Ricardo Alberto Carvalho

Ricardo Alberto Silveira Carvalho, Order of Infante D. Henrique (; born 18 May 1978 in Amarante) is a Portugal association football who currently plays as a central defender for English Premier League club Chelsea F.C. and the Portugal national football team.

Career

Porto

Carvalho's professional career began at F.C. Porto. In Ricardo Alberto Carvalho youth, Ricardo Alberto Carvalho was considered to have the potential to become a great player, often being compared to Fernando Couto, a successful former player of the club with some similar physical and footballing characteristics. However, it took a couple of years and several loans to minor clubs until Ricardo Alberto Carvalho became a settled player of Porto. Ricardo Alberto Carvalho finally came to prominence during the 2003-04 season, gathering many plaudits for Ricardo Alberto Carvalho impressive performances in the Portuguese Portuguese Liga and UEFA Champions League, both of which Porto won. Ricardo Alberto Carvalho was voted the best defender in the Champions League for 2003-04. The committee that selected Ricardo Alberto Carvalho cited Ricardo Alberto Carvalho strength and exceptional ability to win the ball in the air.

As a result of Ricardo Alberto Carvalho success with Porto and Portugal in 2004, Carvalho was pursued by several top European clubs, and was finally signed by England club Chelsea F.C. for GBP19,850,000.
Ricardo Alberto Carvalho has a son who is 13 and called Paulo Carvalho

Chelsea

At Stamford Bridge (stadium), Carvalho joined Ricardo Alberto Carvalho former manager José Mourinho and former teammate Paulo Ferreira. Ricardo Alberto Carvalho signed for a fee of £19.85 million and performed extremely well in Ricardo Alberto Carvalho first season with Chelsea, helping them to win the Premier League and the Football League Cup. Ricardo Alberto Carvalho scored Ricardo Alberto Carvalho first goal for Chelsea in a 3–1 victory over Norwich City F.C..

The start of 2005-06 in English football was not as smooth for Carvalho, as Ricardo Alberto Carvalho was publicly lambasted by Mourinho after making comments relating to Ricardo Alberto Carvalho lack of match time. Ricardo Alberto Carvalho later returned to favour, though, and was a near-regular in the side from September. Ricardo Alberto Carvalho scored Ricardo Alberto Carvalho second Chelsea goal in the 4–0 home win to Real Betis in the Champions League. Carvalho continued Ricardo Alberto Carvalho scoring run in Europe by netting the second goal in Chelsea's 2–0 away victory over R.S.C. Anderlecht of Belgium, scoring from a Hernán Crespo flick on which Ricardo Alberto Carvalho blasted into the roof of the net. Carvalho received the first Misconduct (football) of Ricardo Alberto Carvalho Chelsea career in January 2006, in Chelsea's 3–2 victory over Fulham F.C., and on 29 April 2006, Ricardo Alberto Carvalho scored a goal in the Barclay's Premier League match against Manchester United F.C., finishing off a move Ricardo Alberto Carvalho had started on the edge of Ricardo Alberto Carvalho own penalty area by smashing the ball into the net, to help Chelsea clinch the title for the second consecutive year. Carvalho scored the equaliser against Manchester United in a 1–1 draw in the following season – a header from a Frank Lampard corner that also bounced off Louis Saha's head. Ricardo Alberto Carvalho scored another in April against Tottenham Hotspur F.C., this time a long-range strike from 30 yards, to earn Ricardo Alberto Carvalho team a 1–0 win.

Carvalho injured the medial ligaments of Ricardo Alberto Carvalho right leg against Bolton Wanderers F.C. on 28 April 2007. The injury meant Carvalho missed the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Liverpool F.C.. Ricardo Alberto Carvalho also missed the FA Cup Final 2007 against Manchester United, which Chelsea won after a goal from Didier Drogba during extra time.

On 18 May 2007, Ricardo Alberto Carvalho 29th birthday, Carvalho signed a five-year contract extension with Chelsea, keeping Ricardo Alberto Carvalho at the club through the 2011-12 season.

For playing so well during the 2006-07 season, Carvalho has been recognized by a number of organisations. Sky Sports listed Ricardo Alberto Carvalho as one of seven candidates for the Premiership's "Defender of the Year". Ricardo Alberto Carvalho was also one of three Chelsea players nominated for the club's "Player of the Year" honour, which was won by Michael Essien.

Carvalho continued Ricardo Alberto Carvalho excellent form into the following campaign. Following the departure of manager José Mourinho, Carvalho was one of the most consistent performers at the club and Ricardo Alberto Carvalho efforts were rewarded when Ricardo Alberto Carvalho scored Ricardo Alberto Carvalho first goal of the season in a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough F.C. in the Premier League. Ricardo Alberto Carvalho has recently played Ricardo Alberto Carvalho 100th appearance for the club against Manchester United F.C., despite Chelsea's 2-1 win, Ricardo Alberto Carvalho marred Ricardo Alberto Carvalho centenary mark with an error that allowed Wayne Rooney to equalise.

On 8 May 2008, Carvalho was voted by Ricardo Alberto Carvalho fellow Chelsea colleagues as Chelsea's Players Player of the Year for 2008, whilst finishing in the top three for Chelsea's Player of the Year award voted by Chelsea fans along with Michael Ballack and Joe Cole.

Carvalho opened Ricardo Alberto Carvalho account for the 2008-09 season against Manchester City F.C. on 13 September 2008.

International career

During this 2003-04 season, Carvalho also had Ricardo Alberto Carvalho debut for Portugal national football team at 11 October 2003 in a 5–3 friendly match win over Albania national football team. Ricardo Alberto Carvalho established himself as a key member of the national team starting eleven during the UEFA Euro 2004 Championship, a tournament in which Ricardo Alberto Carvalho was considered to be one of the best defenders. Carvalho formed a strong partnership with Jorge Andrade in the Portuguese defence as Ricardo Alberto Carvalho country reached the final, though they lost 1–0 to Greece national football team.

Carvalho represented Portugal national football team in a major tournament for the second time, at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. During the quarter-final game against English national football team, Wayne Rooney was controversially adjudged to have stomped Carvalho's groin, right in front of the referee, and was sent off for violent conduct. In the following semi-final game vs. France national football team in Munich on 5 July 2006, Carvalho was whistled for a foul against France's Thierry Henry in the penalty area resulting in a penalty kick. Zinedine Zidane converted the spot kick to give France a 1–0 win over Portugal. Also in the same game, Carvalho was booked with Ricardo Alberto Carvalho second yellow card of the knockout phase, and was forced to miss the third place game vs Germany national football team on 8 July in Stuttgart. Ricardo Alberto Carvalho played all other preceding matches in the cup on the starting lineup, and as a result of Ricardo Alberto Carvalho exhibitions Ricardo Alberto Carvalho was one of the 23 players nominated for the All Star Team of the tournament.

On 6 February 2007, Carvalho scored Ricardo Alberto Carvalho fourth goal for Ricardo Alberto Carvalho country in Portugal national football team 2–0 victory over Brazil national football team in a friendly game staged at the Emirates Stadium in London.

Carvalho was named in the Portuguese Squad for the UEFA Euro 2008 Championship and was a starter in three out of their four matches.