Raul Meireles
![]() Meireles playing for Fenerbahçe in 2015 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Raul José Trindade Meireles[1] | ||
Date of birth | [1] | 17 March 1983||
Place of birth | Porto, Portugal | ||
Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Youth career | |||
1990–2001 | Boavista | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2001–2004 | Boavista | 29 | (0) |
2001–2003 | → Aves (loan) | 44 | (1) |
2004–2010 | Porto | 137 | (15) |
2010–2011 | Liverpool | 35 | (5) |
2011–2012 | Chelsea | 31 | (2) |
2012–2016 | Fenerbahçe | 76 | (6) |
Total | 352 | (29) | |
International career | |||
2000 | Portugal U16 | 11 | (0) |
2000 | Portugal U17 | 7 | (1) |
2001–2002 | Portugal U18 | 13 | (1) |
2003 | Portugal U20 | 8 | (0) |
2003–2006 | Portugal U21 | 26 | (2) |
2004 | Portugal U23 | 4 | (0) |
2004–2006 | Portugal B | 5 | (0) |
2006–2014 | Portugal | 73 | (10) |
Medal record | |||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Raul José Trindade Meireles (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁɐˈuɫ mɐjˈɾɛl(ɨ)ʃ]; born 17 March 1983) is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a midfielder.
After starting out at Boavista, he signed with Porto in 2004, going on to appear in 198 official games and win ten major trophies, including four Primeira Liga titles in a row. From 2010 to 2012 he competed in the Premier League, with Liverpool and Chelsea, winning the 2012 Champions League with the latter; he also spent several seasons in Turkey, with Fenerbahçe.
A Portugal international since 2006, Meireles represented the country in two World Cups and as many European Championships, earning a total of 73 caps and scoring ten goals. He also played Olympic football in 2004.
Club career
Boavista
Meireles was born in Porto,[2] and joined local Boavista FC's youth system at the age of seven. He spent two years on loan to C.D. Aves in the Segunda Liga, being presented on 8 July 2001.[3]
Meireles scored his first senior goal on 25 May 2003, in a 2–1 home win over C.F. União where he fired from 30 metres into the net.[4] He finished his second season with 26 appearances, to help his team finish in sixth position.
For the 2003–04 campaign, Meireles returned to Boavista.[5] He made his debut in the Primeira Liga on 17 August against S.L. Benfica, being chosen Player of the match of the 0–0 home draw by newspaper Record.[6]
Porto
On 7 July 2004, FC Porto signed Meireles on a five–year contract,[7] being presented in a press conference held five days later.[8] His first competitive match took place on 22 September against U.D. Leiria at the Estádio do Dragão, coming off the bench early into the first half on an eventual 1–1 league draw.[9] On 18 February of the following year he made his first start, in an away victory over C.F. Os Belenenses;[10] five days later, he made his debut in the UEFA Champions League by featuring the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 home draw to Inter Milan for the round-of-16 first leg,[11] and finished with his first year with 15 appearances across all competitions (no goals).
Meireles started in Porto's first league fixture of 2005–06, against C.F. Estrela da Amadora, sustaining an ankle injury that sidelined him for one month.[12][13][14] He returned to action in October, in a Taça de Portugal tie with F.C. Marco.[15]
On 19 February 2006, Meireles scored his first goal for the Dragons in his 50th league appearance, giving a 1–0 home victory over C.S. Marítimo.[16] He netted his second three matchdays later in a 2–0 defeat of Vitória de Setúbal,[17] as the season ended with double conquest.
