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Ricardo Rocha (footballer, born 1978)

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For other uses, see Ricardo Rocha (disambiguation).
In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Rocha and the second or paternal family name is Azevedo.

Ricardo Rocha
Personal information
Full name Ricardo Sérgio Rocha Azevedo[1]
Date of birth (1978-10-03) 3 October 1978 (age 46)[1]
Place of birth Santo Tirso, Portugal
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Benfica (assistant)
Youth career
1990–1995 ARC Areias
1995–1996 Famalicão
1996–1997 Vitória Guimarães
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–1999 Famalicão 54 (2)
1999–2000 Braga B 35 (2)
2000–2002 Braga 44 (2)
2002–2007 Benfica 115 (3)
2007–2009 Tottenham Hotspur 14 (0)
2009–2010 Standard Liège 7 (0)
2010–2013 Portsmouth 93 (0)
Total 362 (9)
International career
2001–2002 Portugal B 2 (0)
2002–2006 Portugal 6 (0)
Managerial career
2024– Benfica (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ricardo Sérgio Rocha Azevedo (born 3 October 1978) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a central defender.

He signed for Benfica in 2002 after starting out at Braga, going on to appear in 163 competitive matches with the former club and win three major titles, including the 2004–05 Primeira Liga. He spent the vast majority of his remaining career in England with Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth, for a total of three Premier League seasons.

Club career

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Portugal

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Rocha was born in Santo Tirso, Porto District, and he started playing football as a goalkeeper.[2] Having made a name for himself at perennial UEFA Cup qualification candidates S.C. Braga and making his Primeira Liga debut during the 1999–2000 season, he joined S.L. Benfica in January 2002 along with teammates Armando Sá and Tiago (in Rocha's case the move was made official in June of the following year).[3][4]

In his four and a half seasons in Lisbon, Rocha totalled 163 appearances and scored three goals. This included 33 games in European competitions,[5] and he added 25 in the 2004–05 campaign to win the national championship and help put an end to an 11-year drought for the club.[6]

On 28 March 2006, Rocha had a widely lauded performance in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals first leg against eventual champions FC Barcelona, marking Ronaldinho out of the game in a 0–0 home draw and 2–0 aggregate loss.[7][8]

Tottenham Hotspur

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On 23 January 2007, Rocha signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Tottenham Hotspur, for an undisclosed fee thought to be around £3.3 million.[9] He played his first game four days later in the 3–1 win over Southend United in the fourth round of the FA Cup, in place of captain Ledley King who was injured at the time;[10] He made his first Premier League appearance on 10 February, featuring the full 90 minutes of the 2–1 away loss against Sheffield United.[11]

Rocha took part in just five matches in 2007–08, and none whatsoever in all competitions in the following season.[12][13] He was released on 14 June 2009, after his contract expired.[14]

Portsmouth

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On 31 August 2009, Rocha moved to Belgium with Standard Liège on a one-year deal.[15] However, his contract was terminated on 30 January 2010 and he returned to England immediately after, signing for two years with Portsmouth.[16] He made his debut in a 5–0 defeat away to Manchester United on 6 February.[17]

Rocha was sent off in his next two games, against Sunderland on 9 February[18] and against Burnley.[19] Things improved for the defender when he put in a Player of the match performance in his team's FA Cup semi-final victory over his former side Tottenham.[20]

In summer 2010, Portsmouth offered Rocha an extension,[21] and on 4 September he re-signed with the club,[22] with the two-year deal being officially confirmed six days later.[23] He was sent off in two consecutive fixtures, against Reading (2–0 loss)[24] and Cardiff City (3–0 defeat),[25] finishing the season with 29 league appearances as his team ranked 16th.[26]

In 2011–12, both Rocha and Dave Kitson fell out of favor with Steve Cotterill, but the manager left for Nottingham Forest in mid-October 2011.[27] He was awarded the team's Player of the Season award, but they were relegated to Football League One;[28] at the end of the campaign, and upon the expiry of his contract, he was released.[29]

In September 2012, Rocha went on trial at Ipswich Town,[30] but nothing came of it. On 6 October, Leeds United announced that the 34-year-old had been trialling with them for ten days.[31] On 19 November, however, he returned to Portsmouth on an initial one-month contract,[32] extending his link for another one month in January.[33]

