Fábio Espinho

Espinho
Espinho with Ludogorets in 2014
Personal information
Full name Fábio Ricardo Gomes Fonseca[1]
Date of birth (1985-08-18) 18 August 1985[1]
Place of birth Espinho, Portugal[1]
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position Central midfielder
Youth career
1993–2004 Porto
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2006 Porto B 36 (2)
2006–2009 Espinho 79 (12)
2009–2011 Leixões 40 (0)
2011–2013 Moreirense 51 (11)
2013–2015 Ludogorets 52 (4)
2015–2016 Málaga 2 (0)
2016 → Moreirense (loan) 15 (2)
2016–2019 Boavista 86 (10)
2019–2023 Feirense 95 (10)
Total 456 (51)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Fábio Ricardo Gomes Fonseca (born 18 August 1985), commonly known as Espinho, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder.

Career

Espinho was born in Espinho. A product of FC Porto's youth system, he never appeared officially for its first team, spending two years with the reserves in the third division. In 2006, he signed with local S.C. Espinho in the same level.[2]

On 8 June 2011, after two seasons in the Segunda Liga with Leixões SC, Espinho joined Moreirense FC.[3] He scored nine goals in his first year to help the club return to the Primeira Liga after a seven-year absence, and, on 19 August 2012, celebrated his debut in the competition by netting his team's goal in a 1–1 away draw against F.C. Paços de Ferreira.[4]

On 11 June 2013, Espinho signed a one-year contract with PFC Ludogorets Razgrad of the Bulgarian A Football Group, moving abroad for the first time at the age of 28.[5] He appeared in 95 competitive games during his spell (seven goals), helping to back-to-back national championships.[6]

Espinho left Ludogorets in June 2015, and agreed to a deal at Málaga CF as a free agent.[7] He played only three matches for the Spaniards before returning to Moreirense on loan the following January,[8] then joined Boavista F.C. in the same league on a one-year contract.[9]

Career statistics

As of 16 May 2015[10]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Porto B 2004–05[11] Segunda Divisão 142——142
2005–06[11] 220——220
Total 3620000362
Espinho 2006–07[11] Segunda Divisão 24131—272
2007–08[11] 29220—312
2008–09[11] 26910—279
Total 791261008513
Leixões 2009–10[11] Primeira Liga 13051—181
2010–11[11] Segunda Liga 27052—322
Total 40010300503
Moreirense 2011–12[11] Segunda Liga 289102—3811
2012–13[11] Primeira Liga 23270—302
Total 5111172006813
Ludogorets Razgrad 2013–14[12] A Group 29210015[a]0542
2014–15[12] 2326212[b]1415
Total 524162271957
Career total 2582949827133438
  1. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
  2. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Champions League

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Fábio Espinho" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  2. ↑ Cunha, Pedro Jorge (28 June 2015). "Entrevista a Fábio Espinho: «Sair do FC Porto foi uma facada»" [Interview to Fábio Espinho: "Leaving FC Porto was a stab"] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  3. ↑ "Moreirense contrata médio Fábio Espinho e avançado N'Jock" [Moreirense sign midfielder Fábio Espinho and forward N'Jock] (in Portuguese). Guimarães TV. 8 June 2011. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  4. ↑ "P. Ferreira-Moreirense, 1–1 (resultado final)" [P. Ferreira-Moreirense, 1–1 (final score)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 19 August 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  5. ↑ "Лудогорец представи първото си ново попълнение" [Ludogorets introduced their first new addition] (in Bulgarian). Sportal. 11 June 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  6. ↑ "Ludogorets de Fábio Espinho e Vitinha tetracampeão da Bulgária" [Fábio Espinho and Vitinha's Ludogorets Bulgarian champions for the fourth consecutive time] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  7. ↑ "В Испания: Ешпиньо се разбра с Малага" [In Spain: Espinho commits to Málaga] (in Bulgarian). Sportal. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  8. ↑ "El Málaga y el Moreirense alcanzan un acuerdo para la cesión de Espinho" [Málaga and Moreirense reach an agreement for the loan of Espinho] (in Spanish). Málaga CF. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  9. ↑ "Fábio Espinho no Boavista" [Fábio Espinho at Boavista]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 19 July 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  10. ↑ Fábio Espinho at WorldFootball.net
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Fábio Espinho at ForaDeJogo (archived)
  12. 1 2 Fábio Espinho at Soccerway