Vasco Fernandes (footballer)


Vasco Herculano Salgado Cunha Mango Fernandes is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a right back or a central defender for Turkish club Ümraniyespor.

Club career

Born in Olhão, Algarve of Guinea-Bissauan descent, Fernandes started his professional career with hometown's S.C. Olhanense, making his debut in the second division. Prior to that, he was loaned to FC Girondins de Bordeaux from France, but never appeared officially for the Ligue 1 club.
After another loan, now in Spain with UD Salamanca where he teamed up with countryman Zé Tó, Fernandes returned to Portugal, after being bought by Leixões SC. He played in roughly half of the games during the season, as the Matosinhos team overachieved for a final sixth place in the Primeira Liga; his debut in the competition took place on 24 August 2008, when he played the full 90 minutes in a 1–3 home loss against C.D. Nacional.
Fernandes was loaned again for the 2009–10 campaign, also in Spain and in its second level, moving to RC Celta de Vigo. He was much more regularly used than in his previous stint in the country, although the Galicians constantly battled relegation even though they finished 12th.
On 1 July 2010, Fernandes left Leixões permanently and joined Elche CF – still in Spain and its division two. In the following years he rarely settled with a club, representing S.C. Beira-Mar and Olhanense in his country as well as Platanias FC and Aris Thessaloniki FC in Greece and CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu in the Romanian Liga I.
On 3 June 2016, aged nearly 31, Fernandes signed a two-year contract with Vitória F.C. in the Portuguese top tier. He scored his first league goal on 17 September of that year, but in a 1–4 home loss to F.C. Paços de Ferreira.
Fernandes received the first red card of 2017–18, after being sent off with 20 minutes left of the 1–1 home draw against Moreirense FC.

International career

All youth levels comprised, Fernandes won 22 caps for Portugal. He first appeared with the under-21 side on 21 August 2007, starting in a 3–0 friendly win over Malta held in Vila do Conde.

Personal life

Fernandes' father, Herculano, was also a footballer and a defender. He too represented Olhanense and, during a 16-year senior career, appeared in one Portuguese top level game with Académica de Coimbra; he coached his son in Olhanense's juniors, where he played as a forward.

Club statistics