In the following four years, during which the domestic league was won three additional times, Meireles featured regularly in Porto's midfield, often partnering Fernando and Lucho González. He scored his first goal in the Champions League during the 2006–07 edition, in a 1–1 last-16 home draw against Chelsea, coached by José Mourinho.[18]
Liverpool
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Raul_Meireles_2011_Singapore.jpg/180px-Raul_Meireles_2011_Singapore.jpg)
On 29 August 2010, Meireles moved to Liverpool for a fee of £11.5 million.[19] He was awarded the No. 4 shirt, which was vacated by Alberto Aquilani who joined Juventus on loan.[20] He made his Premier League debut on 12 September, playing 14 minutes in a 0–0 draw at Birmingham City,[21] and his maiden appearance in the UEFA Europa League occurred four days after, in a 4–1 group stage victory over FC Steaua Bucureşti at Anfield where he played the entire game.[22]
Meireles was handed his first league start on 19 September 2010, in a 2–3 away loss against Manchester United.[23] On 16 January 2011, he scored his first goal for his new team in a 2–2 home draw against Everton, which coincided with Kenny Dalglish's first home game back as manager.[24] His second came six days later in a 3–0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, when he struck a dipping 25-yard volley into the top corner of the net in the 50th minute.[25]
On 12 February 2011, Meireles netted his fifth league goal in seven games: he put the hosts ahead midway through the first half, but Wigan Athletic eventually tied it 1–1 as Liverpool attempted to reorganise following his replacement due a stomach bug.[26][27] His scoring run was rewarded with the ESPN PFA Fans' Player of the Month trophy for February, being an essential figure as the Reds climbed up the table.[28] He finished the season with 33 matches, helping to a final sixth place and being voted the PFA Fans' Player of the Year, beating Dimitar Berbatov, David Luiz, Samir Nasri and Fernando Torres.[28]
In the second match of the 2011–12 campaign, away against Arsenal, Meireles played 19 minutes after replacing Dirk Kuyt, and provided the assist for Luis Suárez in a 2–0 win which marked the first time they had defeated the opposition on their ground in 11 years.[29] On 31 August, however, he asked to be transfer listed.[30]
Chelsea
With Chelsea in the market for a midfielder following a long-term injury to Michael Essien, and an unsuccessful bid to acquire Luka Modrić from Tottenham Hotspur,[31][32] the former signed Meireles to a four-year deal on 31 August 2011, for an undisclosed fee reported to be in the region of £12 million.[33][34] He chose the squad number 16, due to the fact he often wore it when on international duty,[35] and later claimed he never wanted to leave Liverpool but that the chance to work with André Villas-Boas, with whom he had spent a short period of time at Porto, was too good an opportunity to turn down.[36]
Meireles made his debut on 10 September 2011 against Sunderland, which ended in a 2–1 away win with him setting up Daniel Sturridge's goal with a long pass.[37] In the following month, he scored his first goal for the club during a Champions League group stage 5–0 victory over K.R.C. Genk.[38] On 12 December, he netted for the first time in the domestic league to contribute to a 2–1 home win against league leaders Manchester City, also at Stamford Bridge.[39]
On 18 March 2012, Meireles scored a goal and provided two assists to Torres, who ended his 24-game goal drought in the 5–2 home triumph against Leicester City for the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.[40] On 4 April, he scored a belter in the final minutes of a Champions League quarter-final 2–1 victory over Benfica, setting up a last-four tie with reigning champions FC Barcelona;[41] he won his first title in English football on 5 May, after a 2–1 win against his former club Liverpool in the FA Cup final where he replaced Ramires for the last 15 minutes.[42] He sat out the Champions League final against FC Bayern Munich by receiving a yellow card against Barcelona at Camp Nou,[43] but was still given a medal for his participation after the 4–3 victory on penalties.[44]
Fenerbahçe
On 3 September 2012, Meireles was sold to Fenerbahçe SK for £8 million.[45] He was to earn €3 million in his first season, in addition to a €10,000 per-match bonus.[46] He scored his first goal for the Turkish club on 4 October, in a 4–2 victory at Borussia Mönchengladbach for the Europa League group stage.[47] His first in the Süper Lig came on 25 November, in a 4–1 win against Gençlerbirliği.
