UDS signs two players in one go] (in Spanish). La Gaceta de Salamanca. 18 December 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
8. "Almani Moreira troca gabinete pelo relvado" [Almani Moreira leaves office for pitch] (in Portuguese). Record. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
9. Garin, Erik; Nunes, João (14 February 2008). "Torneio do Vale do Tejo". RSSSF. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
10. "Almani Moreira". Soccerway. Retrieved 22 May 2014.

External links

• Almami Moreira at footballzz.co.uk
• Almami Moreira profile at ForaDeJogo
• Almami Moreira profile at Fussballdaten
• Almami Moreira at National-Football-Teams.com
• Almami Moreira – FIFA competition record