Luis Carlos Novo Neto , Portuguese football player, central defender. He was born on May 26, 1988 in Portugal, in Povoa de Varzine. He started playing football at the age of ten for the club's youth team. Varzim ". Eight years later, in 2006, Luis, as a promising young player, was invited to the main team of the adult team of this club. He entered the field for the first time in a cup match against the Lisbon club " Benfica » in 2007. In just five years of performances for " Varzim » Luis played fifty-three matches, scoring two goals. Season 2011/2012 Neto spends for the Portuguese football club " National ”, and, I must say, he plays it very well - he is in his place on the field and confidently takes his place in the main team. In 2012, the Italian club " Siena ". The management of the clubs reached an agreement, and Luis is sent to play abroad. Almost at the same time, he is part of the Portuguese national team, he played the first match in February 2013 against the team of Ecuador. In 2008 and 2009, Luis also quite successfully played for the youth team of Portugal. In February 2013, Luis Neto signed a contract with Zenit St. Petersburg; he played his first match at the end of February in the 1/16 finals of the UEFA Europa League against Liverpool. As part of Zenit, he became the silver medalist of the Russian Football Championship in 2012/2013.
Photo from the official website of FC Zenit.
The spirit of fighting in the small towns of Portugal, adapting to playing in the cold, family traditions of football and the decision to grow a beard - Luis Neto visited the Radio Zenit studio for the first time.
Let's start with a little excursion into your childhood. How did it happen that you connected your life with football?
- In my family, many people played football: my uncle played for Varzim, the club of our city, my father also played, however, at an amateur level. My story is the same as many others: for me, playing football is a childhood dream. I started playing football at the age of seven at the club in my hometown, and there I formed as a football player. Then I went to Madeira, where I played in the first division. Then there were six months in Siena, and now - Zenit.
(audience question): Do you enjoy any sports besides football?
- I like footwalley, now this game is becoming widespread, in Brazil many people are fond of it. Footwalls are played on the sand over a net, two on two, using the legs and head, but not the arms. I also like to watch basketball, but I don't play it very well. Of course, football is the main thing for me, but I am interested in other sports too.
How about ice hockey? Have your Portuguese comrades already taken you to SKA?
- Yes, we already talked about this with Danny. He promised to take me with him the next time he went to a match. I know that this is a very important sport for Russia; so important that many Zenit have hockey sticks I have seen them. I think hockey is very interesting. I will definitely try to get into the game.
(audience question): Tell me, Luis, did the agent convince you to join our club, or was Zenit on the list of clubs where you yourself would like to play?
- When my agent and the management of Siena called and said that Zenit was interested in me, I was delighted. Not only because there are players here with whom I speak the same language; Zenit is one of the strongest clubs in Russia, besides, they regularly play in European competitions. For me, the invitation to this team was a new challenge, a new stage in my career.
When Zenit made the official move offer, did you call up your Portugal teammates Bruno Alves and Miguel Danni?
- I knew Alves long before moving to Zenit, because we come from the same city and lived in the neighborhood. So, of course, I called him and asked about Zenit and what he thought about my possible transition. Bruno advised me to agree without hesitation, and gave Danny's number, with whom I did not yet know. I called Miguel and he said that I should agree to the transfer - it's a beautiful city, a strong team and incredible fans. But, despite the fact that I consulted with them, I made the decision to move on my own. It was important for me to constantly play in Europe, so the invitation to Zenit was a new stage in my career.
The city of Luhansk gave us such great football players as Sergei Semak and Alexander Gorshkov. You were born in the same city as Bruno Alves. What is the secret of the town of Povua de Varzim, in which so many great defenders appear: Bruno Alves' father, Alves himself, you?
- Not only me and Bruno play in a strong club. There are many more Portuguese who play for the best clubs in the world, such as Hélder Postiga and Fabio Coentrão. Bruno and I were born in Povoa de Varzim, they were born in the neighboring town, Vila do Conde. All the guys who play football in these cities are distinguished by their strength and endurance. Perhaps the whole point is that these cities are located on the coast, and people are forced to fight the elements all the time in order to catch fish and ensure their existence. And this fighting spirit that is
by nature for each of the inhabitants of our cities, helps to achieve the highest goals
(audience question): Who is the easiest person to communicate with in a team of foreigners and Russians?
