João Moutinho’s younger brother scored a hat-trick on his debut as a starter at Oliveira do Hospital, in the 5-0 victory over Fornos de Algodres
Alexandre Moutinho is the younger brother of João Moutinho and is part of a family strongly linked to football, starting with his father, Nélson Moutinho – a former striker with a career in the I League -, who was Alexandre’s coach in the last two seasons in the II Division District of Algarve, in the club named after the midfielder who returned to Portuguese football this year to play for Braga. After spells at FC Porto and Boavista, Alexandre intends to relaunch his sporting career at the age of 22 and, in this sense, he welcomed the move to Oliveira do Hospital, a League 3 project that saw the arrival of Brazilian investors this summer . After four games as a substitute, the left-footed midfielder made his debut in the first round of the Portuguese Cup, in the 5-0 defeat of Fornos de Algodres, and was the star, scoring three goals.
He scored three goals against Forno de Algodres, had he already scored a hat-trick?
-I had already played four games at the João Moutinho Football School Association, in the II District Division of the Algarve, where I have been for the last two seasons.
Was there any secret to achieving the strongest result of the season in this game?
-The secret was the hard work we put in during the week and our coach’s instructions not to make it easy, regardless of whether the opponent was more accessible (I Division of AF Guarda). We approached the game in the same way, as if it were in our League 3 and managed to progress to the next round. Mister Sérgio Gaminha trusts us all. He gave me this opportunity to start as a starter and I did what I had shown in training.
What is Oliveira do Hospital’s objective in the Portuguese Cup? ?
-Get as far as possible, regardless of the opponents we face, so that we can feel proud of our journey.
It’s your first season at Oliveira do Hospital and in League 3, what do you think of the club and the competition?
-I feel very good since I found out about the opportunity to join this project, it was very exciting. I’m going to take this with everything I have and try to respect what the club asked of me. New investors entered and they promised us a bright future, both in terms of results and in terms of sports. I feel that it is a very organized and structured club.
Did you hope to take this leap in your career? Under what circumstances did you discover it and why did you accept the challenge?
-It was a very important leap for me. I left Boavista for my father’s school in the Algarve and I needed this leap. I thank Oliveira do Hospital for giving me this opportunity that I intend to seize, in order to evolve and take an even greater leap in the future.
He arrived here from Associação Escola de Futebol João Moutinho, where in 22 games he scored 21 goals. Can you say he is a midfielder “with goals”?
-Yes, I feel the goal. I have thoughts that other players don’t have, that the ball will go in there and maybe that’s where I can take advantage of moments when the opponents are more relaxed to score. Furthermore, I’m fast, I read the game well and shooting is also one of my strong points.
Is your brother João Moutinho your biggest role model or are there other players you admire?
-I have always seen my brother as my first reference and I have followed him since I was little. He also supports me a lot, regardless of the fact that he doesn’t watch many of my games, but he is very aware of my professional life as an athlete. The biggest advice he gives me is to be myself, don’t be afraid to take risks. And I try not to repeat his same mistakes and take more risks in looking for the goal.
Did you already know that your brother would return to Portuguese football or were you caught by surprise?
-As a family, it is obvious that we talk to each other, we are always in communication. Of course we knew beforehand, but he also likes to let things go until they happen. He is someone who follows Portuguese and international football a lot. As for whether he was coming to FC Porto or Braga, that was something I didn’t question him about.
The whole family is in football
and was a teammate of stars at Porto
In addition to João Moutinho, Alexandre has two other brothers also involved in football, as well as his father, who coached him during the last few seasons. His mother played basketball. “My father and my brother David are president and coordinator of Escola João Moutinho. They continue to want to take our school to a better level. My older brother, Nélson, is coach of Carvoeiro United, in the I Division of AF Algarve “, he says, explaining that being guided by his father “was a different and enriching experience”.
During his time at Boavista and FC Porto, Alexandre worked with some stars. “I played with Alberto Bueno, Javi García, Chidozie. I was able to learn from them and that made me better to be able to make the leap I needed. At FC Porto I played with Fábio Silva; I didn’t play with Vieira and Vitinha, but we were companions.”
