Petit

For the musician, see Armando Teixeira (musician).

Armando Gonçalves Teixeira born on 25 September,1976 in Strasbourg, France) known as Petit is a Portugal football (soccer) player. He was born to Portuguese parents. He currently plays as a Defensive midfielder Defensive midfielder for 1. FC Köln. He was nicknamed Petit because of his small frame and the fact he was born in France. He is known as 'the pitbull' by his supporters, because of the fierceness with which he faces every game. Petit is also known for his direct free kicks from which he often scores, most notably 2 in a 7-1 drubbing of Russia national football team in a 2006 World Cup qualifier. As well as his set-pieces, Petit is also known for his range of passing.

Club career

Petit first established himself at Gil Vicente FC, where he was a key player. He soon left to play in the UEFA Champions League with Boavista FC; the club won the Portuguese Liga in 2001, and reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup 2002-03. In 2002 he moved to Benfica where he has established himself as a player, winning the Cup of Portugal in 2004 and the 2005 league. After impressive showings in Benfica's UEFA Champions League 2005-06 campaign, which ended after they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by FC Barcelona, Manchester United F.C. and Olympique Lyonnais were linked with Petit; however, he was reluctant to leave one of his favourite clubs. On July 29th, 2008, it was announced he had signed for newly promoted side 1. FC Köln from Germany. He scored his first goal with 1. FC Köln on August 7,2008 against SV Niederauerbach in the DFB Pokal.

International career

He made his debut in the national team on 2 June 2001, in a 1-1 draw with Republic of Ireland national football team, in Dublin, during the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds. He played for the national team in that World Cup finals, and also was a member of the national team that reached the final at 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, in Portugal.In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Petit scored an own goal in the 61st minute of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Third place play-off against Germany national football team. He was the fourth player in the tournament to score an own goal. Following Euro 2008, Petit announced that he would retire from international football.