In December 2012, Meireles was handed an eleven-match ban by the Turkish Football Federation for spitting at a referee.[48] The alleged actions were followed by accusations of homophobic remarks after he received a second yellow card in the second half of a 1–2 away defeat to rivals Galatasaray SK.[49] However, the ban was reduced on appeal to four games after it was ruled that he could not have spat at the referee, being only guilty of verbal abuse.[50]
Meireles scored once from 20 appearances in 2013–14, helping his team win the national championship after a three-year wait.[51] During his spell in Istanbul, he shared teams with compatriots Bruno Alves, Nani and Vítor Pereira.[52]
International career
Youth
Meireles represented the Portuguese under-16 team at the 2000 UEFA European Championship, which was won in Israel after a 2–1 defeat of the Czech Republic.[53][54] He subsequently participated in the 2001 Meridian Cup with the under-17s, starting three times in an eventual third-place finish.[55][56][57]
In November 2001, Meireles was named in the under-19 squad for the 2003 European Championship qualifying tournament,[58] scoring in a 1–2 loss defeat to Belarus but helping his country qualify.[59] On 2 June 2003, he was selected by the under-20 side for the Toulon Tournament,[60] winning the competition and being voted its second-best player.[61]
Meireles featured regularly in the qualifying phase for the 2004 European Under-21 Championship, including a play-off tie against France where the played the full 90 minutes in a 4–1 penalty shootout success.[62][63] He was then selected by coach José Romão for the finals, appearing in four of five games to help the country qualify for the Summer Olympics[64][65][66][67]– he missed the semi-finals against Italy due to suspension;[68] in the ensuing Olympic tournament in Athens,[69] he started twice[70][71] and appeared as a second-half substitute against Iraq, as Portugal exited in the group stage with three points.[72]
Senior
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Angel_di_Maria_%28L%29%2C_Raul_Meireles_%28R%29%2C_Portugal_-_Argentina%2C_9th_February_2011.jpg/250px-Angel_di_Maria_%28L%29%2C_Raul_Meireles_%28R%29%2C_Portugal_-_Argentina%2C_9th_February_2011.jpg)
Meireles' first game for the Portuguese senior team took place on 15 November 2006, when he played the entire 3–0 win over Kazakhstan for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers.[73][74] He was picked for the final stages in Austria and Switzerland,[75] marking his debut in a major international competition with a goal in the 2–0 group stage success against Turkey (also his first), after entering the pitch in the 83rd minute.[76] He then started alongside several reserve players in the final group clash, a 0–2 defeat to Switzerland;[77] four days later, he replaced João Moutinho during the first half of an eventual 2–3 quarter-final loss against Germany.[78]
On 18 November 2009, Meireles scored an important goal in the 1–0 away victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the second play-off game, thus securing qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[79] He was named in Carlos Queiroz's 23-men squad,[80] and was a starter throughout the entire tournament, netting in the 7–0 group stage rout of North Korea in Cape Town.[81]
Meireles also appeared for Portugal at the Euro 2012 (five starts for the semi-finalists)[82] and 2014 World Cup (two games, group stage exit) tournaments.[83][84]
Style of play
Meireles could play in any position in the midfield, but preferred to operate as a central midfielder.[85] He was capable of being deployed in both a defensive and attacking role, depending on the players available and coaches' strategies. At Porto, he was used initially as a defensive midfielder, but tactical factors saw him swift to attacking midfielder;[86][87] in an opposite approach, when Paulo Bento was appointed as the Portuguese head coach in 2010, the player was eventually played in a more defensive position after starting out in attacking midfield.[88]
Under his Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson, Meireles was also deployed as a deep-lying playmaker on occasion.[89] A versatile, tactically astute and mobile player, his main traits were his passing and tackling, although he was also known for his work-rate and powerful long–range shooting abilities.[89][90][91][92]
Outside football
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Martim.jpg/180px-Martim.jpg)
Personal life
Meireles' father, Raul Meireles, Sr., worked with Boavista as a masseur and encouraged his son to play football in that club when he was only six.[93] In 2008 he married Ivone, with whom he had been in a relationship for several years. The couple met while he was a youth player, and their wedding ceremony was held at Martim Church in Barcelos, with several guests including Porto teammates Bruno Alves, José Bosingwa, Pedro Emanuel, Nuno Espírito Santo, Lucho González, Mariano González, Lisandro López and Pepe;[94][95] the couple's clothes were designed by Fátima Lopes,[96] and the christening of their daughter Lara was also performed there.[97]
