View source for Germano de Figueiredo

{{short description|Portuguese footballer (1932–2004)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Germano
| image = Germano de Figueiredo (cropped).png
| caption = Germano lining up before the [[1962 European Cup final]]
| fullname = Germano Luís de Figueiredo
| birth_date = {{birth date|1932|12|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Alcântara, Lisbon|Alcântara]], Portugal
| death_date = {{death date and age|2004|7|14|1932|12|23|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Algés, Linda-a-Velha e Cruz Quebrada-Dafundo|Linda-a-Velha]], Portugal
| height = 1.83 m
| position = [[Defender (association football)#Centre-back|Centre-back]]
| youthyears1 = 1947–1951
| youthclubs1 = [[Atlético Clube de Portugal|Atlético]]
| years1 = 1951–1960
| clubs1 = [[Atlético Clube de Portugal|Atlético]]
| caps1 = 115
| goals1 = 16
| years2 = 1960–1966
| clubs2 = [[S.L. Benfica|Benfica]]
| caps2 = 75
| goals2 = 4
| years3 = 1966–1967
| clubs3 = [[S.C. Salgueiros|Salgueiros]]
| caps3 = 
| goals3 = 
| totalcaps = 
| totalgoals = 
| nationalyears1 = 1953–1966
| nationalteam1 = [[Portugal national football team|Portugal]]
| nationalcaps1 = 24
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's [[Association football|football]]}}
{{medal|Country|{{fb|POR}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIFA World Cup]]}}
{{Medal|3rd|[[1966 FIFA World Cup|1966 England]]|}}
}}
'''Germano Luís de Figueiredo''' (23 December 1932 – 14 July 2004), simply known as '''Germano''' ({{IPA|pt|ʒɨɾˈmɐnu}}), was a Portuguese [[Association football|footballer]] who played as a [[Defender (association football)#Centre-back|central defender]].

He spent most of his professional career with [[S.L. Benfica|Benfica]], appearing in 131 official matches and winning eight major titles, including two [[UEFA Champions League|European Cups]].<ref name=memorial>{{cite book|first=João|last=Malheiro|title=Memorial Benfica 100 Glórias|trans-title=Benfica Memorial 100 glories|date=July 2006|publisher=QuidNovi|isbn=978-972-8998-26-4|edition=Third|pages=64–67|language=pt}}</ref>

Germano represented [[Portugal national football team|Portugal]] at the [[1966 FIFA World Cup|1966 World Cup]].

==Club career==
Born in [[Alcântara, Lisbon]], Germano started playing with local [[Atlético Clube de Portugal]], spending seven of his nine seasons in the [[Primeira Liga]]. In the summer of 1960 he moved to neighbouring [[S.L. Benfica]], where he remained the following six years, being a leading defensive unit of the sides that won four national championships and two [[UEFA Champions League|European Cups]] (against [[FC Barcelona]] and [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]]); in the latter competition's [[1964–65 European Cup|1964–65 edition]], he was placed [[Goalkeeper (association football)|in goal]] following his teammate's [[Costa Pereira]] injury in [[1965 European Cup final|the final]] against [[Inter Milan]], and kept a [[Shutout#Association football|clean sheet]] for more than 30 minutes, albeit in a 1–0 loss.<ref name="memorial"/>

Germano retired in 1967, after one year with [[S.C. Salgueiros]] of the [[Liga Portugal 2|Segunda Liga]]. He died in [[Algés, Linda-a-Velha e Cruz Quebrada-Dafundo|Linda-a-Velha]], at the age of 71.<ref name=Death>{{cite news|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/liga-nos/benfica/detalhe/germano-faleceu.html|title=Germano faleceu|trans-title=Germano has died|newspaper=[[Record (Portuguese newspaper)|Record]]|language=pt|date=15 July 2004|access-date=22 June 2018}}</ref>

==International career==
Germano won 24 [[Cap (sport)|caps]] for [[Portugal national football team|Portugal]] over 13 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/geral/selecao/lista-completa-dos-internacionais-portugueses|title=Lista completa dos internacionais portugueses|trans-title=Complete list of Portuguese internationals|publisher=Mais Futebol|language=pt|date=18 February 2004|access-date=20 October 2023}}</ref> He was part of the squad that appeared at the [[1966 FIFA World Cup]] but, after a subpar performance in the second game against [[Bulgaria national football team|Bulgaria]], was benched for the rest of the tournament, which ended with a third-place conquest.<ref name=WC>{{cite news|url=https://expresso.pt/desporto/2016-07-13-A-lenda-dos-Magricos-comecou-ha-50-anos|title=A lenda dos Magriços começou há 50 anos|trans-title=The legend of the ''Magriços'' started 50 years ago|newspaper=[[Expresso (newspaper)|Expresso]]|first1=Paulo|last1=Paixão|first2=José Pedro|last2=Castanheira|language=pt|date=13 July 2016|access-date=9 April 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302061017/http://expresso.sapo.pt/desporto/2016-07-13-A-lenda-dos-Magricos-comecou-ha-50-anos|archive-date=2 March 2017}}</ref>

