António Frasco Explained

António Frasco
Fullname:António Manuel Frasco Vieira
Birth Date:16 January 1955
Birth Place:Leça da Palmeira, Portugal
Height:1.68 m
Position:Attacking midfielder
Years1:1973–1978
Caps1:101
Goals1:9
Years2:1978–1989
Caps2:238
Goals2:15
Years3:1989–1990
Caps3:17
Goals3:1
Totalcaps:356
Totalgoals:25
Nationalyears1:1979–1987
Nationalcaps1:23
Nationalgoals1:1
Manageryears1:1990–1991
Managerclubs1:Vila Real
Manageryears2:1991
Managerclubs2:Ovarense
Manageryears3:1992–1993
Managerclubs3:Feirense
Manageryears4:1993
Managerclubs4:Leça
Manageryears5:1997–1998
Managerclubs5:Lusitânia
Manageryears6:1998
Managerclubs6:Aves
Manageryears7:1999
Managerclubs7:Louletano
Manageryears8:1999–2000
Managerclubs8:Ermesinde
Manageryears9:2002
Managerclubs9:Sandinenses
Manageryears10:2003–2004
Managerclubs10:Beira-Mar (assistant)

António Manuel Frasco Vieira (born 16 January 1955), known as Frasco, is a Portuguese former footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.

Best known for his 11-year spell with Porto, he appeared in 306 competitive matches for the club and won a total of 12 titles. He was chosen by Portuguese sports newspaper Record as one of the best 100 Portuguese players ever.

Frasco earned 23 caps for Portugal, representing the nation at Euro 1984.

Club career

Frasco was born in Leça da Palmeira. In spite of a short height, his first sport was basketball, but Óscar Marques, a scout from Leixões SC, discovered him and took him to the club.[1] He made his debut in the first-team – and the Primeira Liga, a competition in which he would spend 15 of his 17 years as a professional – at the age of 18, contributing ten games as the Matosinhos side barely avoided relegation.[2]

Frasco eventually imposed himself in the main squad, as a starter, as Leixões suffered relegation in 1977.[3] In summer 1978, however, he signed for FC Porto after a failed transfer to S.L. Benfica two years earlier. In his first season he played all 30 matches as the team coached by José Maria Pedroto won the national championship,[4] [1] scoring a career-best six goals the following campaign, with the league being narrowly lost to Sporting CP[5] as the Taça de Portugal to Benfica.

After 1986, Frasco began suffering from successive minor injuries which diminished his importance in the squad. He still appeared in seven games in Porto's victorious campaign in the European Cup, including 25 minutes of the final against FC Bayern Munich (2–1), eventually leaving in June 1989 at the age of 34.[6] [1]

Frasco then worked as a manager, coaching several teams in no higher than the Segunda Liga. He returned to his main club Porto in 2006 and worked with several of its youth sides, always as assistant.[1]

International career

On 17 October 1979, Frasco made his debut for Portugal, in a 2–0 loss to Belgium in Brussels for the UEFA Euro 1980 qualifiers. He was one of the most influential players in the Euro 1984 campaign, taking part in all the matches as they reached the semi-finals[7] [1] and assisting Nené for the only goal against Romania in the group stage.[8]

Over eight years, Frasco played 23 times and scored once.[9]

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Honours

Porto

1978–79, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1987–88

1983–84, 1987–88

1983, 1984, 1986

1986–87

1987

1987

Notes

Notes and References

  1. News: Frasco: "Depois da final com a Juventus, ia para o controlo antidoping, enganei-me e entrei no balneário deles: recebi uma ovação". Frasco: "After the final with Juventus, I was on my way to the doping control, I made a mistake and entered their dressing room: I got an ovation". Expresso. Hugo. Tavares da Silva. Portuguese. 13 June 2020. 13 December 2023.
  2. Web site: Época 1973/74: Primeira Divisão. 1973/74 season: First Division. Arquivos da Bola. Portuguese. 19 April 2007. 22 May 2019.
  3. Web site: Época 1976/77: Primeira Divisão. 1976/77 season: First Division. Arquivos da Bola. Portuguese. 28 March 2007. 22 May 2019.
  4. Web site: Época 1978/79: Primeira Divisão. 1978/79 season: First Division. Arquivos da Bola. Portuguese. 15 March 2007. 22 May 2019.
  5. Web site: Época 1979/80: Primeira Divisão. 1979/80 season: First Division. Arquivos da Bola. Portuguese. 8 March 2007. 22 May 2019.
  6. Web site: 1988/89: FC Porto sem troféus e dez campeões europeus a chorar. 1988/89: FC Porto without trophies and ten European champions crying. Mais Futebol. Pedro Jorge. Cunha. Portuguese. 28 April 2014. 11 May 2016.
  7. Web site: Platini faz a diferença em meia-final de sonho. Platini makes the difference in dream semi-final. UEFA. Portuguese. 4 October 2003. 18 April 2017.
  8. Web site: Nené leva Portugal às meias-finais. Nené takes Portugal to the semi-finals. UEFA. Portuguese. 4 October 2003. 13 December 2023.
  9. Web site: Lista completa dos internacionais portugueses. Complete list of Portuguese internationals. Mais Futebol. Portuguese. 18 February 2004. 13 December 2023.