Platini
Platini in action for Cape Verde in 2013
Personal information
Full name Luís Carlos Almada Soares[1]
Date of birth (1986-04-16) 16 April 1986 (age 37)[1]
Place of birth Praia, Cape Verde[1]
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
Sporting Praia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2008 Sporting Praia
2008–2010 Académica 0 (0)
2008–2009 → Tourizense (loan) 6 (0)
2009–2010 → Sertanense (loan) 28 (2)
2010–2013 Santa Clara 80 (10)
2013–2014 Omonia 29 (3)
2014–2015 CSKA Sofia 24 (1)
2015 Al Ittihad 5 (1)
2016–2017 Dibba Al-Hisn
2017–2018 Politehnica Iași 33 (7)
2018 Sanat Naft 5 (0)
2018–2021 Politehnica Iași 81 (10)
International career‡
2012– Cape Verde 27 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:57, 10 June 2021 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 November 2020

Luís Carlos Almada Soares (born 16 April 1986), commonly known as Platini, is a Cape Verdean professional footballer who plays as a winger.

He spent five years of his professional career in Portugal in addition to playing in seven other countries, and chose his name in honour of French international Michel Platini.[2]

Platini made his international debut for Cape Verde in 2012, and represented the country at two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Club career

Portugal

Born in Praia, Cape Verde, Platini started playing football for the local team Sporting Clube da Praia, making his debut in 2006. He moved to Portugal in 2008, joining Associação Académica de Coimbra.[2]

Platini never appeared officially for the Students, who loaned him to two Portuguese Second Division clubs in consecutive seasons, G.D. Tourizense and Sertanense FC. In the summer of 2010 he signed a three-year contract with C.D. Santa Clara of the Segunda Liga,[3] appearing in 19 games for the Azores team in his first year, 11 as a substitute; one of his two goals came on 31 October 2010, in a 2–0 home win against C.F. Os Belenenses.[4]

Later years

On 22 June 2013, Platini joined Cypriot First Division side AC Omonia.[5] In July of the following year, he signed for two seasons with PFC CSKA Sofia from Bulgaria.[6] He returned to Africa to play for Egypt's Al Ittihad Alexandria Club, but left in January 2016 alleging that he had not been paid for five months.[7]

In the summer of 2017, after ending his contract with Dibba Al-Hisn Sports Club from the United Arab Emirates,[8] Platini moved to Romanian club CSM Politehnica Iași on a two-year deal.[9] On 26 October, he scored the only goal in the 1–0 victory over FC Steaua București.[10]

Platini agreed to a one-year contract with Sanat Naft Abadan F.C. of the Iran Pro League on 29 June 2018.[11] He played their first five matches of the season, then returned to Iași in September.[12]

International career

Platini made his debut for Cape Verde in 2012. He scored the Blue Sharks' first goal in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations – also a first-ever in the tournament – opening the scoring in the 1–1 draw against Morocco in Durban.[13]

Career statistics

International

Cape Verde[14]
Year Apps Goals
2012 1 0
2013 9 1
2014 3 0
2015 6 0
2016 0 0
2017 2 0
2018 3 0
2019 1 0
2020 2 0
Total 27 1

International goals

As of 23 January 2013 (Cape Verde score listed first, score column indicates score after each Platini goal)[14]
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 23 January 2013 Moses Mabhida, Durban, South Africa  Morocco
1–0
1–1
 2013 Africa Cup of Nations

Honours

Sporting Praia

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Platini" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Um ano após 'Platini africano' nascer, Platini francês encerrava sua carreira" [One year after 'African' Platini was born, French Platini ended his career] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 24 January 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Cape Verdean athlete Platini reinforces Santa Clara". A Semana. 19 June 2010. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  4. ^ "Santa Clara vence Belenenses por 2–0" [Santa Clara beat Belenenses by 2–0] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 31 October 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  5. ^ Παίκτης της ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑΣ ο Λουίς Κάρλος Αλμάντα Σοάρες – Πλατινί [Omonia player Luís Carlos Almada Soares – Platini] (in Greek). AC Omonia. 22 June 2013. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  6. ^ "Подписаха с Платини и таран" [Platini and a forward from Luxembourg have signed their contracts] (in Bulgarian). 7 Sport. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  7. ^ "Platini alega salários em atraso e rescinde com o Al Ittihad" [Platini alleges delayed wages and resigns from Al Ittihad] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  8. ^ Pohoata, Narcis (9 June 2017). "Platini în Copou" [Platini to Copou]. ProSport (in Romanian). Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  9. ^ "Poli Iasi face 4 transferuri noi" [Poli Iasi make 4 new signings] (in Romanian). Pro X. 16 July 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  10. ^ "VIDEO Supergol în Liga 1! Platini de la CSM Poli Iași și-a respectat numele și i-a făcut pe fani să-l aplaude în picioare" [VIDEO Wonder goal in Liga 1! Platini from CSM Poli Iaşi honoured his name and made fans cheer him]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 27 October 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  11. ^ "Futebol: Internacional cabo-verdiano Platini vai jogar no Sanate Naft Abadan do Irão" [Football: Capverdean international Platini will play for Iran's Sanat Naft Abadan] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  12. ^ "Futebol/Cabo Verde: Platini regressa ao Poli Iasi da Roménia após curta passagem pelo futebol iraniano" [Football/Cape Verde: Platini returns to Romania's Poli Iași after brief stint in Iranian football] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  13. ^ Fottrell, Stephen (23 January 2013). "Africa Cup of Nations 2013: Morocco 1–1 Cape Verde Islands". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  14. ^ a b "Platini – Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 1 September 2017.

External links

Cape Verde squads
Categories