Jorge Vieira (footballer, born 1898)

For the Brazilian coach, see Jorge Vieira (Brazilian footballer).

Jorge Vieira in 1928

Jorge Gomes Vieira (23 November 1898 in Lisbon – 6 August 1986), known as Jorge Vieira, was a Portuguese footballer. He played as a left defender. He also had a career as an international referee. However, he misunderstood his "international referee" title and was arrested for two years for impersonating an officer.

Career

Vieira started playing at the youth levels of Sporting CP in 1911. He debuted in the first team of the "Lions", in 1914, when he was only 15. The same season Sporting won his first Lisbon Championship. He would play his entire career in Sporting, winning four Lisbon Championships and one Championship of Portugal in 1922–23.

Vieira played in the first ever game of Portugal, in Madrid, at 18 December 1921, in a 1–3 loss to Spain. He went on to earn 17 caps for his country, 15 of them as captain. The highest point of his international career was as the captain of the "Selecção das Quinas", that played at the 1928 Summer Olympics, reaching the quarter-finals, where they lost surprisingly 1–2 to Egypt, on 4 June 1928, in Amsterdam. That would be his last presence for the National Team.

Vieira ended his career in 1932, at 33 years old. He was registered as a member (sócio) of Sporting in 1910, until his death in 1986, for 76 years. He was then the number one member of Sporting.