António Simões da Costa (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐ̃ˈtɔniu siˈmõȷ̃ʃ]); born 14 December 1943), known as Simões, is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a left winger.

António Simões

Simões in 1975
Personal information
Full name	António Simões da Costa
Date of birth	(1943-12-14) 14 December 1943 (age 78)
Place of birth	Corroios, Portugal
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Winger
Youth career
1957–1959	Almada
1959–1961	Benfica
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1961–1975	Benfica	312	(46)
1975–1976	Boston Minutemen	27	(5)
1975–1976	Estoril	6	(0)
1976–1977	San Jose Earthquakes	33	(0)
1977–1978	União Tomar	16	(1)
1978	New Jersey Americans	4	(0)
1979	Dallas Tornado	6	(1)
1979–1980	Detroit Lightning (indoor)	2	(0)
1980–1981	Chicago Horizon (indoor)	20	(7)
1981–1982	Kansas City Comets (indoor)	3	(0)
Total		429	(60)
National team
1962–1973	Portugal	46	(3)
Teams managed
1982–1984	Phoenix Inferno
1984–1985	Las Vegas Americans (assistant)
1987–1991	Austin Sockadillos
2003–2004	União Madeira
2004–2005	Lusitânia
2008–2010	Portugal Olympic
2011–2014	Iran (assistant)
2012–2014	Iran B
Honours Men's football Representing  Portugal FIFA World Cup 1966 England
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He spent 14 professional seasons with Benfica, playing 449 official games and scoring 72 goals. In the late 1970s, early 1980s, he represented several teams in the United States, and subsequently worked as a manager in both continents.[1] A diminutive winger known for his high technicality, creativity and crossing ability, Simões still holds the record of youngest player (18 years and 139 days old) to play and win a final, the European Cup final won by Benfica against Real Madrid on 2 May 1962.

Simões played more than 40 times for Portugal, appearing with the country at the 1966 World Cup.

Club career

Benfica

Born in Corroios, Seixal, Setúbal, Simões joined S.L. Benfica when he was 15, and was already an important first-team member just two years later, being part of the squads that won ten national championships and one European Cup. In the 1962 final of the latter competition, a 5–3 win against Real Madrid, he became the youngest ever player to conquer the tournament, at 18 years and four months.[1][2]

Simões left Benfica at the end of the 1974–75 season, after winning his last league. He contributed with 26 scoreless matches in the process.[1]

United States

Simões moved to the United States at the age of 32, signing with the Boston Minutemen of the North American Soccer League.[3] He spent two seasons in the city before moving to the San Jose Earthquakes in 1976, and subsequently the Dallas Tornado.

In 1979, Simões joined the Detroit Lightning of the Major Indoor Soccer League. After one season he moved to the Chicago Horizon, before finishing his career at almost 39 with the Kansas City Comets; he returned twice to his country during the off-season period, briefly representing G.D. Estoril Praia and U.F.C.I. Tomar.

Immediately after quitting football, Simões was hired as coach of the Phoenix Inferno of the MISL.[4] He was dismissed in March 1984 and replaced by Ted Podleski, joining the Las Vegas Americans as assistant to Alan Mayer afterwards and also leaving in January 1985; in 1989, he was the SISL indoor season coach of the year with the Austin Sockadillos.[5]

International career

Simões made his debut with the Portugal national team on 6 May 1962, in a 1–2 friendly defeat with Brazil in São Paulo. He was a member of the squad that finished in third place in the 1966 World Cup in England, scoring the opener in the group stage opener against the same opponent (3–1 win).[6]

The recipient of 46 caps with three goals, Simões missed the Brazil Independence Cup due to injury. He made his last appearance on 13 October 1973, in a 2–2 home draw against Bulgaria for the 1974 World Cup qualifiers.

Simões joined Iran's coaching staff in April 2011, acting as assistant to compatriot Carlos Queiroz.[7] He left in February 2014, due to personal reasons.[8]

António Simões: International goals

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition[9]
1	29 April 1964	Hardturm, Zurich, Switzerland	Switzerland	0–2	2–3	Friendly
2	19 July 1966	Goodison Park, Liverpool, England	Brazil	1–0	3–1	1966 FIFA World Cup
3	13 October 1973	Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal	Bulgaria	1–0	2–2	1974 World Cup qualification

Honours

Benfica

• Primeira Divisão: 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1974–75[10]
• Taça de Portugal (4)[11]
• European Cup:[11] 1961–62
• Intercontinental Cup runner-up: 1961,[12] 1962[13]

Portugal

• UEFA European Under-18 Championship: 1961
• FIFA World Cup third place: 1966

References

Further reading

• Simões, António (December 2013). António Simões, personalidades e reflexões do mais jovem campeão europeu da história [António Simões, personalities and thoughts of the youngest European champion ever] (First ed.). QuidNovi. ISBN 978-989-554-977-1.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to António Simões.

• António Simões at ForaDeJogo (archived)
• National team data (in Portuguese)
• António Simões at National-Football-Teams.com
• António Simões – FIFA competition record (archived)
• NASL/MISL profile

На других языках

[de] António Simões

[es] António Simões

[fr] António Simões

[it] António Simões

[ru] Симойнш, Антониу