Paulo Machado

Paulo Machado

Personal information
Full name	Paulo Ricardo Ribeiro Jesus Machado
Date of birth	March 31, 1986 (1986-03-31)
Place of birth	Bairro do Cerco, Portugal
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Toulouse
Number	5
Youth career
1998–2004	Porto
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2004–2005	Porto B	21	(1)
2005–2009	Porto	4	(0)
2005–2006	→ Estrela Amadora (loan)	25	(2)
2006–2007	→ União Leiria (loan)	27	(0)
2007–2008	→ Leixões (loan)	25	(2)
2008–2009	→ Saint-Étienne (loan)	35	(3)
2009–	Toulouse	65	(9)
National team‡
2005–2006	Portugal U20	10	(0)
2006–2008	Portugal U21	24	(6)
2009	Portugal U23	1	(0)
2010–	Portugal	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 May 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 November 2010

Paulo Ricardo Ribeiro de Jesus Machado (born 31 March 1986) is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Toulouse FC in the French first division, as a central midfielder.

Club career

Born in Bairro do Cerco, Porto District, Machado started his career in F.C. Porto's youth system, and made his first team debut in the 2003–04 Portuguese Cup, under José Mourinho. In the summer of 2005, he signed an improved contact until 2010 along with teammate Bruno Vale, before both went on consecutive loans to C.F. Estrela da Amadora and União de Leiria.

In the following two years, Machado was loaned again, to Leixões S.C. and Ligue 1's AS Saint-Étienne, respectively. Alongside teammates Diogo Valente and Vieirinha, also loaned by Porto, he was instrumental as the Matosinhos outfit retained its top level status at the season's close.

On 10 July 2008, Machado was loaned to the French outfit, part of the deal that brought Colombian Fredy Guarín to Porto. He adapted well, becoming an integral part of Saint-Étienne's season, scoring twice in his first 16 matches, including 12 as a starter, and only missing three league matches in the campaign, as the side narrowly avoided relegation.

On 2 July 2009, Toulouse FC signed Machado from Porto, on a four-year deal.

International career

Machado was part of the Portuguese U-21 team at the 2007 European Championship. Previously, he won the U-17 Euro in 2003, playing alongside Vieirinha.

On 30 September 2010, Machado was called-up for the first time to the senior team, by newly-appointed coach Paulo Bento. He did not make his debut in any of the two UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers that were scheduled, but later spoke of his smooth integration into the squad and his ambition to eventually earn a regular place in the national team. On 17 November, he finally made his debut, replacing Nani in the dying minutes of a 4–0 friendly win with Spain, in Lisbon.

External links

• Stats and profile at Zerozero
• Stats at ForaDeJogo (Portuguese)
• L'Équipe stats (French)