Rolando (footballer)

Rolando

Rolando playing for Portugal (2011)
Personal information
Full name	Rolando Jorge Pires Fonseca
Date of birth	August 31, 1985 (1985-08-31)
Place of birth	São Vicente, Cape Verde
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	Porto
Number	14
Youth career
1999–2003	Campomaiorense
2003–2004	Belenenses
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2004–2008	Belenenses	97	(7)
2008–	Porto	101	(7)
National team‡
2006–2008	Portugal U21	7	(0)
2009–	Portugal	12	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22 January 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 November 2011

Rolando Jorge Pires da Fonseca (born 31 August 1985 in São Vicente), simply Rolando, is a Cape Verdean-born Portuguese footballer who plays for F.C. Porto as a central defender.

Club career

After beginning his career in the youth ranks of lowly S.C. Campomaiorense, Rolando finished his football formation with Lisbon's C.F. Os Belenenses, which he joined at nearly 18. In his first division debut, on 28 August 2004, he played 90 minutes and scored a goal in a 3–0 home win against C.S. Marítimo; he went on to become an essential defensive figure onwards, appearing in all 30 matches in 2007–08, as the club finished in eighth place.

On 15 April 2008, F.C. Porto confirmed that Rolando had agreed to part ways with Belenenses and join them on a four-year contract. In his first season, he quickly beat competition from veteran Pedro Emanuel, partnering Bruno Alves in the centre and netting three times in 28 games as the northerners won the league and the domestic cup.

In 2010–11, Rolando rarely missed a game for Porto, who won another national championship. On 17 February 2011, he opened the score at Sevilla FC through a header, in an eventual 2–1 win for the season's UEFA Europa League, which ended in conquest.

Rolando started 2011–12 in scoring fashion, netting both Porto goals in the season's Portuguese Supercup, a 2–1 win against Vitória de Guimarães in Aveiro.

International career

Although born in Cape Verde, Rolando moved to Portugal at age of 14 and became a naturalized citizen in 2006, immediately starting playing for the nation's U-21s, for whom he appeared at the 2007 European Championship.

On 11 February 2009, Rolando was called to the squad of full but did not make his debut, in a friendly match with Finland, in Faro (1–0 win). He was selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, but did not leave the bench.

Honours

• UEFA Europa League: 2010–11
• Portuguese League: 2008–09, 2010–11
• Portuguese Cup: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Portuguese Supercup: 2009, 2010, 2011
• UEFA Super Cup: Runner-up 2011
• Portuguese League Cup: Runner-up 2009–10

External links

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