Carlos Xavier

Carlos Jorge Marques Caldas Xavier (born 26 January 1962) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a midfielder.

Football career

Born in Lourenço Marques, Portuguese Mozambique, Xavier began his professional career with Lisbon-based Sporting Clube de Portugal, already being a regular first-team fixture at age 19. He played 23 Primeira Liga games as the Lions won the title in the 1981–82 season, which would be the last until 2000.

In 1991, after more than 250 competitive appearances, Xavier moved, alongside compatriot and teammate Oceano, to Spain's Real Sociedad, where the pair was equally influential, having been reunited with former Sporting boss John Toshack at the La Liga side.

In 1994, Xavier and Oceano returned to Sporting, and the former played two more years before retiring at the age of 34. In the 2004–05 campaign he had a brief spell at coaching, assisting at another club from the capital and the top division, G.D. Estoril Praia.

Xavier gained ten caps for Portugal, then switched successfully to its beach soccer team.