When Hugo Leal arrived at Paris Saint-Germain in 2001, from Atlético de Madrid, we had not yet progressed to the Euro. At the time, the capital club paid nearly sixty million euros (around nine million euros) to secure the services of this Portuguese midfielder.
Coach Luis Fernandez convinces his management that this former Benfica player is a real gem. Despite above-average technique and a certain elegance with the ball, his performances do not live up to expectations. The native of Cascais rarely proves decisive. To his credit, he is not spared from physical problems.
In three seasons spent with the Rouge et Bleu, Hugo Leal played 75 matches in all competitions. He found the net three times, including once in the 2003 Coupe de France final, which PSG lost to AJ Auxerre, before lifting the trophy the following year.
Hugo Leal never broke through at PSG, nor after…
A few days later, the Lusitanian joined FC Porto.
“I came under pressure from the management, who told me that I would no longer play for the club, that they would no longer pay me,
he recalled last year, during an interview given to In Bola. I wouldn’t want to put a teenager or an athlete through such a moment just because the sporting result is so important. And this is the stupid side of football that, in my opinion, needs to be fundamentally changed. »
Hugo Leal then played for around ten years in Portugal, as well as a season in Spain, in relative anonymity. In 2013, after playing only six matches for Estoril Praia, he ended his career. He then became assistant coach and then vice-president of this club.
