Alhandra (footballer)

Alhandra
Personal information
Full name	Luís Miguel Assunção Joaquim
Date of birth	5 March 1979 (age 45)
Place of birth	Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)	Left-back
Youth career
1987–1989	Alhandra
1989–1998	Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years	Team
1998–1999	Sporting CP
1998–1999	→ Lourinhanense (loan)
1999–2000	Alverca
2000–2001	Porto B
2001–2002	Académica
2002–2008	União Leiria
2008–2009	Enosis Neon
2009–2010	Gil Vicente
2010–2011	Eléctrico
2011	Monsanto
2012	Riachense
Total
International career
1998–1999	Portugal U20
2000–2002	Portugal U21
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Luís Miguel Assunção Joaquim (born 5 March 1979), known as Alhandra, is a Portuguese retired footballer who played mainly as a left-back – he could also appear as a midfielder.

Club career

Alhandra was born in Vila Franca de Xira, Lisbon District. An unsuccessful graduate of Sporting CP's youth academy, he started professionally with its farm team, S.C. Lourinhanense. After a brief spell with FC Porto's reserves he lived his most steady period with U.D. Leiria, helping the side to participations in the UEFA Intertoto Cup and being regularly used over the course of six Primeira Liga seasons (a maximum of 30 league games in 2005–06 and a minimum of 16 in 2007–08, with the latter campaign ending in relegation).

On 2 April 2008, Alhandra signed a two-year contract with Enosis Neon Paralimni FC, adding to the massive Portuguese contingent at the Cypriot club. He returned to Portugal after one sole season, joining Segunda Liga team Gil Vicente F.C. and being released at the end of the campaign.

Subsequently, Alhandra resumed his career in the lower leagues of his country, retiring in 2012 at the age of 33.

External links

Alhandra at ForaDeJogo (archived)
Alhandra national team profile at the Portuguese Football Federation (in Portuguese)
Alhandra – FIFA competition record (archived)
Alhandra at Soccerway