Tonel

Porto and Marítimo

Born in Lourosa (Santa Maria da Feira), Tonel came through the youth system of FC Porto, and made his professional debut when he was loaned out to Académica de Coimbra for 2000–01, helping them to promote to the Primeira Liga in his second year. Despite earning a good reputation during his three-season spell, he was deemed surplus to requirements by his parent club and was released, moving to C.S. Marítimo in summer 2004 as part of an exchange deal with Porto which saw Pepe arrive at the Estádio do Dragão. Tonel picked up some European experience during Marítimo's UEFA Cup tie against Rangers. He partnered with Dutchman Mitchell van der Gaag in defence and became one of the team's leading figures, playing 28 league games and scoring once in a 2–1 home win over Boavista F.C. on 25 September 2004.

Sporting CP

On 23 July 2005, after an impressive season, Tonel signed a three-year deal with Sporting CP for €500,000. His second stint with a club of the Big Three was much more successful than the first, as he was everpresent at the back four alongside Brazil international Ânderson Polga, also scoring the occasional goal on set pieces. After renewing his link with the Lions until 2011, Tonel scored five competitive goals in 2007–08, including one in a 2–1 away victory over FC Dynamo Kyiv in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League (incidentally, Polga netted the other). In late October 2008, after an injury in a draw at F.C. Paços de…

Tonel made his debut with Portugal in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Kazakhstan in Coimbra, featuring 77 minutes of a 3–0 win on 15 November 2006. His second cap came more than three years later, on 3 March 2010, as he was called up as a last-minute replacement for injured Ricardo Carvalho for a friendly with China and played in the 2–0 win.

Sporting CP

Taça de Portugal: 2006–07, 2007–08 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2007, 2008 Taça da Liga runner-up: 2007–08, 2008–09 Dinamo Zagreb

Croatian Football League: 2010–11, 2011–12 Croatian Football Cup: 2010–11, 2011–12 Portugal U18

UEFA European Under-18 Championship: 1999