Miguel Ângelo Marques Granja (born 17 December 1988), known as Bura, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a central defender for U.D. Leiria.

Bura
Personal information
Full name Miguel Ângelo Marques Granja[1]
Date of birth (1988-12-17) 17 December 1988 (age 35)[1]
Place of birth Matosinhos, Portugal[1]
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
União Leiria
Number 4
Youth career
2002–2004 Leixões
2004–2006 Infesta
2006–2007 Porto
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2011 Porto 0 (0)
2007–2008Ribeirão (loan) 29 (3)
2008Portimonense (loan) 0 (0)
2008–2009Covilhã (loan) 20 (1)
2009Gil Vicente (loan) 6 (0)
2010Penafiel (loan) 11 (0)
2010–2011Paços Ferreira (loan) 14 (0)
2011–2013 Beira-Mar 29 (1)
2013–2014 Chaves 24 (3)
2014–2015 Penafiel 12 (0)
2015–2018 Académico Viseu 108 (23)
2018–2020 Leixões 51 (3)
2020–2021 Chaves 20 (1)
2021–2023 Mafra 28 (2)
2023– União Leiria 31 (2)
International career
2006 Portugal U18 2 (0)
2006–2007 Portugal U19 15 (1)
2008 Portugal U20 8 (0)
2008–2010 Portugal U21 13 (3)
2010 Portugal U23 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 June 2024

He played 55 Primeira Liga matches for Paços de Ferreira, Beira-Mar and Penafiel, but spent most of his career in the second division where he made over 250 appearances with nine teams, mainly Académico de Viseu.

Club career

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Porto

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Born in Matosinhos, Porto Metropolitan Area, Bura began his youth career with hometown clubs Leixões S.C. and F.C. Infesta before joining FC Porto at the age of 17. Never included for a matchday squad with the team, he had his first senior experience in the third division on loan to G.D. Ribeirão, and professional one with Portimonense SC, S.C. Covilhã, Gil Vicente F.C. and F.C. Penafiel all in Segunda Liga.[2]

On 5 July 2010, Bura was loaned to Primeira Liga side F.C. Paços de Ferreira for the upcoming season.[2] He made 15 total appearances for them, and was an unused substitute on 23 April as they lost the final of the Taça da Liga to S.L. Benfica at the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra.[3]

Later career

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Bura rescinded his Porto contract in August 2011, and signed for fellow top-flight team S.C. Beira-Mar.[4] In July 2013, he joined G.D. Chaves who had just been promoted to division two[5] and, a year later, was added to the ranks of F.C. Penafiel of the top tier.[6]

In July 2015, after Penafiel's relegation as dead last, Bura moved to second-tier club Académico de Viseu F.C. on a three-year deal.[7] He scored a career-best 12 goals in his second season there, including a brace in a 3–3 away draw against C.F. União on 12 November 2016 (through penalty kicks).[8]

Bura returned to Leixões after 14 years away on 1 June 2018, on a two-year contract; he was signed by his former Académico manager Francisco Chaló, and had been close to joining a year earlier.[9] He alternated between the second and third divisions the following seasons, with Chaves, C.D. Mafra[10] and U.D. Leiria.[11]

International career

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Bura earned 38 caps for Portugal from under-18 to under-23 level. He was part of the under-19 team at the 2007 UEFA European Championship in Austria, and scored in a 2–0 win over the hosts though other results eliminated the team from the group.[12][13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Bura" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Central Bura emprestado pelo FC Porto" [Stopper Bura loaned by FC Porto]. Record (in Portuguese). 5 July 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  3. ^ "Benfica 2–1 Paços de Ferreira" (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 23 April 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  4. ^ Valente, Susana (23 August 2011). "FC Porto: Bura rescinde e assina pelo Beira-Mar" [FC Porto: Bura rescinds and signs for Beira-Mar] (in Portuguese). Relvado. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  5. ^ "Defesa central Bura é o novo reforço" [Central defender Bura is the new addition]. Record (in Portuguese). 1 July 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Bura contratado por uma temporada" [Bura signed for a season]. Record (in Portuguese). 16 June 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Académico de Viseu contrata defesa Bura" [Académico de Viseu sign defender Bura] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  8. ^ "União da Madeira e Académico de Viseu empatam em jogo antecipado" [União da Madeira and Académico de Viseu draw in preponed match]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 12 November 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  9. ^ "Bura torna-se no sexto reforço do Leixões para 2018/19" [Bura becomes Leixões's sixth addition for 2018/19]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 1 June 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  10. ^ "Pacheco e Bura reforçam defesa do Mafra" [Pacheco and Bura bolster Mafra defence]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 28 June 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Bura é o novo reforço da UD Leiria" [Bura is UD Leiria's new addition] (in Portuguese). U.D. Leiria. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  12. ^ Hein, Dave (21 July 2007). "Victory in vain for Portugal". UEFA. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Bittersweet experience for Bura". UEFA. 23 July 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
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