==Style of play==
A hard-working and strong-tackling defender, Germano was noted for his towering presence in Benfica's back-three defending formation, alongside left-back [[Ângelo Martins|Ângelo]] and right-back [[Mário João]]. He possessed excellent ball control.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.record.pt/especial/detalhe/germano-o-primeiro-beckenbauer-da-historia-do-futebol-963708|title=Germano: O primeiro Beckenbauer da história do futebol|trans-title=Germano: The first Beckenbauer in the history of football|newspaper=Record|language=pt|date=21 July 2015|access-date=20 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slbenfica.pt/pt-pt/agora/noticias/2017_2018/03/25/bicampeao-europeu-germano-admiravel-defesa-benfica-atletico|title=Germano: o defesa de sonho do Bicampeão Europeu|trans-title=Germano: dream defender of back-to-back European champions|publisher=S.L. Benfica|first=Márcia|last=Dores|language=pt|date=25 March 2018|access-date=20 October 2023}}</ref>

Germano ranked 53rd in [[UEFA]]'s ''50 Greatest Footballers of the Last 50 Years'' jubilee list.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pt.uefa.org/news/newsid=136907.html|title=60–51: Dois portugueses em destaque|trans-title=60–51: Two Portuguese highlighted|publisher=UEFA|language=pt|date=16 January 2004|access-date=14 October 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131015071915/http://pt.uefa.org/news/newsid=136907.html|archive-date=15 October 2013}}</ref>

==Honours==
'''Benfica'''
*[[Primeira Liga]]: [[1960–61 Primeira Liga|1960–61]], [[1962–63 Primeira Liga|1962–63]], [[1963–64 Primeira Liga|1963–64]], [[1964–65 Primeira Liga|1964–65]]<ref>{{cite magazine|date=April–June 2017|title=Especial 'Tetra'|trans-title='Tetra' special edition|language=pt|magazine=Mística|location=Portugal|publisher=[[Impresa]] Publishing|issue=33|page=92|issn=3846-0823}}</ref>
*[[Taça de Portugal]]:<ref name="bi">{{cite magazine|date=May 2015|title=Bicampeões para a história|trans-title=Back-to-back champions for the ages|language=pt|magazine=[[Visão]]|location=Portugal|publisher=Impresa Publishing|page=49|issn=0872-3540}}</ref> 1961–62, 1963–64
*[[Taça de Honra]] (2)<ref name="bi"/>
*[[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]]:<ref name="bi"/> [[1960–61 European Cup|1960–61]], [[1961–62 European Cup|1961–62]]

'''Atlético'''
*[[Liga Portugal 2|Segunda Liga]]: 1958–59<ref name=Death/>

'''Portugal'''
*[[FIFA World Cup]] third place: [[1966 FIFA World Cup|1966]]<ref name=WC/>

'''Individual'''
*[[World Soccer (magazine)|World Soccer]] World XI: 1961, 1962, 1965<ref>{{cite web|url=http://beyondthelastman.com/2013/04/29/eric-battys-world-xis-the-sixties/|title=Eric Batty's World XI – The Sixties|publisher=Beyond the Last Man|date=29 April 2013|access-date=26 November 2015}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{ForaDeJogo|name=Germano}}
*{{NFT|name=Germano}}
*{{FIFA|name=Germano}}
*{{Eu-Football.info|name=Germano}}

{{Portugal Squad 1966 World Cup}}
{{1961 World Soccer World XI}}
{{1962 World Soccer World XI}}
{{1965 World Soccer World XI}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Germano De Figueiredo}}
[[Category:1932 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Portuguese sportsmen]]
[[Category:Portuguese men's footballers]]
[[Category:Footballers from Lisbon]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:Primeira Liga players]]
[[Category:Liga Portugal 2 players]]
[[Category:Atlético Clube de Portugal players]]
[[Category:S.L. Benfica footballers]]
[[Category:S.C. Salgueiros players]]
[[Category:UEFA Champions League–winning players]]
[[Category:Portugal men's international footballers]]
[[Category:1966 FIFA World Cup players]]