Fernando Gomes
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Fernando Mendes Soares Gomes (born November 22, 1956 in Porto, Portugal; pron. IPA: [fɨɾ'nɐ̃du 'gomɨʃ]) is a former professional footballer who achieved great success with FC Porto during the late 1970s and 1980s playing as striker. He should not be confused with Fernando Gomes da Silva, administrator of the FC Porto Futebol SAD or Fernando Manuel dos Santos Gomes, former Porto mayor.
Showing great ability since FC Porto's youth squads, he scored twice in his 1st team debut against CUF in 1974. While technically only a good player, his talent resided on a fantastic position sense, which made him very dangerous inside the six yard box.
Except for a brief two-year stint with Sporting de Gijón (1980 to 1982) when most key players left the club in support of Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, he was on all important moments of the rebirth of the club: the 20-year draught end in 1979, the first European cup final against Juventus in 1984, and while missed the 1987 European Champions' Cup final against Bayern München after breaking a leg days before, he scored 5 goals in the campaign, including the important second goal in Kiev against the local Dynamo. He recovered still in time to play in the European Super Cup against Ajax Amsterdam and the Toyota Cup against Peñarol, captaining the team.
In addition to the European silverware, he also won 5 Portuguese championships, three Portuguese cups and three supercups. Due to personality clashes with the club' board, he left to end his career in 1991, serving Sporting. Aged 34, still scored 22 goals, ending his career with 318 goals in 405 matches.
His nickname, "Bi-bota" was given after the two European Golden Boot awards he received in 1983 and 1985. He remains the best Portuguese player in his position since the 1980s. For the national team he scored 13 times in 48 matches, from 9 March 1975 until 16 November 1988, a game against Luxembourg for the Italy' 90 qualifying stages, scoring the lone goal. He also played in both Euro 1984 and the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
Unlike former teammate António Oliveira (who managed the team for a brief period), he remained sidelined from the active life of the club due to his incompatibilities with Pinto da Costa, the chairman, only appearing occasionally and in a short game analysis column in daily sports newspaper Record. One of the most popular players in Porto's history, he is the favourite by many to follow as chairman of the club.
Nuno Gomes, also a well known Portuguese international made "Gomes" his nickname after his idol, yet he never played in FC Porto, but with rivals Boavista FC and SL Benfica.
Many of his playing photos suggest he has a tic - in this case, sticking the tongue out while chasing the ball.
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Portugal squad - 1986 World Cup | |
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1 Bento | 2 Pinto | 3 Sousa | 4 Ribeiro | 5 Álvaro | 6 C. Manuel | 7 Pacheco | 8 Rosa | 9 Gomes | 10 Futre | 11 Bandeirinha | 12 Martins | 13 Morato | 14 Magalhães | 15 Oliveira | 16 J. António | 17 Diamantino | 18 Sobrinho | 19 Águas | 20 Inácio | 21 André | 22 Damas | Coach: Torres |
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