Playing Career
Born in Cedofeita, Porto, Coelho was regarded as one of the best stoppers in Portuguese football, imposing himself in Lisbon-based Sport Lisboa e Benfica's first team at the age of 18 – not yet 22, he had already played in more than 100 first division matches for the Reds.
On 27 October 1968, aged 18, Coelho made his debut for Portugal, in a 3–0 win over Romania for the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualifying stages; during the next 15 years, he would gain a further 63 international caps, scoring six times.
From 1975 and during two seasons, Coelho played abroad with Paris Saint-Germain FC, continuing to display the traditional offensive penchant in spite of his position, as he netted six goals, although the club could only finish in 14th position in Ligue 1.
Subsequently, Coelho returned to Benfica, helping it to further leagues (three) and domestic cups (four); he last appeared for the national team at the age of 33, during the 0–5 defeat in the Soviet Union for the UEFA Euro 1984 qualifiers. Portugal would qualify for the final stages in France, but he was severely injured during that period, and would retire shortly after, having appeared for Benfica in nearly 500 official matches – 360 in the league alone – scoring 50 goals.
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 May 1970 | Estádio Nacional, Lisbon, Portugal | Italy | 1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 29 March 1972 | Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal | Cyprus | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1974 World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 14 June 1972 | Estádio do Arruda, Recife, Brazil | Iran | 0–3 | 0–3 | Brazilian Independence Cup |
| 4 | 18 June 1972 | Estádio do Arruda, Recife, Brazil | Chile | 0–1 | 1–4 | Brazilian Independence Cup |
| 5 | 17 December 1980 | Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal | Israel | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1982 World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 17 December 1980 | Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal | Israel | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1982 World Cup qualification |
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