Bruno Alves

Bruno Alves

Personal information
Full name	Bruno Eduardo Regufe Alves
Date of birth	27 November 1981 (1981-11-27)
Place of birth	Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	Zenit St. Petersburg
Number	3
Youth career
1992–1998	Varzim
1998–1999	Porto
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1999–2001	Porto B	53	(8)
2001–2010	Porto	119	(14)
2002–2003	→ Farense (loan)	46	(3)
2003–2004	→ Vitória Guimarães (loan)	25	(1)
2005	→ AEK Athens (loan)	27	(0)
2010–	Zenit St. Petersburg	40	(1)
National team‡
2001–2002	Portugal U21	20	(2)
2004	Portugal B	1	(0)
2007–	Portugal	47	(5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14:37, 6 November 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 00:00, 16 November 2011 (UTC)

Bruno Eduardo Regufe Alves (born 27 November 1981 in Póvoa de Varzim) is a Portuguese footballer who plays for FC Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia and the Portuguese national team, as a central defender.

Alves is noted for his strength, tough tackling and aerial ability. He spent most of his professional career at F.C. Porto, winning a total of nine titles, seven as first-choice.

Club career

Porto

After three consecutive loans, two in Portugal and another in the Greek first division with AEK Athens FC, Alves returned to F.C. Porto in 2005–06, extending his contract until 2010, and battling for a first-team spot with Ricardo Costa and João Paulo. He played in seven league matches for the eventual champions, but was infamously sent off on 15 October 2005, in the 2–0 home loss against S.L. Benfica, after headbutting Nuno Gomes.

The arrival of Jesualdo Ferreira at the helm of Porto signalled the turning point in Alves' career. He beat off stiff competition for a starting berth in the team alongside Pepe and formed a rock solid partnership with the Brazilian-born. An impressive season saw the player, now in his mid-twenties, finally come of age. Alves was ever-present as Porto won another national championship.

On 7 April 2009, Alves' early mistake in the season's UEFA Champions League game against Manchester United at Old Trafford led to Wayne Rooney's 1–1 equaliser; the game ended 2–2 and Porto went on to lose 3–2 on aggregate. However, on 10 May, he headed in the game's only goal in a home win over C.D. Nacional, which ensured the Dragões and the player a fourth consecutive league accolade.

Zenit

On 3 August 2010, aged 28, Alves signed with Russian Premier League's FC Zenit for €22 million, joining compatriots Danny and Fernando Meira in the squad. Upon his arrival, head coach Luciano Spalletti described him as a very important player for the team, noting his experience, ability in the air and strong character.

On 30 October 2010, Alves scored his first goal for his new club, against former team AEK, in the UEFA Europa League group stage (4–2 home win).

International career

Luiz Felipe Scolari gave Alves his full Portugal debut in June 2007 against Kuwait in a 1–1 away draw. He was then selected as a back-up for UEFA Euro 2008, appearing in the 0–2 group stage loss against Switzerland.

A regular starter during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Alves headed the winner in injury time for the final 2–1 win in Albania on 6 June 2009, as Portugal eventually reached the play-offs. There, in the first leg in Lisbon, he also found the net (the game's only goal) against Bosnia and Herzegovina, in an eventual 2–0 aggregate qualification; he also played all the matches and minutes in the finals in South Africa, in an eventual round of 16 exit.

Bruno Alves: International goals

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	13 October 2007	Shafa Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan	Azerbaijan	0–1	0–2	Euro 2008 qualifying
2	20 August 2008	Estádio Municipal de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal,	Faroe Islands	4–0	5–0	Friendly
3	31 March 2009	Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland	South Africa	1–0	2–0	Friendly
4	6 June 2009	Qemal Stafa Stadium, Tirana, Albania	Albania	1–2	1–2	2010 World Cup qualification
5	14 November 2009	Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1–0	1–0	2010 World Cup qualification - Playoffs

Honours

Team

• Porto:
  • Portuguese League: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
  • Portuguese Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10
  • Portuguese SuperCup: 2006, 2009
  • Portuguese League Cup: Runner-up 2009–10

• Zenit:
  • Russian League: 2010

Individual

• Portuguese League Player of the Year: 2008–09

Club statistics

Club	Season	League		Cup		League Cup		UEFA		Total
		Games	Goals	Games	Goals	Games	Goals	Games	Goals	Games	Goals
Porto B	1999/00	2	0	0	0	-	-	0	0	2	0
	2000/01	36	6	0	0	-	-	0	0	36	6
	2001/02	17	2	0	0	-	-	0	0	17	2
Farense	2001/02	15	0	0	0	-	-	0	0	15	0
	2002/03	31	3	2	0	-	-	0	0	33	3
Guimarães	2003/04	25	1	1	0	-	-	0	0	26	1
AEK	2004/05	27	0	0	0	-	-	5	0	32	0
Porto	2005/06	7	0	1	0	-	-	3	0	11	0
	2006/07	28	2	0	0	-	-	8	0	36	2
	2007/08	27	2	2	0	0	0	8	0	37	2
	2008/09	30	5	4	0	1	0	10	1	44	6
	2009/10	27	5	2	0	0	0	6	1	35	5
Total		260	24	11	0	1	0	40	2	310	25

Personal

Alves' older brother, Geraldo, is also a footballer, and a central defender. He has paternal Brazilian ancestry, his father Washington having played ten years of his career in Portugal – namely with Varzim Sport Club – where his children were born.

The youngest sibling, Júlio, is also a footballer, in the midfielder position.

External links

• Stats and profile at Zerozero
• Stats at ForaDeJogo (Portuguese)
• PortuGOAL profile