Hélio Pinto

This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is Ribeiro and the second or paternal family name is Pinto.
Hélio Pinto

Pinto playing for APOEL in 2011
Personal information
Full name Hélio José Ribeiro Pinto
Date of birth (1984-02-29) 29 February 1984
Place of birth Portimão, Portugal
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
Kongsvinger
Number 17
Youth career
1994–1999 Portimonense
1999–2002 Benfica
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2004 Benfica B
2003–2004 Benfica 2 (0)
2004–2006 Sevilla B 18 (0)
2005–2006Apollon Limassol (loan) 25 (2)
2006–2013 APOEL 190 (16)
2013–2015 Legia Warsaw 43 (7)
2015–2016 Al-Mesaimeer 15 (0)
2016 Anorthosis 0 (0)
2016– Kongsvinger 9 (0)
National team
2002–2003 Portugal U19 14 (0)
2004 Portugal U20 1 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 28 October 2016.


Hélio José Ribeiro Pinto (born 29 February 1984) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for the norwegian club Kongsvinger IL Toppfotball in Obosligaen as a central midfielder.

A youth product of Benfica, he spent most of his career with APOEL in Cyprus, appearing in more than 275 official games and winning eight major titles.

Club career

Pinto was born in Portimão, Algarve. A product of S.L. Benfica's youth system, he could never break into the first team, only managing a couple of preseason appearances under José Antonio Camacho; his next stop was in Spain with Sevilla FC, where he incidentally also only played with the reserves.

Still owned by Sevilla, Pinto played the 2005–06 season in Cyprus with Apollon Limassol. Being released in the following summer his career settled with another club in the country, APOEL FC.

During his spell with APOEL, Pinto was an important member as it won the Cypriot First Division on four occasions, adding amongst other trophies the domestic cup in 2007–08. He also appeared in all six group stage games of the side, in its first UEFA Champions League participation.

Pinto played in eight matches in the 2011–12 Champions League, as the Nicosia-based team surprisingly reached the quarter-finals of the competition. On 5 June 2013 he signed a three-year contract extension with APOEL[1] but, late into the month, announced he was leaving the club after seven successful years.[2]

On 21 June 2013, Pinto signed a two-year contract (with an option for another season) with Legia Warsaw from Poland.[3] He was released two years later,[4] moving to the Qatar Stars League with Al-Mesaimeer Sports Club shortly after.[5]

On 2 February 2016, Pinto returned to Cyprus and joined Anorthosis Famagusta FC.[6]

On 6 August 2016, Pinto signed for Kongsvinger IL.

International career

On 27 July 2012, Pinto gained Cypriot nationality, and the Cyprus Football Association subsequently waited for FIFA approval on whether could play for the national team.[7] The governing body eventually ruled he could not represent his adopted nation after having appeared for Portugal at under-19 and under-20 levels.

Statistics

As of 2 February 2016
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Benfica 2002–03[8] Primeira Liga 00000000
2003–04[8] Primeira Liga 20201[lower-alpha 1]050
Total 20201050
Sevilla B 2004–05[8] Segunda División B 180180
Apollon (loan) 2005–06[8] Cypriot First Division 252252
APOEL 2006–07[8] Cypriot First Division 234813000345
2007–08[8][9] Cypriot First Division 282802[lower-alpha 2]01[lower-alpha 3]1393
2008–09[8][9] Cypriot First Division 272515[lower-alpha 1]21[lower-alpha 3]0385
2009–10[8][9] Cypriot First Division 2517212[lower-alpha 2]01[lower-alpha 3]0453
2010–11[8][9] Cypriot First Division 261206[lower-alpha 4]1342
2011–12[8][9] Cypriot First Division 3213014[lower-alpha 2]01[lower-alpha 3]0501
2012–13[8][9] Cypriot First Division 295106[lower-alpha 4]1366
Total 190163444844127625
Legia Warsaw 2013–14[9] Ekstraklasa 256217[lower-alpha 5]0347
2014–15[9] Ekstraklasa 181202[lower-alpha 2]000221
Total 437419000568
Al-Mesaimeer 2015–16[9] Qatar Stars League 150150
Career total 293254055844139535

Honours

Apollon
APOEL
Legia Warsaw

References

  1. "Pinto Δεκαετίας!" (in Greek). APOEL FC. 5 June 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  2. "Helio Pinto Σ' ευχαριστούμε" [Helio Pinto thank you] (in Greek). APOEL FC. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  3. "Helio Pinto i Łukasz Broź w Legii" [Helio Pinto and Łukasz Broź to Legia] (in Polish). Legia Warsaw. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  4. "Helio Pinto odchodzi z Legii" [Helio Pinto leaves Legia] (in Polish). Legia Warsaw. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  5. "Hélio Pinto apresentado no Al-Mesaimeer do Qatar" [Hélio Pinto presented at Qatar's Al-Mesaimeer] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 22 June 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  6. Hajiloizis, Mario (2 February 2016). "Anorthosis Famagusta announce Hélio Pinto signing". Sigma Live. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  7. Κύπριοι υπήκοοι οι Πίντο, Τζούνιορ και Λαμπάν [Pinto, Junior and Laban Cypriot nationals] (in Greek). Cyprus Football Association. 27 July 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Hélio Pinto". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Helio Pinto". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
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