The Biggest Moves of the summer – Ricardo Carvalho
We saw some dramatic and spectacular transfers taking place in this summer’s transfer window. Some of the best players in the world changed teams and made their way across continents.
Here is a look at some more of the biggest transfers of the summer
Ricardo Carvalho
Ricardo Carvalho was born in Amarante in Portugal where he began playing for Amarante Futebol Clube, a local football team. His performances as a youngster were soon spotted by the Portuguese giant Porto and in 1996 the player was signed and made a part of the junior team. He was loaned to various teams between 1997 and 2000. However the player began his rise to fame under Jose Mourinho when he was appointed to take charge at Porto. Under the manager, Carvalho went on to win the Portuguese Cup along with the UEFA Cup. His exceptional form soon led him to winning a call up by the Portuguese national team in 2003. In the following season, the player went on to win his second league title along with Porto’s first UEFA Champions League trophy. He was also named as the best defender that participated in that year’s Champions League tournament.
In 2004, the player made a move to Chelsea once Jose Mourinho took over as manager at the club. He cost the team around 20 million pounds which at that time seemed like a bargain. He won two Premier League titles in a row with the team and one domestic League Cup. He was also part of the Chelsea squad that made its way to the first ever Champions League final.
He was voted as the 2008 player of the season at the club by his team mates. He went on to win the League title in the 2009-2010 season and the FA Cup and by doing so, he became a part of the first ever Chelsea team to win a League and Cup double.
Ricardo Carvalho was part of the Portugal team that participated in the FIFA World Cup in 2010. He was however one of the very few players on the side that performed up to the standards that were expected of the players. Carvalho managed to maintain consistency in his performances despite the fact that the team around him was failing to do so. Amongst those players who were failing was Cristiano Ronaldo, which just proves that the defender is by far one of the best defenders that the country has ever produced.
Soon after the World Cup, Carvalho made his way back to Chelsea where he began practicing with the team. However Jose Mourinho once again came looking for the player and managed to sign him for Real Madrid almost overnight. The player knew that this was going to be his last opportunity to play for another team and didn’t think twice before making the move.
Carvalho could prove to be the pivotal figure in the back line at Real Madrid that could either make or break their season. He is a very good tackler of the ball and despite not being very big or very fast he can still win the ball from almost any player. The main reason being that his ability to read the game is one of the best in the world. It can be confirmed by the fact that Jose Mourinho has signed the player on two separate occasions with two different clubs.
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