Fabio Coentrao
Fabio Coentrao was in and out of the Real Madrid team last season despite a big money move from Benfica - but he intends to be in the thick of things making the case for Portugal in a tough Euro 2012 group.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: June 06, 2012 10:53 PM IST
Full name: Fabio Alexandre Silva Coentrao
Date of birth: 11 March 1988 (age 24)
Place of birth: Vila do Conde, Portugal
Playing position: Wingback / Midfielder
Current club: Real Madrid (Spain)
Fabio Coentrao was in and out of the Real Madrid team last season despite a big money move from Benfica - but he intends to be in the thick of things making the case for Portugal in a tough Euro 2012 group.
Coach Paulo Bento will be counting on a well-marshalled defence against Germany, Holland and Denmark as well as flashes of brilliance from Cristiano Ronaldo in attack as the 2004 finalists look to put aside their erratic qualifying form and a tendency to buckle under pressure.
Bento is setting great stall by his choices at the back having coldly elected to leave Coentrao clubmate Ricardo Carvalho at home as well as Jose Bosingwa following disagreements with the disciplinarian coach.
Bento has instead brought in Sporting Braga right back Miguel Lopes but expects Coentrao to steady the ship along with another Real colleague Pepe as well as Russia-based Bruno Alves.
This has become a matter of urgency after a desperate performance by the defence especially Pepe and Alves in Saturday's 3-1 home defeat by Turkey and with one of the pre-tournament favourites Germany awaiting them in their opener on Saturday.
At club level the jury was out on Coentrao last season even as Real ended Barcelona's recent dominance in La Liga as he appeared in barely half of their league matches as Jose Mourinho preferred to use Brazilian Marcelo.
At times Mourinho used the 24-year-old from Vila do Conde as a central midfielder rather than as a full back.
He was, nonetheless, a regular across a Champions League campaign which ended in an agonising semi-final loss to Bayern Munich.
Indeed, before shelling out for compatriot Coentrao, Mourinho reportedly remarked that "I don't need another Marcelo."
What Coentrao does bring is a certain amount of width given his penchant to hug the left touchline - thereby, at international level, allowing Ronaldo greater leeway to make use of his explosive talents in a more central role.
Coentrao has dogged qualities, nonetheless, as he showed after struggling in his early days at Benfica under Antonio Camacho - which saw him loaned out to former club Rio Ave.
After seizing a second chance with the Eagles, Coentrao flourished in a more defensive role and swiftly progressed to international level under Carlos Queiroz.
Benfica astutely slapped a 30 million euros release clause on him - Real still took the bait last summer - after he had had a generally impressive World Cup, featuring regularly through to a last 16 exit to eventual winners Spain.
Coentrao grew up in a small northern fishing village, Caxinas.
But now, with a Liga title win under his belt, the Portuguese, stunned by their final loss to rank outsiders Greece on home soil in 2004, look to provide a shock and land an even bigger catch.
Against three highly-rated rivals all with fluid styles, Coentrao will be out to turn Portuguese defence into an art form and hope Ronaldo can do the rest.