- Naturally, at first I talked a lot with Alves, Danny, Hulk, Krishito and Witsel, because we all speak Italian. Of the Russians, I quickly found a common language with Sergei Semak. He speaks English, besides, he played in foreign championships and knows firsthand how difficult it is to adapt in a foreign country when you do not know the language. He helped me a lot to get used to it. In general, I have established a good relationship with all the Russian players in the team.
(audience question): Do you know Fernando Meira?
- Yes. I met him when Fernando was playing in Portugal for the Guimarães team, which was based near my hometown. Now he works as an agent in Portugal. Both Bruno and Danny still remember him and speak only positively about him.
(audience question): How do you play in Russia in the invigorating frost?
- I must admit that the match with Mordovia was the most difficult game in my career. Before that, I had never played in such difficult weather conditions. While I was on the field, I prayed to God that the game would end soon, so that we could warm ourselves with a hot shower. It was very hard.
Luis, tell me, how do you perceive the Russian championship?
- At first glance, it seemed to me that it was easier to play in the Russian championship than in Portugal or Italy. But now I understand that it is not so. Teams like Mordovia and Alania play defensive football and it is very difficult to push through their defense and score a goal. If it is not possible to print the gates of such an opponent at the very beginning of the game, then it is extremely difficult to bring the match to victory later. At the same time, many high-class football players play in the championship; there are eight or nine teams that are always difficult to play with for everyone, including Zenit. I think that Russian Premier League- a strong championship, and I made the right choice.
What are the requirements of the coaching staff for you? Is it required, for example, to participate in attacking actions?
- Luciano Spalletti wants the central defenders to play simply, to perform the necessary actions, not to take risks in their zone. He knows my style of play and all my qualities and tells me to play the best I can and always be concentrated.
You managed to play in Siena together with Alessandro Rosina. Did he tell you anything about Zenith?
- Rozina talked a lot about St. Petersburg, we even made fun of him about it. He fell in love with this city very much, and he has a high opinion of Zenith.
(audience question): You play quite risky at times. Is this your style, or are you trying to prove yourself in order to gain a foothold in the team?
– I think my style of play involves some risk. I go to tackles, I try to get ahead of the opponent's players. I know that I made some unnecessary fouls when I started playing for Zenit. But I work on myself and try to avoid risk whenever possible.
(audience question): Going back to Siena, how does it feel to start the league with minus six points?
- Hard. If we imagine that Zenit would start with such a backlog, it would be easier: the team that is fighting for the championship would reduce this difference with each game. “Siena” is fighting for survival, and it is psychologically very difficult for such a team to start with minus six points. We won, we drew - it was all a waste
thuja. After ten matches, we had, in my opinion, one point. It was very hard to look at the table and see this. But now the situation has leveled off, there are seven matches left until the end of the Italian championship, and I think Siena will cope.
So many questions about your beard. You and I understand that this is an important component of the image of a man - but for a modern football player this is still an unexpected choice. Tell us how you came to the decision to grow a beard? You don't like to shave?
- No, when I was 17-18 years old, I always shaved, then I did not like the idea of wearing a beard. But one day it so happened that she grew a little. I looked in the mirror and I liked it. Haven't shaved since. I don't know how good it looks, but I like it.
Zenit's line of defense this spring is, in fact, experimental. How do you play with Gubochan or Rodich on the left?
- I think Zenit's defense is very strong. Lomberts, Gubochan, Rodic, Lukovic, Bruno, Anyukov are all great players. Yes, Criscito had surgery, Lomberts had some minor problems, but Gubochan is doing an excellent job. We all work, we give our best, no matter who enters the field. In the last three games, we never conceded; you need to continue in the same vein and further.
Two traditional questions, without which not a single first interview of new Zenit players can do: how are you doing with the Russian language, and what is your favorite dish?
– I like Italian cuisine, my favorite dish is pasta. In general, the Zenit food is very good. With the Russian language is not very good, I'm at the very beginning stage. I can say “how are you”, “good”, “please”, “thank you”, “good morning”, “bye”. It's not much, but soon I'll start learning the language. I should be able to talk to people; I think it's very important for adaptation. For example, if I get into some restaurant or somewhere else where no one speaks English, it will be very difficult. I need to know the basics of the language, then I can go anywhere and not worry.
