Summary
Minervino José Lopes Pietra (1 March 1954 – 7 March 2024) was a Portuguese footballer who played as a right-back.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Minervino José Lopes Pietra | ||
| Date of birth | 1 March 1954 | ||
| Place of birth | Lisbon, Portugal | ||
| Date of death | 7 March 2024 (aged 70) | ||
| Place of death | Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Right-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Belenenses | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1971–1976 | Belenenses | 96 | (9) |
| 1976–1987 | Benfica | 227 | (19) |
| Total | 323 | (28) | |
| International career | |||
| 1971 | Portugal U18 | 2 | (0) |
| 1973–1974 | Portugal U21 | 4 | (1) |
| 1973–1983 | Portugal | 28 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1989–1990 | Boavista (assistant) | ||
| 1990–1992 | Alverca | ||
| 1992–1993 | Juventude Évora | ||
| 1994 | Boavista (assistant) | ||
| 1994–1996 | Belenenses (assistant) | ||
| 1996 | Boavista (assistant) | ||
| 1997–1998 | Alverca (assistant) | ||
| 1998–1999 | Estoril (assistant) | ||
| 1999–2000 | Estoril | ||
| 2000–2001 | Barreirense | ||
| 2009–2022 | Benfica (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
He appeared in 323 Primeira Liga games over the course of 16 seasons, with Belenenses and Benfica (28 goals scored). Subsequently, he became a manager, working mainly as an assistant and having spells with both clubs.
Pietra was a Portugal international in the 70s and 80s.
Club career edit
Born in Lisbon, Pietra started his professional career with local C.F. Os Belenenses, making nearly 150 official appearances with the first team in his five-year Primeira Liga spell and scoring nine goals. In 1976 the 22-year-old signed for S.L. Benfica, where he would remain until his retirement.[1]
With Benfica, Pietra won, always as an important defensive unit, the league in 1977, 1981, 1983 and 1984, adding five Taça de Portugal trophies. In 11 seasons he appeared in 320 games in all competitions, netting on 25 occasions;[1] he also helped the club to the 1982–83 UEFA Cup final, lost to Belgium's R.S.C. Anderlecht (1–0 abroad, 1–1 at home).[2]
In the mid-1990s, Pietra began working as a manager, successively with Boavista FC, Belenenses, Benfica, F.C. Alverca (under his former Benfica teammate António Veloso, his fullback counterpart), F.C. Barreirense and G.D. Estoril Praia, the latter two as head coach. After nearly one decade out of the game he returned to Benfica in 2007, acting as match scout for two years then joining Jorge Jesus' coaching staff two years later, remaining with the side for several seasons in the latter capacity.[3][4]
International career edit
Pietra earned 28 caps for Portugal,[5][6] his first game being on 14 November 1973 in a 1–1 draw against Northern Ireland for the 1974 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, at the age of only 19. He appeared regularly the following years, but did not attend any major international tournament.
Pietra's last match was on 21 September 1983 in a 5–0 win over Finland for the UEFA Euro 1984 qualification stages. Portugal reached the finals in France, but he was overlooked for the squad that eventually finished third.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 October 1981 | Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal |  Sweden |
1–1 | 1–2 | 1982 World Cup qualification[7] |
Death edit
Pietra died on 7 March 2024, shortly after celebrating his 70th birthday.[8][9]
Honours edit
Benfica
- Primeira Divisão: 1976–77, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1983–84[10]
- Taça de Portugal (5)[11]
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (2)[11]
- Taça de Honra (2)[11]
References edit
- ^ a b Sanches, João (26 January 2018). "Belenenses-Benfica: um campeão raro chamado Pietra" [Belenenses-Benfica: a rare champion called Pietra] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "Final Liga Europa: 1983, da euforia ao choque" [Europa League final: 1983, from euphoria to shock] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 12 May 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "Adjunto do Benfica suspenso dez dias" [Ten-day suspension for Benfica assistant]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 6 December 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ Almeida, Isaura (3 August 2020). "Jorge Jesus para "recuperar prestígio europeu", "jogar o triplo" e "arrasar"" [Jorge Jesus to "recover European prestige", "play three times more" and "crush"]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "Lista completa dos internacionais portugueses" [Complete list of Portuguese internationals] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 18 February 2004. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ Pierrend, José Luis. "Portugal – Record International Players". RSSSF. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
- ^ "Portugal com saldo negativo, mas com razões para sorrir frente à Suécia" [Portugal with negative head-to-head, but with reasons to smile against Sweden] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "Profundo pesar por Minervino Pietra" [Deep sorrow for Minervino Pietra] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "Morreu Minervino Pietra" [Minervino Pietra has died]. Record (in Portuguese). 7 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "Especial 'Tetra'" ['Tetra' special edition]. Mística (in Portuguese). No. 33. Portugal: Impresa Publishing. April–June 2017. p. 92. ISSN 3846-0823.
- ^ a b c "Bicampeões para a história" [Back-to-back champions for the ages]. Visão (in Portuguese). Portugal: Impresa Publishing. May 2015. p. 54. ISSN 0872-3540.
External links edit
- Minervino Pietra at ForaDeJogo (archived)
- Minervino Pietra national team profile at the Portuguese Football Federation (in Portuguese)
- Minervino Pietra at National-Football-Teams.com
- Minervino Pietra – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Minervino Pietra at EU-Football.info
