Club Career
Born in Espinho near Porto, Couto joined F.C. Porto's youth system at the age of 17. On 2 June 1988, he made his first-team – and first division – debut, playing 90 minutes in a 1–0 away win against Académica de Coimbra, in what would be his only appearance of the season for the national champions. He was then released by the club, playing one season apiece with F.C. Famalicão and Académica.
Couto returned to Porto in 1990, being an instrumental defensive unit in the conquest of six titles during his four-year spell. He subsequently moved to Italy with Parma AC, scoring a career-best four goals in 27 games in his first season, and adding the season's UEFA Cup, in a 2–1 aggregate win against fellow Serie A outfit Juventus FC.
In summer 1996, Couto joined FC Barcelona in Spain, alongside former Porto teammates Vítor Baía and manager Bobby Robson, as Luís Figo was also playing for the La Liga giants. Regularly used by the English manager, he was less played by his successor Louis van Gaal, but managed to appear in one of the two European finals the Catalans won, the 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
After two seasons at the Camp Nou, Couto left Barça and moved to Rome's SS Lazio in late June 1998, alongside teammate Iván de la Peña. He appeared in 22 games in his first year to help the club to the second place in the league, and appeared one minute in the final of the last Cup Winners' Cup, in a 2–1 win against RCD Mallorca at the Villa Park in Birmingham.
In 2001, Couto failed a doping test for the steroid nandrolone. He denied having taken forbidden substances, but his "B" test confirmed the finding and he eventually served four months out of a nine-month worldwide ban for the offence. He continued to appear regularly for Lazio in the following seasons.
In 2005, aged 36, Couto returned to Parma after eleven years, as Lazio was unable to match his wage demands for a contract renewal. After two seasons of regular use, he only appeared in 17 games in 2007–08, with the Emilia-Romagna side also suffering top flight relegation; as his contract expired, he decided to retire from football.
In June 2010, two years after his retirement, Couto was named director of football at S.C. Braga. He was named the club's assistant manager for the 2012–13 season.
Read more about this topic: Fernando Couto
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