I understand that you and Axel Witsel have the same Russian teacher?
“It was actually a secret. Well, now we can probably say. Yes, tomorrow we start studying Russian together with Witsel. Maybe next time I come I will be able to say something in Russian!
As far as I know, the family came to visit you. Are they interested in Petersburg? Have you been to museums?
- Of course, it's interesting. The only problem is that I'm not very comfortable driving here yet, I don't know the city very well yet. I have a GPS navigator, but if something happens to it, it becomes very tight. We have to call the police for help, ha ha! But they help me, explain how to get to Nevsky, to the Hermitage and so on. We spend a lot of time at home, because it is still very cold outside, but sometime you have to get out and look at the sun.
Lagging behind CSKA is eight points. What are the challenges facing Zenit for the rest of the season? Konstantin Zyryanov, for example, believes that it is necessary to win silver medals and the Russian Cup.
- I agree with Zyryanov - it would be great to win the National Cup. As for the championship, if we win three or four games, and CSKA lose their matches, then we will be able to impose a fight on the army team at the very end of the championship. Of course, closing the gap with CSKA will not be easy, the Moscow team is playing great this season, but there are still seven games to go, and anything can happen. I believe that we can still fight for the championship.
Luis Carlos Nova Neto(port. Luis Carlos Novo Neto; born May 26, 1988, in Povoa de Varzina, Portugal), better known as Luis Neto- Portuguese football player, central defender football club"Zenith" and the Portuguese national team.
Club career
"Varzim"
The youth career began at the academy of the Varzim club, where Neto spent eight years. In the summer of 2006, he signed a contract with the club, for which he played for five years. He played in 53 matches, although at one time he fell into disgrace and settled in the reserve for a long time.
"Nacional"
In the summer of 2011, Neto received an offer to move to the Nacional Funchal club, which played in the elite division of the championship. In the 2011/12 season, Neto quickly established himself in starting lineup and helped the club to a seventh-place finish.
"Sienna"
In the summer of 2012, the Portuguese went abroad for the first time, becoming a player in the Italian club Siena. Played 4 matches for the youth national team of Portugal. In October 2012, he received his first call-up to the Portuguese national team.
"Zenith"
On February 1, 2013, he signed a contract with Zenit Petersburg. The transfer amount was 7 million euros. He made his debut with the club on February 21 in the match of the 1/16 finals of the Europa League against Liverpool.
In January 2015, he said that he would like to play for Olympiacos
I have an agreement with Olympiacos. But now we need to find out if Zenit will accept the offer. As I said earlier, I cannot rule out any turn of events. I know Olympiacos and its head coach Vitor Pereira well. For me, this is a great option, I would like to play there. But I have a valid contract, so I can't say anything concrete.www.gazzetta.gr/
International career
An excerpt characterizing Neto, Luis
On the 30th, Pierre returned to Moscow. Almost at the outpost he met the adjutant of Count Rostopchin.“And we are looking for you everywhere,” said the adjutant. “The Count needs to see you. He asks you to come to him immediately on a very important matter.
Pierre, without stopping home, took a cab and drove to the commander-in-chief.
Count Rostopchin only arrived in town this morning from his country dacha in Sokolniki. The antechamber and reception room of the count's house were full of officials who came at his request or for orders. Vasilchikov and Platov had already seen the count and explained to him that it was impossible to defend Moscow and that it would be surrendered. Although these news were hidden from the inhabitants, the officials, the heads of various departments knew that Moscow would be in the hands of the enemy, just as Count Rostopchin knew it; and all of them, in order to lay down their responsibility, came to the commander-in-chief with questions about how they should deal with the units entrusted to them.
While Pierre entered the reception room, the courier, who came from the army, left the count.
The courier waved his hand hopelessly at the questions addressed to him, and passed through the hall.
While waiting in the waiting room, Pierre looked with tired eyes at the various, old and young, military and civil, important and unimportant officials who were in the room. Everyone seemed dissatisfied and restless. Pierre approached one group of officials, in which one was his acquaintance. After greeting Pierre, they continued their conversation.
- How to send and return again, there will be no trouble; and in such a situation one cannot answer for anything.
“Why, he writes,” said another, pointing to the printed paper he held in his hand.
