Photo: Ludovic Péron / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Paulinho Santos earns my deep respect simply for what loyalty looks like done right. Eleven years at Porto, more than 300 official appearances, and 19 major trophies make him a living piece of the club's history rather than a footnote. As a defensive midfielder versatile enough to fill multiple roles, he was clearly the kind of dependable figure managers trust completely. What delights me most is learning he returned as Porto B's assistant coach, passing on what he absorbed over a lifetime. A one-club devotion that flows into mentorship is the most moving kind of football story, and his is a fine one.
Overview
João Paulo Maio dos Santos (born 21 November 1970), commonly known as Paulinho Santos, is a Portuguese former footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder. He is the current assistant coach of Liga Portugal 2 club Porto B. He spent 11 years of his professional career with Porto, playing in several positions and winning 19 major titles whilst appearing in more than 300 official games for the club.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Paulinho Santos
- Name (Japanese)
- パウリーニョ・サントス
- Reading
- ぱうりーにょ・さんとす
- Born
- November 21, 1970 (age 55)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Dog
- Origin
- Vila do Conde, Porto, Portugal
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 170 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- association football player
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Association football player — see all → · More people from Portugal →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.