Vítor Paneira

Football player infobox
playername = Vítor Paneira


fullname = Vitor Manuel da Costa Araújo
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1966|2|16
height = 1,77 m
cityofbirth = Vila Nova de Famalicão, Braga
countryofbirth = Portugal
position = Right winger
youthyears = ?-1984
youthclubs = FC Famalicão
years = 1984-1986
1986-1988
1988-1995
1995-1999
1999-2001
clubs = FC Famalicão
FC Vizela
SL Benfica
Vitória Guimarães
Académica Coimbra
caps(goals) = - (-)
- (-)
207 (28)
128 (15)
44 (2)
pcupdate =
nationalyears = 1988-1996
nationalteam = Portugal
nationalcaps(goals) = 44 (4)

Vítor Manuel da Costa Araújo (born February 16, 1966 in Calendário, Vila Nova de Famalicão), known as Vítor Paneira, is a former Portuguese footballer, who excelled in the late 80's/early 90's with Sport Lisboa e Benfica and Portugal, as a right midfielder.

Club career

Paneira started playing professionally with hometown FC Famalicão, joining FC Vizela, a second division side, in 1986-87, also receiving his first under-21 call-ups, during the Toulon tournament. He was signed by SL Benfica in the summer of 1988, and remained there until 1994-95.

Paneira moved to Vitória de Guimarães in 1995-96, due to problems with then-Benfica coach, Artur Jorge, and played four seasons there. In 1999-2000, he switched to Académica Coimbra, and retired at 35 after 2 seasons. Paneira as a Benfica player won the national championship three times (1988-89, 1990-91 and 1993-94), and the Cup of Portugal in 1993. He also played in the 1990 Champions Cup final, in 1990, with Benfica losing to AC Milan (0-1).

International career

Paneira debuted for Portugal the same year he signed for Benfica, on 12 October 1988, in a 0-0 friendly draw with Sweden. In total, he had 44 caps for the national team (42 for Benfica and 2 with Guimarães), scoring 4 goals, in a 7-year period, playing his last international in another friendly, a 1-0 win over Republic of Ireland, on 29 May 1996. He was chosen by António Oliveira for the "lusitanos" squad that reached the quarter-finals at Euro 1996, but was one of the few players that never left the bench.

External links

* [http://www.zerozero.eu/uk/jogador.php?id=14737&search=1 Stats and profile at zerozero.pt]