- That's another matter. This is necessary for the people,” said the first.
- What is it? Pierre asked.
- And here's a new poster.
Pierre took it in his hands and began to read:
“The Most Serene Prince, in order to quickly connect with the troops that are coming towards him, crossed Mozhaisk and stood in a strong place where the enemy would not suddenly attack him. Forty-eight cannons with shells have been sent to him from here, and his Serene Highness says that he will defend Moscow to the last drop of blood and is ready to fight even in the streets. You, brothers, do not look at the fact that government offices have been closed: things need to be cleaned up, and we will deal with the villain with our court! When it comes to something, I need fellows, both urban and rural. I'll call a call for two days, but now it's not necessary, I'm silent. Good with an ax, not bad with a horn, and best of all is a triple pitchfork: a Frenchman is not heavier than a sheaf of rye. Tomorrow, after dinner, I am taking Iverskaya to the Ekaterininsky hospital, to the wounded. We will sanctify the water there: they will recover sooner; and I am now healthy: my eye hurt, and now I look both ways.
“And the military people told me,” said Pierre, “that it’s impossible to fight in the city and that the position ...
“Well, yes, that’s what we’re talking about,” said the first official.
- And what does it mean: my eye hurt, and now I look in both? Pierre said.
“The count had barley,” said the adjutant, smiling, “and he was very worried when I told him that people came to ask what was the matter with him. And what, count, ”the adjutant suddenly said, turning to Pierre with a smile,“ we heard that you have family concerns? What if the countess, your wife ...
“I didn’t hear anything,” Pierre said indifferently. – What did you hear?
- No, you know, because they often invent. I say what I heard.
– What did you hear?
“Yes, they say,” the adjutant said again with the same smile, “that the countess, your wife, is going abroad. Probably nonsense...
“Perhaps,” said Pierre, looking absently around him. - Who's that? he asked, pointing to a short old man in a clean blue coat, with a big beard as white as snow, the same eyebrows, and a ruddy face.
- This? This is a merchant alone, that is, he is an innkeeper, Vereshchagin. Have you heard this story about the proclamation?
- Oh, so this is Vereshchagin! - said Pierre, peering into the firm and calm face of the old merchant and looking for an expression of treachery in him.
- It's not him. This is the father of the one who wrote the proclamation,” said the adjutant. - That young one, sits in a hole, and it seems to him that it will be bad.
One old man, in a star, and the other, a German official, with a cross around his neck, approached the conversation.
“You see,” said the adjutant, “this is a complicated story. Appeared then, about two months ago, this proclamation. The Count was brought. He ordered an investigation. Here Gavrilo Ivanovich was looking for, this proclamation was in exactly sixty-three hands. He will come to one: who do you get from? - From that. He goes to: who are you from? etc., we got to Vereshchagin ... an undereducated merchant, you know, a merchant, my dear, - the adjutant said smiling. - They ask him: from whom do you have? And most importantly, we know from whom he has. He has no one else to get from, as from the director's mail. But, apparently, there was a strike between them. He says: from no one, I composed it myself. And they threatened and asked, he stood on that: he composed it himself. So they reported to the Count. The count ordered to call him. "From whom do you have a proclamation?" - "I wrote it myself." Well, you know the Count! the adjutant said with a proud and cheerful smile. - He flared up terribly, and think about it: such impudence, lies and stubbornness! ..
- A! The Count needed to point out Klyucharev, I understand! Pierre said.
“It’s not necessary at all,” the adjutant said frightened. - There were sins for Klyucharev even without this, for which he was exiled. But the fact is that the count was very indignant. “How could you compose? says the Count. I took this "Hamburg newspaper" from the table. - There she is. You didn’t compose, but translated, and translated it badly, because you don’t know French, you fool.” What do you think? “No, he says, I didn’t read any newspapers, I composed them.” “And if so, then you are a traitor, and I will put you on trial, and you will be hanged. Tell me, from whom did you get it? “I didn’t see any newspapers, but I composed them.” And so it remained. The count also called on his father: he stands his ground. And they put him on trial, and sentenced, it seems, to hard labor. Now the father has come to plead for him. But bad boy! You know, a kind of merchant's son, a dandy, a seducer, he listened to lectures somewhere and already thinks that the devil is not his brother. After all, what a young man! His father has a tavern here by the Stone Bridge, so in the tavern, you know, there is a large image of the Almighty God and a scepter is presented in one hand, a power in the other; so he took this image home for a few days and what did he do! Found the bastard painter...
