João Amaral (footballer, born 1991)
Portuguese footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
João Pedro Reis Amaral (born 7 September 1991) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for TFF 1. Lig club Bandırmaspor.
|
Amaral in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | João Pedro Reis Amaral[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 7 September 1991[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal[1] | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[1] | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Bandırmaspor | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2009 | Vilanovense | ||
| 2009 | Vila | ||
| 2009–2010 | Candal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2012 | Candal | 63 | (14) |
| 2012–2013 | Padroense | 30 | (3) |
| 2013–2014 | Mirandela | 32 | (6) |
| 2014–2016 | Pedras Rubras | 40 | (7) |
| 2015 | → Oliveirense (loan) | 21 | (6) |
| 2016–2017 | Vitória Setúbal | 33 | (5) |
| 2017–2018 | Benfica | 0 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | → Vitória Setúbal (loan) | 33 | (9) |
| 2018–2023 | Lech Poznań | 93 | (27) |
| 2019–2023 | Lech Poznań II | 4 | (2) |
| 2020–2021 | → Paços Ferreira (loan) | 48 | (2) |
| 2023–2024 | Kocaelispor | 33 | (4) |
| 2024–2025 | Al Batin | 12 | (1) |
| 2025 | Politehnica Iași | 6 | (0) |
| 2025 | Serikspor | 15 | (4) |
| 2026– | Bandırmaspor | 17 | (5) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 5 May 2026 | |||
Club career
Vitória Setúbal
Born in Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto District, Amaral played lower league and amateur football until the age of 24, working in a wine bottle label factory during this timeframe.[2] On 6 June 2016, he moved straight into the Primeira Liga after signing a three-year contract with Vitória F.C. from F.C. Pedras Rubras.[3][4]
Amaral made his debut in the Portuguese top division on 21 August 2016, starting and featuring 64 minutes in a 1–1 away draw against S.L. Benfica.[5] He scored his first goal in the competition the following weekend to help the hosts defeat F.C. Arouca 2–0,[6] adding a further four until the end of the season – while providing two assists – to help his team finish 12th.[7]
Benfica and Lech Poznań
On 29 May 2018, Amaral joined Benfica on a three-year contract.[8][9] Shortly after, on 21 July, he signed a four-year deal with Polish club Lech Poznań.[10] He made his debut for the latter five days later, netting in the last minute of the 1–1 away draw against FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.[11]
Amaral returned to his country and its top tier on 2 January 2020, being loaned to F.C. Paços de Ferreira until 30 June.[12] On 26 August, he agreed to a similar move to the same team.[13]
Back at Lech, Amaral scored a career-best 14 goals in the 2021–22 campaign (17 in all competitions, with eight assists), as they won the Ekstraklasa for the eighth time in history.[14]
Later career
Amaral returned abroad subsequently, where he represented Kocaelispor, Serikspor and Bandırmaspor in the TFF 1. Lig,[15][16][17] Al Batin FC of the Saudi First Division League.[18][19] and FC Politehnica Iași from the Romanian Liga I.[20]
Career statistics
- As of match played 13 December 2025
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Mirandela | 2013–14[21] | Campeonato de Portugal | 32 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 6 | ||
| Pedras Rubras | 2014–15[21] | Campeonato de Portugal | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16[21] | Campeonato de Portugal | 32 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 6 | |||
| Total | 40 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 7 | ||||
| Oliveirense | 2014–15[21] | Campeonato de Portugal | 21 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 6 | ||
| Vitória Setúbal | 2016–17[21] | Primeira Liga | 33 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[b] | 0 | 36 | 5 | |
| Vitória Setúbal (loan) | 2017–18[21] | Primeira Liga | 33 | 9 | 1 | 0 | — | 6[b] | 0 | 40 | 9 | |
| Total | 66 | 14 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | 76 | 14 | |||
| Lech Poznań | 2018–19[22] | Ekstraklasa | 25 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3[c] | 1 | — | 30 | 10 | |
| 2019–20[23] | Ekstraklasa | 15 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 3 | |||
| 2021–22[24] | Ekstraklasa | 32 | 14 | 4 | 3 | — | — | 36 | 17 | |||
| 2022–23[25] | Ekstraklasa | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13[d] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 4 | |
| Total | 93 | 27 | 8 | 4 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 117 | 34 | ||
| Lech Poznań II | 2019–20 | II liga | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23 | II liga | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | |||||
| Paços Ferreira (loan) | 2019–20[21] | Primeira Liga | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21[21] | Primeira Liga | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[b] | 0 | 32 | 1 | ||
| Total | 48 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 52 | 2 | |||
| Kocaelispor | 2023–24[21] | TFF 1. Lig | 33 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 4 | ||
| Al Batin | 2024–25[21] | Saudi First Division League | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 1 | ||
| Politehnica Iași | 2024–25[21] | Liga I | 6 | 0 | — | — | 1[e] | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Serikspor | 2025–26[21] | TFF 1. Lig | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 370 | 73 | 15 | 4 | 16 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 411 | 80 | ||
- Includes Taça da Liga, Polish Cup, Turkish Cup, King's Cup
- Appearances in Taça da Liga
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, eleven appearances and two goals in UEFA Conference League
Honours
Vitória Setúbal
- Taça da Liga runner-up: 2017–18[21]
Lech Poznań
- Ekstraklasa: 2021–22[26]
- Polish Cup runner-up: 2021–22[21]
