Vítor Damas


Vítor Manuel Afonso Damas de Oliveira, known as Damas, was a Portuguese footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
During a 23-year professional career he was mainly linked with Sporting, but he also played for three other teams, including Racing de Santander in La Liga.
A Portugal international for 17 years, Damas represented the country in one World Cup and one European Championship, both in his mid-to-late 30s.

Club career

Damas made his professional debuts with hometown's Sporting Clube de Portugal at the age of just 19. After two years as a backup he became the capital side's undisputed starter, winning two leagues and three cups, including the double in 1973–74.
In the 1976 summer, Damas moved to Spain, playing four years at Racing de Santander. He was also first-choice at the Cantabrians, spending his last season in the second division.
Aged nearly 33, Damas returned to Portugal, spending four years with Vitória S.C. and Portimonense SC, after which he returned to Sporting. He still went on to produce five more respectable seasons, only losing his status in his final year to Uruguayan Rodolfo Rodríguez.
Following his retirement at almost 42, Damas remained at Sporting as goalkeepers' coach. Over the course of two separate seasons he acted as interim manager with the Lions, coaching the team to three wins, one draw and two losses. He died aged 55 from cancer, in his hometown of Lisbon.

International career

Damas collected 29 caps for the Portugal national team, from 6 April 1969 to 11 July 1986. He was second-choice at both UEFA Euro 1984 and the 1986 FIFA World Cup, backing up S.L. Benfica's Manuel Bento; however, in the latter tournament, the starter suffered a serious fibula injury in training, and he took the pitch for group stage losses against Poland and Morocco.

Honours