In the middle of this new story, Pierre was called to the commander in chief.
Pierre entered Count Rostopchin's office. Rostopchin, grimacing, was rubbing his forehead and eyes with his hand, while Pierre entered. The short man was saying something, and as soon as Pierre entered, he fell silent and left.
- A! Hello, great warrior, - said Rostopchin, as soon as this man left. - Heard about your prouesses [glorious deeds]! But that's not the point. Mon cher, entre nous, [Between us, my dear,] are you a Mason? - said Count Rostopchin in a stern tone, as if there was something wrong in this, but that he intended to forgive. Pierre was silent. - Mon cher, je suis bien informe, [To me, my dear, everything is well known,] but I know that there are Masons and Freemasons, and I hope that you do not belong to those who, under the guise of saving the human race, want to destroy Russia.
“Yes, I am a Mason,” answered Pierre.
“Well, you see, my dear. I think you are not unaware that Messrs. Speransky and Magnitsky have been sent to the right place; the same was done with Mr. Klyucharev, the same with others who, under the guise of building the temple of Solomon, tried to destroy the temple of their fatherland. You can understand that there are reasons for this and that I could not exile the local postmaster if he were not a harmful person. Now I know that you sent him yours. a carriage to get out of the city and even that you took papers from him for safekeeping. I love you and do not wish you harm, and since you are half my age, I, as a father, advise you to stop all contact with such people and leave here yourself as soon as possible.
- But what, count, is Klyucharev's fault? Pierre asked.
“It is my business to know and not yours to ask me,” cried Rostopchin.
“If he is accused of distributing Napoleon’s proclamations, then this has not been proven,” said Pierre (without looking at Rostopchin), “and Vereshchagin ...
Luis Neto is a Portuguese football player, the central defender of Zenit St. Petersburg and the Portuguese national team, the champion of Russia in 2015. He began his career as part of the Varzim football club, spent the 2012/13 season in the ranks of the Italian Siena. Since 2013 he has been the leading central defender of Zenit, vice-champion of the Premier League 2013/14, Champion of Russia 2015. He has been playing in the Portuguese national team since 2013, a participant in the world championship in Brazil.
- Full name: Luis Carlos Novo Neto
- Date and place of birth: May 26, 1987, Povoa de Varzim (Portugal)
- Position: central defender
Luis Neto club career
Luis spent eight years in the notorious academy of the Varzim club. In 2006, he signed a professional contract with this club and made his debut at the highest level. In the ranks of "Varzim" he spent 5 years, he acted in the main, then in the backup team. In 2011, he moved to the ranks of Nacional. In this team, he spent a confident season 2011/12, played in 25 matches of the Portuguese Primeira.
In the summer of 2012, he was bought by the Italian Siena. In this team he played 20 matches, scored 1 goal. At the end of the season, the team was relegated from Italy's elite division, and Netu signed an agreement with Zenit St. Petersburg. On February 1, 2013, the defender moved to the blue-white-blue camp for 7 million euros. On February 21, he made his debut in the St. Petersburg club, coming out in the starting lineup of the match against Liverpool.
In the 2013/14 season, he was a key player in the St. Petersburg club, played 25 out of 30 matches in the Premier League, as well as 7 matches in the Champions League. Helped Zenit win silver medals in the national championship. In the 2014/15 season, Neto won the championship title with the "anti-aircraft gunners". The Portuguese took part in just 10 meetings, losing in competition to the Argentine central defender Ezequiel Garay. In January 2015, he was close to moving to the ranks of the Greek Olympiacos, but the anti-aircraft gunners kept the player in the squad.
In the summer of 2015, Olympiacos again tried to acquire a defender of the Portuguese national team, but this time was also refused. A couple of days before the start of the 2014/15 season, Neto extended the agreement with the St. Petersburg club for two years. He appeared in the starting lineup for the 2015 Russian Super Cup match, as well as in the first round of the 2015/16 season. In both meetings I received a warning.
