Diogo Carlos Correia Amado (born 21 January 1990) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for U.D. Leiria.

Diogo Amado
Personal information
Full name Diogo Carlos Correia Amado[1]
Date of birth (1990-01-21) 21 January 1990 (age 34)[1]
Place of birth Lagos, Portugal
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
União Leiria
Number 25
Youth career
1998–1999 Centro de Lagos
1999–2001 Esperança Lagos
2001–2009 Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2010 Sporting CP 0 (0)
2009Real Massamá (loan) 6 (0)
2010Odivelas (loan) 12 (0)
2010–2012 União Leiria 15 (1)
2011–2012Estoril (loan) 20 (1)
2012 Sheffield Wednesday 0 (0)
2012–2017 Estoril 124 (5)
2017–2019 Al-Gharafa 40 (3)
2020–2021 Ajman 8 (0)
2022– União Leiria 57 (0)
International career
2006 Portugal U16 5 (1)
2006–2007 Portugal U17 11 (1)
2007–2008 Portugal U18 6 (2)
2008–2009 Portugal U19 6 (0)
2010 Portugal U20 4 (0)
2011–2012 Portugal U21 8 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 June 2024

Club career

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Sporting CP

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Born in Lagos, Algarve, Amado joined Sporting CP's youth system at the age of 11.[2] He made his senior debut in 2009–10, splitting the season between two third division clubs (both on loan), including farm team Real Sport Clube. In June, he was released.[3]

União Leiria

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For 2010–11, Amado joined U.D. Leiria of the Primeira Liga, making his debut in the competition on 15 August in a 0–0 away draw against S.C. Beira-Mar[4] and appearing in exactly half of the league matches as the team finished in tenth position. Ahead of the following campaign, he was loaned to G.D. Estoril Praia in the Segunda Liga.[5]

Amado and Estoril returned to the top flight as champions.[6] His only goal came on 13 May 2012 in the 2–2 home draw with F.C. Arouca, who in turn avoided relegation with that result.[7]

Sheffield Wednesday and Estoril

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Amado signed a two-year contract with Sheffield Wednesday on 10 July 2012,[8] having been recommended to manager Dave Jones by José Semedo, an ex-teammate of Amado from his Sporting youth days. However, he failed to settle and left the following month, rejoining his previous club Estoril.[9]

On 7 October 2012, Amado scored his first goal in the top tier for the side, but in a 1–3 home loss to Rio Ave FC. On 3 April 2016, he repeated the feat but was also sent off for two bookable offences in the 1–0 win over F.C. Paços de Ferreira;[10] in between, he participated twice with them in the UEFA Europa League,[11] scoring against Panathinaikos FC (2–0) and PSV Eindhoven (3–3) in the group stage of the 2014–15 edition.[12][13]

Al-Gharafa

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In July 2017, Amado moved to Al-Gharafa SC from the Qatar Stars League.[14][15] During his tenure, he won back-to-back Stars Cup trophies.[16][17]

Later career

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Amado returned to União de Leiria on 20 January 2022 following a brief spell in the United Arab Emirates with Ajman Club, with the former club now in the newly created Liga 3.[18] He helped it to achieve promotion to division two in 2023.[19]

Honours

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Estoril

Al-Gharafa

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Diogo Amado" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  2. ^ Simões de Abreu, Alexandra (5 August 2023). ""Em Alcochete havia 'A Selva', o quarto do Semedo, Yannick Djaló, Zezinando e Paim. Se nos portávamos mal íamos lá para levar uns carolos"" ["At Alcochete there was 'The Jungle', Semedo, Yannick Djaló, Zezinando and Paim's room. If we misbehaved we would go there for some ass-whooping"]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Dispensados já se treinam" [Surplus already training]. Record (in Portuguese). 2 July 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Beira-Mar e Leiria no 1.º empate da Liga" [Beira-Mar and Leiria in the League's 1st draw] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 15 August 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  5. ^ Silva Pires, Tiago (21 April 2012). "Estoril perto de regressar à I Divisão sete anos depois" [Estoril close to returning to the I Division seven years later]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  6. ^ a b "II Liga: Estoril campeão, sobe à I Liga!" [II League: Estoril champions, promote to I League!] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 6 May 2012. Archived from the original on 25 February 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Estoril-Arouca, 2–2: Empate na festa dos campeões" [Estoril-Arouca, 2–2: Draw in champions' party]. Record (in Portuguese). 13 May 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Sheffield Wednesday sign midfielder Diogo Amado". BBC Sport. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  9. ^ "Diogo Amado reforça canarinhos" [Diogo Amado strengthens canaries]. Record (in Portuguese). 28 August 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Estoril vence e ultrapassa Paços de Ferreira" [Estoril win and surpass Paços de Ferreira]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 3 April 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Estoril mais próximo da Liga Europa após vitória sobre Pasching" [Estoril closer to Europa League following win over Pasching] (in Portuguese). TSF. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Estoril-Panathinaikos, 2–0: O que faltava era esta vitória histórica" [Estoril-Panathinaikos, 2–0: Only this historic win was missing]. Record (in Portuguese). 3 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  13. ^ "LE: Estoril-PSV Eindhoven, 3–3 (resultado final)" [EL: Estoril-PSV Eindhoven, 3–3 (final score)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Negócio confirmado: Diogo Amado diz adeus ao Estoril" [Confirmed deal: Diogo Amado says goodbye to Estoril]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 7 July 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  15. ^ Simões de Abreu, Alexandra (6 August 2023). ""No Catar, o ministro do Desporto disse-me: 'Ou assinas este contrato ou a polícia está à tua espera e encaminha-te para a esquadra'"" ["In Qatar, the Sports minister told me: 'Either you sign this contract or the police will be waiting to take you to the station'"]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  16. ^ a b "Gharafa lift QSL Cup with 3–2 victory over Al Rayyan". Gulf Times. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Al Gharafa beat Al Duhail to stay as QSL Cup champions". Qatar Stars League. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  18. ^ "Diogo Amado regressou à U. Leiria mais de uma década depois de sair" [Diogo Amado returned to U. Leiria more than one decade after leaving] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 20 January 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  19. ^ Paulo, Joaquim (5 May 2023). "Diogo Amado: «U. Leiria merece topo do futebol nacional»" [Diogo Amado: "U. Leiria deserve top national football"]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 6 October 2023.
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