Xavier

Date of birth30 November 1972
Place of birthNampula, Mozambique
NationalityPortuguese
Weight85 kg
Height1.88 m
PositionDefender

Full name is: Abel Luís da Silva Costa Xavier

Xavier began his career at Estrela Amadora in 1990.

He moved to Benfica in 1993 and after two seasons went to play in Italy for Serie A club Bari.

He could not settle and moved to Spain in the summer of 1996 to play for Real Oviedo.

He moved the game after one season to play in Holland for PSV Eindhoven and then back to Spain to play for Celta Vigo.

He could not break into the first team and, in an effort to make the 2000 European Championship Finals, he signed for Premiership team Everton in September 1999 for £1.5 million.

He had represented Portugal at all levels with his constant movement between different clubs not proving to be a problem.

He made the squad for the 2000 European championship finals and was a member of the very successful Portuguese team.

He was sent off in the semi final and received a seventeen-month ban from international football.

He was surprisingly sold to Liverpool in mid-season in 2001-02, scored on his Liverpool debut versus Ipswich Town and performed well earning an international recall just prior to the finals.

Xavier's contract at Liverpool was cancelled by mutual consent in February 2004, and he immediately joined Hannover 96 with a contract to June 2005.

Xavier joined Middlesbrough in August 2005 with a one-year contract that was cancelled in January 2006 due to disciplinary reasons.

Having served a ban, he re-joined Middlesbrough in November 2006 with a contract to the end of the season.

Club history

Team Joined Left Loan / Trialist
Estrela Amadora 01 Jul 1990 01 Jul 1993
Benfica 01 Jul 1993 01 Jul 1995
Bari 01 Jul 1995 01 Jul 1996
Real Oviedo 01 Jul 1996 01 Jul 1998
PSV Eindhoven 01 Jul 1998 08 Sep 1999
Everton 08 Sep 1999 31 Jan 2002
Liverpool 31 Jan 2002 02 Feb 2004
Galatasaray 29 Jan 2003 31 Jan 2004 L
Hannover 96 02 Feb 2004 31 Jan 2005
AS Roma 31 Jan 2005 30 Jun 2005
Middlesbrough 31 Aug 2005 23 Jan 2006
Middlesbrough 08 Nov 2006 30 Jun 2007
LA Galaxy 01 Jul 2007

Club stats

Season Team Competition Apps Subs Goals Y R
1999-00 Everton FA Cup 2
2
1999-00 Everton League Cup 1
1
1999-00 Everton Premier League 18
2
1
2000-01 Everton FA Cup 1
2000-01 Everton Premier League 10
1
2
1
2001-02 Everton FA Cup 1
2001-02 Everton League Cup 1
2001-02 Everton Premier League 11
1
1
2001-02 Liverpool Premier League 9
1
1
1
2001-02 Liverpool UEFA Champions League 5
1
2
2002-03 Liverpool FA Community Shield 1
2002-03 Liverpool League Cup 1
2002-03 Liverpool Premier League 4
2003-04 Hannover 96 Bundesliga 5
2004-05 AS Roma Serie A 2
1
2005-06 Middlesbrough Premier League 4
2005-06 Middlesbrough UEFA Cup 2
2006-07 Middlesbrough FA Cup 6
2
2006-07 Middlesbrough Premier League 14
1
1


Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.

Club matches

Date Match Result Competition Round
10 Sep 2005 Middlesbrough v Arsenal W 2-1 Premier League
15 Sep 2005 Middlesbrough v Xanthi W 2-0 UEFA Cup 1st round 1st leg
18 Sep 2005 Wigan Athletic v Middlesbrough D 1-1 Premier League
25 Sep 2005 Middlesbrough v Sunderland L 0-2 Premier League
29 Sep 2005 Xanthi v Middlesbrough D 0-0
Agg: 0-2
UEFA Cup 1st round 2nd leg
02 Oct 2005 Aston Villa v Middlesbrough W 2-3 Premier League
25 Nov 2006 Aston Villa v Middlesbrough D 1-1 Premier League
02 Dec 2006 Middlesbrough v Manchester United L 1-2 Premier League
05 Dec 2006 Tottenham Hotspur v Middlesbrough L 2-1 Premier League
09 Dec 2006 Middlesbrough v Wigan Athletic D 1-1 Premier League
01 Jan 2007 Middlesbrough v Sheffield United W 3-1 Premier League
06 Jan 2007 Hull City v Middlesbrough D 1-1 FA Cup 3rd round
13 Jan 2007 Charlton Athletic v Middlesbrough W 1-3 Premier League
16 Jan 2007 Middlesbrough v Hull City W 4-3 FA Cup 3rd round replay
20 Jan 2007 Middlesbrough v Bolton Wanderers W 5-1 Premier League
27 Jan 2007 Bristol City v Middlesbrough D 2-2 FA Cup 4th round
30 Jan 2007 Portsmouth v Middlesbrough D 0-0 Premier League
03 Feb 2007 Middlesbrough v Arsenal D 1-1 Premier League
10 Feb 2007 Chelsea v Middlesbrough L 3-0 Premier League
13 Feb 2007 Middlesbrough v Bristol City W 2-2 (5-4) FA Cup 4th round replay
17 Feb 2007 Middlesbrough v West Bromwich Albion D 2-2 FA Cup 5th round
17 Mar 2007 Middlesbrough v Manchester City L 0-2 Premier League
19 Mar 2007 Manchester United v Middlesbrough L 1-0 FA Cup 6th round replay
31 Mar 2007 West Ham United v Middlesbrough L 2-0 Premier League
07 Apr 2007 Middlesbrough v Watford W 4-1 Premier League
14 Apr 2007 Middlesbrough v Aston Villa L 1-3 Premier League


Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.

International stats

Season Team Competition Apps Subs Goals Y R
1988-89 Portugal World Youth Cup 2
1
1990-91 Portugal World Youth Cup 4
1991-92 Portugal Toulon Under-21 1
1991-92 Portugal UEFA Under-21 1
1992-93 Portugal FIFA World Cup 3
1992-93 Portugal UEFA Under-21 3
1993-94 Portugal FIFA World Cup 1
1993-94 Portugal UEFA Under-21 4
1997-98 Portugal International Friendly 1
1998-99 Portugal International Friendly 2
1998-99 Portugal UEFA European Championship 3
1999-00 Portugal International Friendly 2
1999-00 Portugal UEFA European Championship 2
1
1
2000-01 Portugal FIFA World Cup 1
2000-01 Portugal International Friendly 1
2001-02 Portugal FIFA World Cup
1
2001-02 Portugal International Friendly 2


Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.

International matches

Date Match Result Competition Round
20 Feb 1989 Nigeria v Portugal W 0-1 World Youth Cup Group A
22 Feb 1989 Saudi Arabia v Portugal L 3-0 World Youth Cup Group A
28 Feb 1989 Portugal v Brazil W 1-0 World Youth Cup Semi-final
14 Jun 1991 Portugal v Republic of Ireland W 2-0 World Youth Cup Group A
17 Jun 1991 Portugal v Argentina W 3-0 World Youth Cup Group A
22 Jun 1991 Portugal v Mexico W 2-1 World Youth Cup Quarter-final
26 Jun 1991 Portugal v Australia W 1-0 World Youth Cup Semi-final
15 Oct 1991 Netherlands v Portugal D 1-1 UEFA U21 Group
29 May 1992 Portugal v USA W 2-0 Toulon Under-21 Group B
13 Oct 1992 Scotland v Portugal D 0-0 UEFA U21 Group 1
23 Jan 1993 Malta v Portugal W 0-2 UEFA U21 Group 1
23 Feb 1993 Portugal v Italy W 2-0 UEFA U21 Group 1
31 Mar 1993 Switzerland v Portugal D 1-1 FIFA World Cup Group 1
28 Apr 1993 Portugal v Scotland W 5-0 FIFA World Cup Group 1
19 Jun 1993 Portugal v Malta W 4-0 FIFA World Cup Group 1
05 Sep 1993 Estonia v Portugal W 0-2 FIFA World Cup Group 1
18 Nov 1993 Italy v Portugal L 2-1 UEFA U21 Group 1
09 Mar 1994 Poland v Portugal W 1-3 UEFA U21 Quarter-final
15 Apr 1994 Portugal v Spain W 2-0 UEFA U21 Semi-final
20 Apr 1994 Italy v Portugal L 1-0 UEFA U21 Final
22 Apr 1998 England v Portugal L 3-0 International Friendly
19 Aug 1998 Portugal v Mozambique W 2-1 International Friendly
10 Oct 1998 Portugal v Romania L 0-1 UEFA European Championship Group 7
14 Oct 1998 Slovakia v Portugal W 0-3 UEFA European Championship Group 7
18 Nov 1998 Portugal v Israel W 2-0 International Friendly
05 Jun 1999 Portugal v Slovakia W 1-0 UEFA European Championship Group 7
10 Oct 1999 Portugal v Hungary W 3-0 UEFA European Championship Group 7
29 Mar 2000 Portugal v Denmark W 2-1 International Friendly
26 Apr 2000 Italy v Portugal L 2-0 International Friendly
12 Jun 2000 Portugal v England W 3-2 UEFA European Championship Finals Group A
28 Jun 2000 France v Portugal L 2-1 UEFA European Championship Finals semi-final
28 Feb 2001 Portugal v Andorra W 3-0 FIFA World Cup Europe group 2
25 Apr 2001 France v Portugal L 4-0 International Friendly
17 Apr 2002 Portugal v Brazil D 1-1 International Friendly
25 May 2002 China PR v Portugal W 0-2 International Friendly
14 Jun 2002 Portugal v Korea Republic L 0-1 FIFA World Cup Finals Group D


Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.