Vitória de Setúbal announced this Sunday the death of Carlos Cardoso, aged 80, who he described as «one of the most emblematic figures in the history of Vitória FC».
In a message on social media, the club recalled Carlos Cardoso’s impact on Bonfim.
Captain, coach and club reference, Carlos Cardoso dedicated more than three decades to the emblem, adding hundreds of games and memorable moments. As a player, he won a Portuguese Cup and was instrumental in Vitória’s great national and European campaigns. As a coach, he took on leadership of the team several times, always with professionalism and commitment. His career makes him an unavoidable name in the memory of Bonfim.
Carlos Cardoso was part of the squad that won the Portuguese Cup in 1965, beating Benfica in the final 3-1, a match in which the former player started.
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After spending his entire career as a player at Vitória, Carlos Cardoso coached the Bonfim team on several occasions, from the end of the 1970s until the 2008/09 season, after which he never joined any club again.
Born on December 29, 1944, the former defender was an A international on one occasion and was one of the figures of Vitória de Setúbal among several European participations, from the Cup Winners’ Cup, the UEFA Cup and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
Later, as a coach, he also guided Vitória de Setúbal in the UEFA Cup in the 1999/2000 season, as a result of having reached 5th place in the championship in the previous season. In total, he guided the Sadina team in more than 140 games and played for them in more than 300. As a coach, he became known as the firefighter on dutyas it prevented the team from relegating the division in the 1997/98, 2006/07 and 2008/09 seasons.
His story was immortalized in a book written by José Luís Tavares da Cruz, entitled: The Biography of Carlos Cardoso – A Man of Football, Vitória and Setúbal.