Rocha's future with Pompey appeared to be in doubt, after he claimed that he had received no offers for a new deal.[34] Additionally, head coach Guy Whittingham stated that he refused to rule out retaining the player.[35]

Rocha left Fratton Park in July 2013 after both parties were unable to reach an agreement.[36][37] Chairman Iain McInnes explained his return had scuppered, due to wanting a role for "off-the-field role on top of a playing deal by becoming the club's director of football."[38]

Post-retirement

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Rocha returned to Benfica in summer 2024, being appointed assistant manager in Roger Schmidt's staff.[39] The German was dismissed shortly after his arrival, but he kept his role under Bruno Lage.[40]

International career

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After making his debut for Portugal on 20 November 2002 against Scotland,[41] Rocha returned for a friendly with Denmark and a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Finland after a three-year absence, as he was not a regular starter at Benfica then;[42] he won the third of his six caps[2] in the former match, a 4–2 loss in Copenhagen.[43]

Career statistics

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Club

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[44][45]
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Other[c] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Braga 2000–01 19 0 0 0 0 0 – 19 0
2001–02 25 2 0 0 0 0 – 25 2
Total 44 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 44 2
Benfica 2002–03 27 0 0 0 0 0 – 27 0
2003–04 25 0 4 0 0 0 10 0 39 0
2004–05 25 0 5 0 0 0 7 0 37 0
2005–06 26 0 4 0 0 0 10 0 40 0
2006–07 12 3 1 0 0 0 7 0 20 3
Total 115 3 14 0 0 0 34 0 163 3
Tottenham Hotspur 2006–07 9 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 13 0
2007–08 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
2008–09 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 14 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 18 0
Standard Liège 2009–10 7 0 2 0 – 4 0 13 0
Portsmouth 2009–10 10 0 2 0 0 0 – 12 0
2010–11 29 0 0 0 0 0 – 29 0
2011–12 33 0 1 0 1 0 – 35 0
2012–13 21 0 0 0 0 0 – 21 0
Total 93 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 97 0
Career total 273 5 22 0 2 0 38 0 335 5
  1. ^ Includes FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes Football League Cup
  3. ^ Includes Football League Trophy, Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup

International

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Appearances and goals by national team and year[46]
National team Year Apps Goals
Portugal 2002 1 0
2003 1 0
2006 4 0
Total 6 0

