António Fonseca

Portuguese football manager and former player

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Tavares and the second or paternal family name is Fonseca.

António FonsecaPersonal information

Full name|  António Manuel Tavares Fonseca
Date of birth|  (1965-01-30) 30 January 1965 (age 59)
Place of birth|  Lisbon, Portugal
Height|  1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)|  Left back
Youth career
1978–1979|  SL Olivais
1979–1980|  Sporting CP
1980–1981|  Oriental
1981–1982|  Torralta
1982–1983|  Benfica
Senior career*
Years|  Team|  Apps|  (Gls)
1983–1984|  Cova Piedade|  15|  (0)
1984–1985|  Alcobaça|  24|  (0)
1985–1987|  Tirsense|  54|  (1)
1987–1990|  Benfica|  39|  (1)
1990–1992|  Vitória Guimarães|  32|  (0)
1992–1999|  Estrela Amadora|  160|  (2)
1999–2001|  Vancouver Whitecaps|  15|  (0)
Total|  |  339|  (4)
International career
1989–1990|  Portugal|  4|  (0)
Managerial career
2002–2004|  Vancouver Whitecaps
2007–2012|  Canada (assistant)
2009–2012|  Canada U23
2013|  Canada (interim)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

António Manuel Tavares "Tony" Fonseca (born 30 January 1965) is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a left back, and a technical director for the Canadian Soccer Association.

Over 11 seasons, he amassed Primeira Liga totals of 199 games and two goals, representing in the competition Benfica, Vitória de Guimarães and Estrela da Amadora. He finished his career in Canada, where he started working as a manager in 1999.

## Club career[edit]

Born in Lisbon, Fonseca played youth football for five clubs, finishing his grooming at local S.L. Benfica. From 1983 to 1987 he competed in the Segunda Liga, after which the former bought him from F.C. Tirsense.

During his three-year tenure with Benfica, Fonseca was first-choice in the 1988–89 campaign as the team won the Primeira Liga championship and also reached the final of the Taça de Portugal, but played second-fiddle to Álvaro Magalhães and Samuel Quina in the other two.[1][2] In eight of the following nine seasons he continued to play in the top flight, with Vitória S.C. and C.F. Estrela da Amadora, appearing regularly for both sides and reuniting at the latter with former Benfica teammates Edmundo, José Carlos, Fernando Mendes and Paulinho.[3]

Fonseca retired from football in 2000 at the age of 35, after two years with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the USL A-League, with whom he later worked as a manager.[4]

## International career[edit]

Fonseca earned four caps for Portugal, over one year. He made his debut on 29 March 1989, playing the entirety of a 6–0 friendly win over Angola with marked the 75th anniversary of the Portuguese Football Federation.

During five years, Fonseca served as assistant to Stephen Hart and Dale Mitchell at the Canada national team, while also being in charge of the under-23s. Already as a technical director for the Canadian Soccer Association,[5] he acted as interim for the full side following the departure of Colin Miller,[6] who later replaced him after two friendlies.[7]

## Personal life[edit]

Fonseca married a Portuguese-Canadian woman, fathering two children.[8]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Tovar 2012, p. 491.
2. ^ Tovar 2012, p. 498.
3. ^ "Fonseca" (in Portuguese). Glórias do Passado. 26 June 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
4. ^ "Whitecaps FC appoint Carl Robinson as head coach". Vancouver Whitecaps. 16 December 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
5. ^ "Canada Soccer announces Fonseca as new technical director". Canada Soccer. 6 November 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
6. ^ "Tony Fonseca ready to lead Canada in men's soccer friendlies". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
7. ^ "Canadian men's soccer team drops hard-fought friendly". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 22 March 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
8. ^ Kerr, Grant (14 February 2002). "Soccer yarn about a Portuguese love story". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 16 July 2020.

Bibliography

* Tovar, Rui Miguel (2012). Almanaque do Benfica [Benfica Almanac]. Portugal: Lua de Papel. ISBN 978-989-23-2087-8.

## External links[edit]

* António Fonseca at ForaDeJogo (archived)
* António Fonseca at National-Football-Teams.com
* António Fonseca at EU-Football.info
* António Fonseca at the Canadian Soccer Association

* v
* t
* e

Vancouver Whitecaps (1986–2010) – Head coaches

* Lenarduzzi (1987–93)
* Valentine (1994–99)
* Mitchell (2000–01)
* Fonseca (2002–04)
* Lilley (2005–07)
* Thordarson (2007–10)

* v
* t
* e

Canada men's national soccer team – Head coaches

* Petrie (1957)
* Dinsdale (1968–70)
* Pike (1970–73)
* McAllister (1973)
* Krautzun (1973–75)
* McAllister (1975)
* Krautzun (1975–77)
* Clarke (1979–81)
* Waiters (1981–85)
* Wilsoni (1985)
* Waiters (1985–86)
* Bearpark (1986–87)
* Taylor (1988–89)
* Lenarduzzi (1989–90)
* Waiters (1990–91)
* Lenarduzzi (1992–97)
* Twamleyi (1998)
* Osieck (1999–2003)
* Milleri (2003–04)
* Yallop (2004–06)
* Harti (2006–07)
* Mitchell (2007–09)
* Hart (2009–12)
* Milleri (2013)
* Fonsecai (2013)
* Milleri (2013)
* Floro (2013–16)
* Findlayi (2016–17)
* Zambrano (2017–18)
* Herdman (2018–23)
* Bielloi (2023–24)
* Marsch (2024–)

(i) = interim
*[Apps]: League appearances
*[Gls]: League goals
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template