Luís Filipe (footballer, born 1979)


Luís Filipe Ângelo Rodrigues Fernandes, known as Luís Filipe, is a Portuguese retired footballer who played mainly as a defender but also as a midfielder, always on the right side.
He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 269 games and 14 goals during 16 seasons, representing in the competition Académica, Braga, Sporting, União de Leiria, Marítimo, Benfica, Vitória de Guimarães and Olhanense.

Club career

Born in Cantanhede, Coimbra District, Luís Filipe started playing professionally as a right winger with Académica de Coimbra, and had a small abroad stint with Spain's Atlético Madrid, spent entirely with the reserves. Unsettled, he moved to S.C. Braga, where he blossomed as a Primeira Liga player.
Luís Filipe's development led to a 2001 transfer to Sporting CP. Opportunities were scarce, and he subsequently reconverted to right back, in the molds of Miguel, upon his loan with U.D. Leiria. In the 2004–05 season he represented C.S. Marítimo, and subsequently returned to Braga.
In the beginning of August 2007, Luís Filipe signed a €500.000, four-year deal with S.L. Benfica, with also right-back João Pereira going the other way. After one unsuccessful year in Lisbon, he was deemed surplus to requirements by new coach Quique Sánchez Flores, moving alongside Nuno Assis to UEFA Champions League challenger Vitória S.C. in Guimarães, on loan – the Minho club retained the option to buy the player at the end of the campaign, but it was not activated.
In 2009–10, as Benfica won the league, Luís Filipe's output consisted of 23 minutes in the 1–0 home win against FC Porto. As the team reached the last eight in the UEFA Europa League, he added a further three appearances.
Luís Filipe appeared in three league games in the 2010–11 season – one win, one draw and one loss – with manager Jorge Jesus resting several starters in rounds which brought a Europa League fixture the following week, as Benfica fared better in that competition and reached the semi-finals. In mid-May 2011, he left the club as his contract expired and was not renewed; two months later, he signed with fellow league team S.C. Olhanense.

Personal life

After retiring, Luís Filipe began working in agriculture, owning a farm in Vilamoura that specialised in the growing of raspberries.

Honours

Sporting
Benfica