On 17 February 2009, the couple opened a clothes shop in Ermesinde, and Ivone declared that the idea made sense because both she and Meireles were interested in fashion.[98] In January 2019, his rendition of António Variações' O Corpo é que Paga in the premiere of Lip Sync Portugal received critical acclaim.[99]
Tattoos
Meireles was a fan of tattoos since he was 18 years old. Numerous images adorned his body, including those of Ivone and Lara. He also had a large design of a black and red Chinese-style dragon, drawn in two stages and sprawling across his back,[100] and a huge necklace tattoo with a skull, drawn one week after his twenty-eighth birthday.[101][102]
After moving to Anfield, during an interview with Liverpool's official website, Meireles jokingly said that he wanted to win the "ink championship" against teammates Daniel Agger and Martin Škrtel, due to their shared affection for tattoos.[103][104][105]
Career statistics
Club
Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Aves (loan) | 2001–02 | Segunda Liga | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | |||||
2002–03 | Segunda Liga | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 26 | 1 | ||||||
Total | 44 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 44 | 1 | |||||||
Boavista | 2003–04 | Primeira Liga | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 0 | |||||
Total | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 0 | |||||||
Porto | 2004–05 | Primeira Liga | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[a] | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | ||
2005–06 | Primeira Liga | 18 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 0 | — | 22 | 2 | |||
2006–07 | Primeira Liga | 25 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 7[a] | 1 | 1[b] | 0 | 34 | 4 | ||
2007–08 | Primeira Liga | 28 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[a] | 1 | 1[b] | 0 | 41 | 5 | |
2008–09 | Primeira Liga | 28 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9[a] | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 42 | 5 | |
2009–10 | Primeira Liga | 25 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8[a] | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 39 | 4 | |
2010–11 | Primeira Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 137 | 15 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 198 | 20 | ||
Liverpool | 2010–11 | Premier League | 33 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7[c] | 0 | — | 41 | 5 | |
2011–12 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
Total | 35 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 44 | 5 | |||
Chelsea | 2011–12 | Premier League | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 11[a] | 2 | — | 45 | 6 | |
2012–13 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
Total | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 6 | ||
Fenerbahçe | 2012–13 | Süper Lig | 22 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 8[c] | 1 | — | 33 | 3 | ||
2013–14 | Süper Lig | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[a] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | ||
2014–15 | Süper Lig | 23 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 27 | 2 | |||
2015–16 | Süper Lig | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 7[d] | 0 | — | 21 | 1 | |||
Total | 76 | 6 | 9 | 0 | — | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 105 | 8 | |||
Career total | 356 | 28 | 30 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 72 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 472 | 39 |
- ^ a b c d e f g h Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- ^ a b c d e Appearances in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
- ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
International
Portugal | ||
---|---|---|
Year | Apps | Goals |
2006 | 1 | 0 |
2007 | 4 | 0 |
2008 | 11 | 1 |
2009 | 12 | 2 |
2010 | 12 | 5 |
2011 | 10 | 0 |
2012 | 11 | 0 |
2013 | 8 | 1 |
2014 | 4 | 1 |
Total | 73 | 10 |
International goals
# | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 7 June 2008 | Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 |
2. | 12 August 2009 | Rheinpark, Vaduz, Liechtenstein | ![]() |
0–2 | 0–3 | Friendly |
3. | 18 November 2009 | Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina | ![]() |
0–1 | 0–1 | 2010 World Cup qualification – Playoffs |
4. | 1 June 2010 | Complexo Desportivo, Covilhã, Portugal | ![]() |
1–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
5. | 2–0 | |||||
6. | 21 June 2010 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa | ![]() |
1–0 | 7–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup |
7. | 3 September 2010 | D. Afonso Henriques, Guimarães, Portugal | ![]() |
2–2 | 4–4 | Euro 2012 qualifying |
8. | 12 October 2010 | Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland | ![]() |
1–2 | 1–3 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
9. | 10 September 2013 | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States | ![]() |
1–0 | 1–3 | Friendly |
10. | 5 March 2014 | Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, Leiria, Portugal | ![]() |
