José Bosingwa

José Bosingwa da Silva (born August 24, 1982 in Kinshasa) is a Democratic Republic of Congo-born Portuguese people football (soccer) currently contracted to Chelsea F.C.. He is also a Portugal national football team.

Club career

Born in Democratic Republic of Congo (to a Portuguese father and a Congolese mother), Bosingwa moved with his parents at a very young age to Seia, inner Portugal, in the Guarda district. He was picked as a youth to play in Boavista F.C, where he stayed until picked by José Mourinho in 2003–04 for his FC Porto squad, where he was used sparingly, playing only 11 league games that season. He made his UEFA Champions League debut on September 16, 2003, in a 1–1 away draw with FK Partizan, playing eight matches in the club's 2004 UEFA Champions League Final.

Fully established as a right-back (he started as a midfielder) and Porto's first-choice since the 2004-05 in Portuguese football, after the departures of Paulo Ferreira and veteran Carlos Secretário, Bosingwa was a vital element in the team's conquest of four Portuguese Liga in five seasons.

The season ended on a sour note as, in May 2005, Bosingwa was at the wheel of his jeep when excess speed and wet road conditions led to a serious accident, with the vehicle skidding off the motorway and rolling down an embankment before bursting into flames. Along with the Porto player, four other footballers travelled, including then-Boavista player Nélson Marcos. All escaped alive, but one of them, Sandro Luís (player of modest Grupo Desportivo os Minhocas), had to have his left foot amputated as a result of the accident, which took place in Valongo. Bosingwa was subsequently suspended by the club.

Chelsea

On 11 May, 2008, Porto announced that Bosingwa had come to verbal agreements with Chelsea F.C. for a €20.6million / £16.3m transfer. He put pen to paper on a three-year deal, and joined the London club after UEFA Euro 2008, along with Portugal national team boss Luiz Felipe Scolari and fellow international Deco.
On July 16, 2008, Bosingwa was presented with the number 16. On August 8, 2008, Bosingwa was handed the number 17 for Chelsea, swapping with Scott Sinclair.

Bosingwa made his Champions League debut against FC Girondins de Bordeaux on September 16, 2008, along with his fellow team mate Deco. He scored his first goal for Chelsea against Stoke City F.C. on September 27, 2008.

International career

Thanks to his consistent performances at club level, Bosingwa became a regular in the Portugal national football team since 2007, overtaking Miguel Monteiro as the country's first choice right-back. He also represented his nation in the Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics, in Athens, and the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.

Bosingwa was named in the Portuguese squad for the Euro 2008 Championships. Portugal were knocked out in the quarter-finals and Bosingwa was a starter in three of their four matches, playing at right-back. In each match he performed exceptionally, leading to him being named in the UEFA team of the tournament.

Honours

- Portuguese Liga 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
- Portuguese Cup 2006
- SuperCup Cândido de Oliveira 2004, 2006
- FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2004
- UEFA Champions League 2004
- UEFA Euro 2008 Awards