Nuno Gomes

Lore & Background

Born in Amarante, Gomes established his reputation with Boavista, where he made his Primeira Liga debut in the 1994–95 season, aged 18. He collected his first silverware as his team beat Benfica to lift the Taça de Portugal in 1997, scoring a goal and winning a penalty kick in a 3–2 win in the final; he and fellow scorer Erwin Sánchez had already agreed to transfer to the opponents. Gomes ranked joint-fourth top scorer in his last year at the Estádio do Bessa, before moving to Benfica. In the 1998–99 campaign he netted 34 times in all competitions, in an eventual third-place finish in the league. After three seasons at Benfica, his Euro 2000 exploits earned Gomes a €17 million move to Fiorentina. He won the Coppa Italia over Parma in his first year, scoring in a 1–1 draw in the second leg of the final at home, which allowed his team to clinch the title 2–1 on aggregate; however, his second season was less successful, as financial collapse by the Viola and their subsequent relegation precipitated a 2002 return to his previous club on a four-year deal as a free agent.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Estádio da Luz was thick with anticipation as the 85th minute ticked away. The scoreline was deadlocked, and the roar of the 'Ultras' began to swell into a rhythmic chant for one name: Nuno! He stood near the edge of the penalty area, seemingly unmarked yet under constant pressure from two defenders. With a subtle feint that fooled the center-back, he slipped into the channel, receiving a weighted pass across his body. In a flash, before the goalkeeper could react, 'The Fox' had struck the ball with precision, sending it curling into the far corner. The stadium erupted in a sea of red and white as Gomes ran to the corner flag, arms raised, embodying the very soul of Benfica.

Reader's Guide

A series of injuries limited Gomes to under 70 games from 2002 to 2005, but he still helped Benfica win the domestic cup in 2003–04 and the league the following season – in the latter, he contributed seven goals from 23 appearances. He enjoyed his best season in 2005–06, scoring 15 goals in the league, including two in an away win over Porto (2–0) and a hat-trick against União de Leiria, finishing second in the scorers' list and adding the subsequent Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, where he netted the game's only goal against Vitória de Setúbal. From 2006–07 onwards, Gomes faced tough competition for a starting place: he only netted six times in the league, and would suffer even more after the signing of Paraguayan Óscar Cardozo the following summer. However, still a valuable member of the squad, he finished the campaign with nine overall goals, handing the captain armband to legendary Rui Costa in the process. On 2 October 2008, Gomes scored his 150th goal for Benfica in a UEFA Cup game against Napoli (2–0 home win, 4–3 aggregate victory) with a fine header. Following the arrival of Argentine Javier Saviola in June 2009, he further fell down the striker pecking order. Again a reserve player in 2010–11 – but playing even less – the 34-year-old Gomes made the most with the minutes provided to him by manager Jorge Jesus. He scored his first goal in the season on 14 November 2010 in a 4–0 home defeat of Naval, the 200th in the competition, and dedicated it to his father Joaquim who had died in August. In two consecutive league games in March 2011, he scored three goals, one at home against Portimonense (1–1 draw) and two in a 5–1 away rout of Paços de Ferreira, appearing as a late substitute in all three matches. Gomes was released by Benfica on 30 June 2011, after the club decided not to renew his contract; he was, however, offered a position in the managerial structure, effective immediately or when he eventually retired. Shortly after, he signed with fellow top-division Braga. On 11 September 2011, Gomes scored a brace in a 3–1 home win against Gil Vicente. During his only season with the Minho side, he was mostly used as a backup. On 3 July 2012, Gomes signed a two-year deal at Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Championship, becoming their third signing of the 2012–13 summer transfer window. On 18 August he made his league debut for his new club, against Ipswich T

Did You Know?

• Gomes scored his 150th goal for Benfica in a 2008 UEFA Cup game against Napoli with a fine header.
• He was featured on the cover of the Portuguese edition of FIFA Football 2002.
• Gomes earned a seven-month international ban for pushing referee Günter Benkö after a Euro 2000 semi-final defeat to France.
• He scored a hat-trick in only 21 minutes of play against Kuwait on 19 November 2003.