Luis Neto's international career
Played 8 matches for the Portugal Under-20s and Under-21s. Since 2013, he has been a player in the main team of the Portuguese, on February 7, 2013 he made his debut in a match against Ecuador. In the summer of 2014, he went as part of the “chosen ones” to the world championship in Brazil, but did not enter the field.
Achievements of Luis Neto
- Champion of Russia 2015
- Vice-champion of Russia 2014
- Cup of Russia 2016
- Winner of the Russian Super Cup 2015, 2016
However, he managed to say his word during his playing career. At the moment, he is one of the most useful legionnaires in the St. Petersburg "Zenith" - but he played not only for the Russian team. In this article, you will learn what this central defender managed to achieve, which clubs he played for, what role he played in the Portuguese national team, and so on. Luis Neto is a very interesting player who has had quite an impressive and varied career.
Carier start
Luis Neto was born on May 26, 1988 in Portugal, where he began to get involved in football. Already at the age of ten, he ended up in the football academy of the small Varzim club, where he spent his entire childhood. There he learned all the skills, got practice before signing a professional contract with this club in 2006. However, initially no one considered him as a promising or promising footballer - his level was far from the highest. Therefore, in his first season for the adult team "Varzim" he played only one match. In subsequent years, the situation did not improve much - Neto played only 27 matches in three years, which was extremely small. He was already 22 years old when he was allowed to join the club's base - only in the 2010/2011 season did he start coming out from the first minutes of the match and quickly showed himself from the very better side. In one season, he played more games than in the previous four years, while scoring two more goals. But the complete lack of trust of the club's management in the past led Luis Neto to refuse to renew his contract with the club. As a result, in 2011, the 23-year-old defender moved to Nacional.
Move to Nacional
Already from the first matches for Nacional, Luis Neto, whose biography says that from that moment on, the player’s life took a sharp turn, showed that this club was just a starting step for him to get into a stronger team. There he spent only one season, played 32 matches in which he scored one goal. And immediately received an offer from the Italian "Siena" - this meant that the defender would participate in one of the strongest European championships. "Nacional", of course, received compensation for the player in the amount of almost four million euros. However, Luis Neto is a football player who will never rest on his laurels, which is why he did not stay long in Italy either.
Performances in Italy
In the new club, Neto did not even have time to play a season - he arrived in the summer and left already in the winter. The fact is that the Russian club Zenit became interested in him, and everyone knows that in Russia the schedule of games is very different from that in other countries. Therefore, Neto, having played only 22 matches for Siena, decided to move to St. Petersburg, where he was offered a stunning salary. “Siena” also did not remain deprived – she received six and a half million euros in compensation. That's how it ended up in the club for which he now stands, the Portuguese defender Luis Neto. “Zenith” saw him as a 100% base player, and the Portuguese is still doing an excellent job with his tasks.
Playing for Zenit
Although the Russian championship is not among the top five European championships, Zenit constantly takes part in the Champions League, and under Neto he even won one championship, one cup and two super cups - these were the first trophies in his career for the Portuguese. To date, he has played three and a half seasons for the St. Petersburg club, having entered the field 111 times. Now Neto is 28 years old, which means he has reached the peak of his career, but he is not considered a strong enough player. He does not even receive a call to the national team, although he continues to play constantly in Zenith. His contract runs until 2019, but it is likely that he will be extended. Of course, we should not forget that Zenit acquired this summer who is considered one of the most prominent Russian defenders of recent times. However, Neto can always be saved by his versatility, as he can play both on the right flank of the defense and in the position of a defensive midfielder.
Performances for the national team
In the Portuguese national team, Neto clearly does not play leading roles - he made his debut only in 2013, when he was already 25 years old. But they called him to the national team back in 2012 - they simply didn’t let him out on the field, but kept him in reserve. Neto played his first match against Ecuador, where the Portuguese lost 2:3. As a result, he went to the 2014 World Cup, but spent all three matches on the bench, as he was only fourth in the center of defense - even after Pepe was sent off, it was not him, but Ricardo Costa, who made up the pair. As a result, Neto did not go to Euro 2016 in principle, and at the moment he has played only eleven matches for the national team. The last one was in November 2015, when Luis started for a friendly against Luxembourg. So far, Neto is too young to end his career in the national team, so he is just waiting for his chance, although the probability is extremely small, because even after the departure of Ricardo Costa, the Portuguese have another player to substitute -
