José Fonte signs for Braga and sets sights on Primeira Liga title triumph
Former Portugal centre-back José Fonte has ended over a decade and a half playing abroad by signing for Sporting Clube de Braga on a one-year contract.
“The dream is to be Portuguese champions,” said the 39-year-old. “We all know it’s a tough ask, but I’m not afraid to say it.”
Fonte’s remarkable career and longevity is testament to his professionalism, persistence and determination to make a name for himself.
After spending most of his early career in the lower leagues, he first played top-flight football when he was in his thirties in the 2015/16 season for Southampton in the English Premier League.
But Fonte made up for lost time, becoming captain and a cult hero at Southampton and also playing for West Ham and Lille, where he captained the team to a sensational Ligue 1 title triumph in 2020/21.
The highlight of his career though, was as a key component of Portugal’s 2016 European Championship winning team. Fonte played every minute of every knockout game in the tournament. In total he earned 50 caps for the Seleção.
“I’ve always kept an open mind. I knew it would be difficult to return to Portugal, but I never closed the door,” explained Fonte.
“This year it made sense coming back from the family point of view too and we are all enthusiastic about it. It’s a spectacular step in my career to represent a club of this dimension.”
by Tom Kundert