|
|
 |
 |
|
NUNO HERLANDER SIMÕES DO ESPÍRITO SANTO
Date of Birth: 25 January, 1974
Nationality: Portugal
Period at Deportivo: 1996/1997 (winter) - 2002
Transfer: 360 million pesetas (ca. €2,3 million + Milovanovic) (1996, Vitoria Guimarães)
Clubs: FC Porto (2002), Deportivo (1996-2002), Vitoria Guimarães (1994-1996)
Sold: €3 million (2002, to FC Porto)
Height: 188 cm
Weight: 84 kg
Position: Goalkeeper
|
|
|
 Deportivo president Lendoiro came up with four new players during the winter of the 1996/1997 campaign, one for each department of the squad. It concerned a striker (Renaldo), midfielder (Flávio Conceição), defender (Hélder) and a goalkeeper. This last one was the least known of the quartet, and was called NUNO GOMEZ.
Jacques Songo'o was the first goalkeeper of Deportivo that season, and did pretty well. His replacement was Kouba, who several months before had played the final of the Euro 1996 tournament with the Czech Republic against Germany. But third goalkeeper Canales left the club during the winter break, and that's why 22-year old Nuno was added.
The goalie had been formed in the youth system of FC Porto, and in 1994 signed a contract at Portuguese club Vitoria Guimarães. There he beat legendary goalkeeper Nene for the number one position and was picked for the Olympic Games 1996. After these summer games his intention was to sign at a bigger club, and he even went on strike to achieve it.
So Deportivo saw an unique opportunity to snatch this talent, and in October 1996 the deal was finalized despite very serious interest of FC Barcelona. The Galicians paid about €2,3 million for his services + the transfer rights of midfielder Milovanovic. On 3 may, 1997 he made his debut for Deportivo during the 3-0 win against Sevilla when he replaced Songo’o for the final three minutes of this match. But what was needed was a change of coaches, as Toshack had declared that he considered Kouba to be a much better goalkeeper than Kouba. It caused a row between him and Nuno, as the Portuguese accused him of having bad manners.
But during the pre-season of the next campaign, Deportivo coach Carlos Alberto Silva also wasn’t convinced of Nuno’s qualities and Nigerian goalie Peter Rufai was signed. There was a need of a secure goalkeeper, as Songo’o would be away for some weeks to play the Africa Nations Cup at the start of 1998. And when that period arrived, Rufai was handed the number one position and Nuno was part of a transfer which collapsed at the last minute: the one of João Pinto (26) from Benfica to Deportoivo. Nuno remained benched until the end of the campaign. On the final match day of the season, when things didn’t matter anymore, he played his second Liga match for the club during the 0-3 win at relegated Sporting de Gijón.
Mid-1998 the talented goalkeeper already had become 24-years old, and had played only two Liga matches in one-and-a-half season at Deportivo. Once again he almost was included in a transfer deal, but this time the signing of Porto midfielder Sergio Conceição failed at the last moment. But when on 4 October, 1998 Rufai replaced Songo’o (who was away on international duty) in the match at Real Sociedad, Nuno realized that for a third season in a row he was Deportivo’s third goalkeeper. He said back then that “I expected to play, and this is the most terrible thing of my life until now. I will talk to the club and ask their permission to leave”.
In January 1999 a solution was found, and Nuno went on loan to Mérida in the Segunda División. He would stay there for another season, and played seventy matches for them until mid-2000. But still there was no future for him at Deportivo, because the club had just signed Spanish international goalkeeper Molina. And there remained Songo’o, while the club also still had Kouba available. So, Nuno was loaned out again. This time to Osasuna Pamplona, where he played thirty-three matches during the 2000/2001 season.
 When he returned to Deportivo in the summer months of 2001, he finally would be presented a ‘real’ chance. Songo’o and Kouba had left the club, and Nuno became second goalkeeper behind Molina with Dani Mallo occupying the third spot. But again the Portuguese goalie walked into a wall, as competing with Molina didn’t work out.
But on 17 October, 2001 he suddenly kept a clean sheet at Old Trafford during forty-five minutes against Manchester United (2-3 win). Molina had limped off injured during the break, and Nuno replaced him well. As the number one was out for some weeks, Nuno played two Liga matches against Sevilla (1-0 win) and Rayo Vallecano (2-1 loss), and qualified with Deportivo for the second round of the Champions League after two draws (against Lille and Olympiakos).
In November, 2001 the Portuguese goalkeeper defended the goal of Deportivo in the Copa against little Club Marino (1-4), as he was promised to be given chances in this tournament. So that’s why Nuno played against Leonesa (1-2 win), and Figueres (twice), but Molina took the matches against Valladoliud (two) and played the final against Real Madrid. Nuno would play his last match for the club on 20 March, 2002 against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League (1-3) as the Galicians were already qualified for the next round.
In the summer of 2002 both parties finally separated, after a cooperation of almost six years, although his contract was supposed to run until 2004. In 1996 the then 22-years old Nuno came with ambition to La Coruña. But he lost the fights with Songo’o, Rufai and Molina, and aged twenty-eighth he was sold to FC Porto as part of the transfer taking Jorge Andrade to Deportivo.
At the Portuguese club he was fortunate to win all in two seasons; including the UEFA Cup (2003) and Champions League (2004) under Mourinho. But once again Nuno didn’t play much, this time losing the battle to Vítor Baía. In 1996 he was considered the follow-up of this legendary goalkeeper; now Nuno was playing second fiddle to him at Porto.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
