Paulo Cabral

Paulo Cabral

Personal information
Full name	Paulo Sérgio Martinho Cabral
Date of birth	(1972-06-24) 24 June 1972
Place of birth	Vila Nova de Cerveira, Portugal
Height
Position(s)	Fullback
Youth career
1984–1987	Cerveira
1987–1989	Caçadores Torreenses
1989–1991	Vianense
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1991–1993	Vianense
1993–1994	Joane
1994–1995	Tirsense	3	(0)
1995–1996	Vizela	27	(3)
1996–1997	Tirsense	29	(1)
1997–1998	Aves	27	(3)
1998–2001	Belenenses	90	(3)
2001–2004	Benfica	16	(0)
2004–2005	Belenenses	12	(0)
Total		204	(10)
International career
2000	Portugal	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Paulo Sérgio Martinho Cabral (born 24 June 1972) is a retired Portuguese professional footballer who played as either a right or left back.

Club career

Born in Vila Nova de Cerveira, Viana do Castelo, Cabral started his senior career with local SC Vianense, promoting to the third division in his first year and playing two full seasons with the first team overall. After one year in amateur football he went straight to the top level for the 1994–95 campaign, with F.C. Tirsense, but his league input consisted of 24 minutes of action.

In the 1995 summer, Cabral returned to division three with F.C. Vizela. Subsequently, as first-choice, he spent three seasons in the second division with Tirsense, C.D. Aves and C.F. Os Belenenses, appearing in 31 matches for the latter (one goal) in 1998–99 as it achieved top flight promotion.

Cabral continued to be an undisputed starter with the Lisbon club in the following two seasons, which attracted the attention of neighbouring S.L. Benfica. He played 13 league contests in his first year with the Eagles but soon fell out of favour at the club, returning to Belenenses for a further year where he appeared sparingly due to injuries, and retiring in June 2005 at the age of 33.

International career

On 15 November 2000 Cabral gained his first – and only – cap for the Portuguese national team, coming on as a substitute for Carlos Secretário for the final ten minutes of a 2–1 friendly win with Israel.

External links

• Paulo Cabral at footballzz.co.uk
• Paulo Cabral profile at ForaDeJogo
• Paulo Cabral at National-Football-Teams.com
• Paulo Cabral at Soccerway