Paulo Ferreira

Paulo Renato Rebocho Ferreira (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpawlu fɨˈʁɐjɾɐ]; born 18 January 1979) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a full-back.

After starting out at Estoril, he went on to spend the vast majority of his 16-year career with Porto and Chelsea, signing with the latter in 2004 for €20 million. He won several major titles with both clubs, including two Primeira Liga titles, three Premier League trophies and the 2004 and 2012 editions of the Champions League.

Ferreira earned 62 caps for the Portugal national team between 2002 and 2010, playing at two European Championships and two World Cups and finishing as runner-up at Euro 2004.

Born in Cascais, Lisbon District, Ferreira started his career in the Segunda Liga with Estoril. In the following two seasons he was relatively played, representing the club in both that and the third divisions.

Ferreira signed with Vitória de Setúbal for 2000–01, scoring two goals in 33 games during the campaign to help his team promote to the Primeira Liga after finishing in third place. His first appearance in the competition took place on 13 August 2001, in a 3–1 away loss against Marítimo.

Ferreira moved to Porto in the summer of 2002, signed by coach José Mourinho who converted him from right midfielder to right-back. He only missed two league games over his two-year stint, as the club won back-to-back national championships.

Ferreira was also in the starting XI in the 2003 UEFA Cup final against Celtic in Seville (which ended with a 3–2 win), that year's 1–0 defeat of União de Leiria in the Taça de Portugal which meant the conquest of the treble and the 2004 UEFA Champions League final, won against Monaco.

On 22 June 2004, Ferreira joined Chelsea for €20 million (£13.2 million), reuniting at Stamford Bridge with both Mourinho and former Porto teammate Ricardo Carvalho, both of whom were also signed in the off-season. He impressed greatly in his first year, appearing in 42 competitive matches and helping to the Premier League title after a 50-year wait.

Ferreira scored his first competitive goal for the Blues on 19 February 2006, in a 3–1 home victory over Colchester United in the FA Cup's fifth round. On 30 April, as his team wrapped up a second successive league title with a 3–0 win over Manchester United, his tackle on Wayne Rooney fractured the England striker's metatarsal and jeopardised his chance's of going to June's World Cup. Rooney admitted in 2022 that this injury was caused in part by his choice to wear longer studs on his boots, ironically in order to hurt others.

In 2006–07, Ferreira lost his importance in the squad, first being overtaken in his position by Khalid Boulahrouz and then midfielders Lassana Diarra and Geremi; he did play the full 120 minutes of the 1–0 FA Cup win against Manchester United on 19 May 2007, the first final to be played at the new Wembley.

In 2007–08, Ferreira played second-fiddle to Juliano Belletti and Michael Essien. He signed a new five-year deal with Chelsea on 18 February 2008, switching from jersey #20 to #19 at the start of the following season following Deco's arrival.

On 23 September 2009, following a lengthy injury lay-off, Ferreira returned to action in a League Cup match against Queens Park Rangers. On 2 December, in the same competition, he scored his last goal for the Londoners, a late equaliser in extra time of the quarter-finals at Blackburn Rovers which ended in a penalty shootout loss.

Between the Portuguese under-20 and under-21 sides, Ferreira appeared in a total of 27 matches. He made his debut for the full side on 7 September 2002, playing the second half of a 1–1 friendly draw with England at Villa Park.

Ferreira was selected by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari for the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament. He started their opening match against Greece, but a series of mistakes in the 1–2 loss saw him dropped for Miguel for the rest of the tournament. Following an injury to the latter late into the first half of the final, however, he returned to action in another defeat to the same opponent, now 1–0.

Ferreira made two appearances for Portugal in the 2006 World Cup: in the 0–1 semi-final loss against France, he replaced injured Miguel during the second half, and started the third place play-off against the host country Germany (1–3 defeat). Subsequently, he faced competition from Bosingwa and Miguel for the right-back slot, and was often deployed at the opposite flank following the retirement of Nuno Valente.

Ferreira was named in the squad for the Euro 2008. He started all four games as a left-back, in an eventual quarter-final exit.

A regular in the 2010 World Cup qualifying phase, Ferreira would then be included in the 23-men squad to represent the Selecção in the finals. He only played the opening game in South Africa, a goalless draw to the Ivory Coast.

After retiring, Ferreira worked for Chelsea as an ambassador and assistant loan player technical coach. On 5 July 2023, he was appointed assistant manager at French Ligue 1 club Lille, joining his compatriot Paulo Fonseca's staff.

The pair continued working together subsequently, at AC Milan and Lyon.

Premier League: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10

FA Cup: 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12

UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2004

Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (House of Braganza)