Everton’s Nuno Valente escaped a handball call against England. Portugal made England pay from the penalty spot
One missed decision didn’t decide England’s 2006 World Cup quarter-final on its own. But Nuno Valente’s handball, and England’s collapse in the shoot-out that followed, made for a bitter night in Gelsenkirchen. The Everton left-back had been tipped for the club by José Mourinho, the coach who had helped launch his career.
Christopher Beesley’s daily series follows Everton and the World Cup during the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
A handball and a shoot-out defeat
On July 1, 2006, David Beckham’s close-range cross struck Valente’s hand in Portugal’s quarter-final against England. Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo judged it accidental and gave no penalty. Elizondo would later referee the final, where he sent off France’s Zinedine Zidane for headbutting former Everton defender Marco Materazzi.
England had another problem before penalties: Wayne Rooney was sent off in the 62nd minute for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho. The match stayed goalless through extra time. Portugal’s Simao scored first in the shoot-out; future Everton manager Frank Lampard went first for England, but goalkeeper Ricardo read his shot and saved to his left.
Owen Hargreaves was the only one of England’s four takers to score. Liverpool players Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher also saw their penalties saved. Portugal won 3-1 after Hélder Postiga scored and Cristiano Ronaldo converted the decisive kick.
Valente started six of Portugal’s seven matches at the tournament. He played against Angola (a 1-0 win), Iran (2-0), the Netherlands (1-0), England, France (a 0-1 semi-final defeat) and Germany (a 1-3 loss in the third-place play-off). His only omission came in the 2-1 group-stage win over Mexico, after Portugal had already secured a place in the knockouts.
The Mourinho connection
Valente began his career in Lisbon with Sporting CP, then got his breakthrough under Mourinho at União de Leiria. When Mourinho moved to Porto in 2002, he brought Valente and Brazilian striker Derlei with him as two of his first signings.
The partnership brought Valente back-to-back domestic titles in 2003 and 2004, plus wins in the UEFA Cup and Champions League finals. There was a sting in the first European triumph: Valente was sent off for a second bookable offence in the final minute of extra time against Celtic.
The England match remains the sharpest link between Valente’s Everton story and Portugal’s 2006 run. The handball call is still debatable; England’s missed penalties are not.
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Mourinho’s recommendation helped bring Valente to Everton
The striking part of Nuno Valente’s £1.5 million move to Everton was who encouraged it: José Mourinho. Valente was nearly 31, and Mourinho wouldn’t try to sign him when he later moved to Chelsea. A year before Ashley Cole joined Chelsea, Mourinho was involved in a tapping-up case over Cole; the player, manager, agent and club were all fined. But Mourinho did recommend Everton to his former friend. Valente said Mourinho called to tell him an opportunity to play in England had opened up, and described it as exciting. He praised Everton as a good fit and spoke highly of the team’s style and manager David Moyes.