Lito (Cape Verdean footballer)

Lito
Personal information
Full name	Cláudio Zélito da Fonseca Fernandes Aguiar
Date of birth	3 February 1975 (age 49)
Place of birth	Pedra Badejo, Cape Verde
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
	Sporting Torre
Senior career*
Years	Team
1996–1998	Águias Camarate
1998–1999	Fafe
1999–2000	Espinho
2000–2002	Imortal
2002–2003	Maia
2003–2005	Moreirense
2005–2007	Naval
2007–2010	Académica
2010–2011	Portimonense
2011–2012	Arouca
2012–2013	Atlético
2013–2014	Pinhalnovense
Total
International career
2002–2012	Cape Verde
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Cláudio Zélito da Fonseca Fernandes Aguiar (born 3 February 1975), known as Lito, is a Cape Verdean retired professional footballer who played predominantly as a forward.

He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 224 matches and 41 goals over eight seasons, representing in the competition Moreirense, Naval, Académica and Portimonense.

Club career

Born in Pedra Badejo, Santiago, Lito spent his entire football career in Portugal, playing at nearly every level. He started out with Grupo Desportivo Águias de Camarate in the regional leagues of Lisbon, going on to represent AD Fafe, S.C. Espinho, Imortal D.C. and F.C. Maia.

In the 2003–04 season, at the age of 28, Lito made his Primeira Liga debut, with Moreirense FC. After suffering relegation in his second year he stayed in that level, signing for Associação Naval 1º de Maio.

Aged 32, Lito joined Académica de Coimbra, enjoying his best seasons in his first two years (a combined 17 league goals, including a hat-trick in a 3–3 home draw against C.F. Estrela da Amadora on 4 November 2007).^[1] After still being an important attacking unit in the 2009–10 campaign, again helping the Students retain their top division status, he moved to freshly promoted club Portimonense S.C. for an undisclosed fee.^[2]

Lito retired in 2014, after one-season spells with F.C. Arouca, Atlético Clube de Portugal (both in the Segunda Liga) and C.D. Pinhalnovense (third tier).^[3] He later worked as a manager, with Sporting Clube da Praia in his native island.^[4]

References

^ "Académica-E. Amadora, 3–3 (ficha)" [Académica-E. Amadora, 3–3 (match sheet)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 4 November 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
^ "Lito regressa ao Algarve" [Lito returns to Algarve]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 5 July 2010. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
^ ""Tubarão" Lito despede-se dos relvados aos 39 anos" ["Shark" Lito says goodbye to pitches at the age of 39] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
^ "Sporting da Praia sagra-se campeão regional de Santiago Sul" [Sporting da Praia crowned South Santiago regional champions] (in Portuguese). Inforpress. 7 April 2017. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.

External links

Lito at ForaDeJogo (archived)
Lito at National-Football-Teams.com
Lito at Soccerway

[1] "Académica-E. Amadora, 3–3 (ficha)" [Académica-E. Amadora, 3–3 (match sheet)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 4 November 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2019.

[2] "Lito regressa ao Algarve" [Lito returns to Algarve]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 5 July 2010. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2010.

[3] ""Tubarão" Lito despede-se dos relvados aos 39 anos" ["Shark" Lito says goodbye to pitches at the age of 39] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2019.

[4] "Sporting da Praia sagra-se campeão regional de Santiago Sul" [Sporting da Praia crowned South Santiago regional champions] (in Portuguese). Inforpress. 7 April 2017. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.

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