2–1 | 5–1 | Friendly |
Honours
Club
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Bosingwa_Kalou_Meireles_Mikel_Lampard.jpg/220px-Bosingwa_Kalou_Meireles_Mikel_Lampard.jpg)
Porto[110]
- Primeira Liga: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
- Taça de Portugal: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2006, 2009, 2010
Chelsea[110]
Fenerbahçe[110]
International
Portugal U-16
Portugal U-21
- Toulon Tournament: 2003
Individual
- PFA Fans' Player of the Month: February 2011
- PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2011
- Liverpool Player of the Month: November 2010, January 2011
References
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- ^ "Sub-20: Sporting e FC Porto dominam convocatória" [Under-20: Sporting and FC Porto rule the squad]. Record (in Portuguese). 2 June 2003. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
- ^ "A afirmação de uma geração" [A generation takes a stand]. Record (in Portuguese). 23 June 2003. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
- ^ "Sub-21: França-Portugal, 1–2 (Cissé 42; Ronaldo 29, Bruno Alves 75), 1–4 nas g.p." [Under-21: France-Portugal, 1–2 (Cissé 42; Ronaldo 29, Bruno Alves 75), 1–4 in p.s.]. Record (in Portuguese). 18 November 2003. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
- ^ "França-Portugal, 1–2 (1–4 gp): Uma prova de classe de uma geração de ouro" [France-Portugal, 1–2 (1–4 ps): Display of class from a golden generation]. Record (in Portuguese). 19 November 2003. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
- ^ "Europeu Sub-21: Suécia-Portugal, 3–1 (Elmander 39, 50, Ishizaki 70; Hugo Almeida 27)" [Under-21 Euro: Sweden-Portugal, 3–1 (Elmander 39, 50, Ishizaki 70; Hugo Almeida 27)]. Record (in Portuguese). 28 May 2004. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
- ^ "Europeu Sub-21: Suíça-Portugal, 2–2 (Vonlanthen 56, Kulaksizoglu 85; Carlos Martins (gp) 65, Hugo Almeida 70)" [Under-21 Euro: Switzerland-Portugal, 2–2 (Vonlanthen 56, Kulaksizoglu 85; Carlos Martins (pk) 65, Hugo Almeida 70)]. Record (in Portuguese). 30 May 2004. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
- ^ "Europeu Sub-21: Portugal vence Alemanha (2–1) e está na meia-final" [Under-21 Euro: Portugal beat Germany (2–1) and reach semi-finals]. Record (in Portuguese). 2 June 2004. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
- ^ "Europeu Sub-21: Portugal-Suécia, 3–2 (Hugo Viana (gp) 75, Jorge Ribeiro 85, Carlitos 113; Elmander 45, Rosenberg 89)" [Under-21 Euro: Portugal-Sweden, 3–2 (Hugo Viana (pk) 75, Jorge Ribeiro 85, Carlitos 113; Elmander 45, Rosenberg 89)]. Record (in Portuguese). 8 June 2004. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
- ^ "Europeu Sub-21: Hugo Almeida falha meia-final" [Under-21 Euro: Hugo Almeida misses the semi-finals]. Record (in Portuguese). 4 June 2004. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
- ^ "Boa Morte, Frechaut e Meira em Atenas" [Boa Morte, Frechaut e Meira in Athens]. Record (in Portuguese). 21 July 2004. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ "Marrocos-Portugal, 1–2 (Bouden 84; Cristiano Ronaldo 40, Ricardo Costa 73)" [Morocco-Portugal, 1–2 (Bouden 84; Cristiano Ronaldo 40, Ricardo Costa 73)]. Record (in Portuguese). 15 August 2004. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ "Costa Rica-Portugal, 4–2 (Villalobos 50, F. Meira 67, Saborio 69, Brenes 90; H. Almeida 28, J. Ribeiro 53)" [Costa Rica-Portugal, 4–2 (Villalobos 50, F. Meira 67, Saborio 69, Brenes 90; H. Almeida 28, J. Ribeiro 53)]. Record (in Portuguese). 18 August 2004. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ "Portugal frente ao Iraque" [Portugal against Iraque]. Record (in Portuguese). 13 August 2004. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ "Raul Meireles e Tonel na lista de convocados" [Raul Meireles and Tonel amongst the selected]. Record (in Portuguese). 9 November 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ "Sangue novo" [New blood]. Record (in Portuguese). 13 November 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ "Conheça os 23 Viriatos" [Meet the 23 Viriatos]. Record (in Portuguese). 12 May 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ McNulty, Phil (15 June 2008). "Portugal 2–0 Turkey". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ Harrold, Michael (15 June 2008). "Yakin goals send hosts out on a high". UEFA. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ "Portugal ousted by German power show". UEFA. 19 June 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ "Meireles winner seals progress". ESPN Soccernet. 18 November 2009. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ "Queiroz chama Fábio Coentrão" [Queiroz calls Fábio Coentrão]. Record (in Portuguese). 10 May 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ "Seventh heaven". ESPN Soccernet. 21 June 2010. Archived from the original on 25 June 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ Burke, Chris (27 June 2012). "Spain survive test of nerve to reach final". UEFA. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ "Muller-inspired Germany thrash ten-man Portugal". FIFA. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