Honours

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Benfica

Portsmouth

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Ricardo Rocha" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b Simões de Abreu, Alexandra (23 December 2017). "Ricardo Rocha: "Na véspera da meia-final da FA Cup fui dormir com a minha esposa, à socapa. Ganhámos e fui o melhor em campo"" [Ricardo Rocha: "On the eve of the FA Cup semi-finals i snuck in to sleep with my wife. We won and I was player of the match"]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  3. ^ Carvalho, Paula (15 January 2002). "Tiago, Armando e Ricardo Rocha no Benfica" [Tiago, Armando and Ricardo Rocha to Benfica] (in Portuguese). TVI 24. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  4. ^ "Tiago rendeu maior fatia do «pacote»" [Tiago the biggest slice of the "package"]. Record (in Portuguese). 18 January 2002. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  5. ^ "Simão Sabrosa e Ricardo Rocha na história" [Simão Sabrosa and Ricardo Rocha in history]. Record (in Portuguese). 8 February 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  6. ^ a b Fernandes Garcia, Filipa (22 May 2020). "Campeões: o início de uma nova era…" [Champions: the beginning of a new era…] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  7. ^ Tavares, Nuno (4 April 2006). "Ronaldinho's shadow back again". UEFA. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  8. ^ Mitten, Andy (6 April 2006). "Barcelona 2 Benfica 0: Ronaldinho sets Barcelona on way to last four". The Independent (in Portuguese). Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  9. ^ "Spurs snap up Portugal star Rocha". BBC Sport. 23 January 2007. Retrieved 1 April 2007.
  10. ^ Sanghera, Mandeep (27 January 2007). "Tottenham 3–1 Southend". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  11. ^ Lyon, Sam (10 February 2007). "Sheff Utd 2–1 Tottenham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  12. ^ "Spurs defender wants to leave". Epping Forest Guardian. 14 May 2008. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2008.
  13. ^ Oades, Marcus (5 January 2017). "These are the 3 worst January signings Tottenham ever made" (in Portuguese). Shoot. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  14. ^ "Rocha exits Spurs". Sky Sports. 1 June 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  15. ^ "Standard snap up free agent Rocha". UEFA. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  16. ^ "Portsmouth sign defender Ricardo Rocha on free transfer". BBC Sport. 3 February 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  17. ^ Hughes, Ian (6 February 2010). "Man United 5–0 Portsmouth". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  18. ^ Ornstein, David (9 February 2010). "Portsmouth 1–1 Sunderland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  19. ^ Lyon, Sam (27 February 2010). "Burnley 1–2 Portsmouth". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  20. ^ "Portuguese man-of-war Rocha dedicates victory to fans". The News. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  21. ^ "Portsmouth move to re-sign Portuguese defender Rocha". Tribal Football. 3 September 2010. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  22. ^ Perry, Josh (6 September 2010). "Lawrence, Kitson & Rocha can kick start our season". Vital Football. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
  23. ^ "Pompey sign Kanu and Rocha". Portsmouth F.C. 10 September 2010. Archived from the original on 13 September 2010. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
  24. ^ "Reading 2–0 Portsmouth". BBC Sport. 2 April 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  25. ^ "Cardiff 3–0 Portsmouth". BBC Sport. 16 April 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  26. ^ McMahon, Mark (8 January 2021). "How manager of the month Steve Cotterill is doing Portsmouth promotion favours at Shrewsbury". The News. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  27. ^ "Steve Cotterill exit has united Portsmouth, says Dave Kitson". BBC Sport. 19 October 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  28. ^ a b Allen, Neil (26 April 2012). "Ricardo Rocha named Pompey Player of the Year". The News. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  29. ^ "Trio exit Fratton Park". Portsmouth F.C. 21 May 2012. Archived from the original on 24 May 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  30. ^ "Former Tottenham defender Ricardo Rocha on trial with Ipswich". Sky Sports. 25 September 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  31. ^ "Running the rule over Ricardo". Leeds United F.C. 6 October 2012. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  32. ^ "Rocha rejoins Pompey". Portsmouth F.C. 19 November 2012. Archived from the original on 28 November 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  33. ^ Wilson, Steve (21 January 2013). "Rocha agrees to stay at Pompey". The News. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  34. ^ Cross, Jordan (2 May 2013). "No stateside move for Rocha". The News. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  35. ^ Allen, Neil (16 May 2013). "Guy: We're not ruling out Sodje or Rocha". The News. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  36. ^ Allen, Neil (24 July 2013). "Rocha commits to Pompey as Guy waits on budget". The News. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  37. ^ "Rocha not returning". Portsmouth F.C. 30 July 2013. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  38. ^ Allen, Neil (8 August 2013). "Pompey chief lifts lid on failed Rocha return". The News. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  39. ^ "Javi García deixa Benfica e Ricardo Rocha assume funções de adjunto de Schmidt" [Javi García deixa Benfica e Ricardo Rocha assume funções de adjunto de Schmidt] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  40. ^ Mendes Júnior, Luís (7 September 2024). "'Mais' Benfica na equipa técnica de Bruno Lage" ['More' Benfica in Bruno Lage's coaching staff]. A Bola (in Portuguese). Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  41. ^ "Sílvio é o 14.º a estrear-se com Agostinho Oliveira" [Sílvio is debutant number 14 with Agostinho Oliveira]. Record (in Portuguese). 7 September 2010. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  42. ^ "Portugal answer Martins' prayers". UEFA. 22 August 2006. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  43. ^ "Dinamarca-Portugal, 4–2 (Tomasson 13', Kahlenberg 21', Jorgensen 77', Bendtner 90'+1; R. Carvalho 17', Nani 65')" [Denmark-Portugal, 4–2 (Tomasson 13', Kahlenberg 21', Jorgensen 77', Bendtner 90'+1; R. Carvalho 17', Nani 65')]. Record (in Portuguese). 1 September 2006. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  44. ^ Ricardo Rocha at WorldFootball.net
  45. ^ Ricardo Rocha at Soccerway
  46. ^ "Ricardo Rocha". European Football. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  47. ^ "Benfica vence Taça de Portugal (2–1)" [Benfica win Portuguese Cup (2–1)]. Público (in Portuguese). 16 May 2004. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  48. ^ "Benfica – V. Setúbal, 1–0 (Nuno Gomes 52')". Record (in Portuguese). 13 August 2005. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  49. ^ McNulty, Phil (15 May 2010). "Chelsea 1–0 Portsmouth". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
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