- ^ "Varela strikes to save Portugal". FIFA. 22 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
- ^ "Raul Meireles: "4.º lugar é o mínimo"" [Raul Meireles: "4.º place is the least"]. Record (in Portuguese). 23 November 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
- ^ "A titularidade prometida" [The promised start]. Record (in Portuguese). 16 February 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ "O descanso de Meireles" [Meireles' rest]. Record (in Portuguese). 6 December 2008. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ "Paulo Bento: "Equilibrados e rigorosos"" [Paulo Bento: "Balanced and thorough"]. Record (in Portuguese). 14 October 2010. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ a b Siu, Vince (28 March 2012). "Raul Meireles: 5 reasons he flopped after leaving Liverpool". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "Penpix of Portugal's squad". Reuters. 21 May 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ Cox, Michael (31 August 2011). "EPL transfer window report card". ESPN. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "Raul Meireles". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "Raúl Meireles: "Quero ser feliz"" [Raúl Meireles: "I want to be happy"]. Record (in Portuguese). 8 July 2004. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
- ^ "Raul Meireles e Ivone casam-se hoje" [Raul Meireles and Ivone marry today]. Record (in Portuguese). 5 July 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
- ^ "Raul Meireles e Ivone deram o nó" [Raul Meireles and Ivone tied the knot]. Record (in Portuguese). 6 July 2008.
- ^ "Fátima Lopes veste Raul Meireles" [Fátima Lopes dresses Raul Meireles]. Destak (in Portuguese). 4 July 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
- ^ Johns, Richard (1 September 2011). "Who is Raul Meireles' wife and does he have any children?". Socqer. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
- ^ "Raul Meireles abre loja" [Raul Meireles opens shop]. Record (in Portuguese). 19 February 2009. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ^ "Raul Meireles 'veste' a pele de António Variações e arrasa em programa da SIC" [Raul Meireles 'dresses' skin of António Variações and tears it down in SIC show]. Record (in Portuguese). 14 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
- ^ "Meireles completa mais uma tatuagem" [Meireles completes one more tattoo]. Record (in Portuguese). 4 February 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
- ^ "Nova tatuagem para Meireles" [New tattoo for Meireles]. Record (in Portuguese). 23 March 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
- ^ "Raul Meireles' 20 tattoos & their meanings". Body Art Guru. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ "Raul Meireles: "É muito especial jogar em Anfield"" [Raul Meireles: "It is very special to play at Anfield"]. Record (in Portuguese). 2 November 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
- ^ "Liverpool: Meireles é rei das tatuagens e promete mais uma" [Liverpool: Meireles is tattoo king and he promises another one] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 28 February 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ Price, Mike (24 June 2015). "Liverpool FC players and their tattoos". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ "Raúl Meireles". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
- ^ "Raul Meireles". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
- ^ Raul Meireles at ESPN FC
- ^ a b "Raúl Meireles". European Football. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
- ^ a b c "Raul Meireles – Trophies". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Raul Meireles at ForaDeJogo (archived)
- Raul Meireles at Soccerbase
- Liverpool historic profile
- Raul Meireles at the Turkish Football Federation
- National team data (in Portuguese)
- Raul Meireles at National-Football-Teams.com
- Raul Meireles – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Use dmy dates from April 2013
- 1983 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Porto
- Portuguese footballers
- Association football midfielders
- Primeira Liga players
- LigaPro players
- Portuguese Second Division players
- C.D. Aves players
- Boavista F.C. players
- FC Porto players
- FC Porto B players
- Premier League players
- Liverpool F.C. players
- Chelsea F.C. players
- Süper Lig players
- Fenerbahçe S.K. footballers
- UEFA Champions League winning players
- Portugal youth international footballers
- Portugal under-21 international footballers
- Portugal B international footballers
- Portugal international footballers
- UEFA Euro 2008 players
- 2010 FIFA World Cup players
- UEFA Euro 2012 players
- 2014 FIFA World Cup players
- Olympic footballers of Portugal
- Footballers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Portuguese expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in England
- Expatriate footballers in Turkey
- Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in England
- Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Turkey