Nuno Piloto

Nuno Miguel Torres Piloto de Albuquerque (born 19 March 1982), known as Piloto, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Académica de Coimbra as a central midfielder.

Club career

Born in Tondela, Viseu District, Piloto was brought up in the youth system of Académica de Coimbra. His first season as a senior would be spent with semi-professional Anadia FC, in 2001–02, after which he played two years with Académica's reserves, in the third division; his debut with the first team arrived late into the 2002–03 campaign.

Piloto was used irregularly in his first years with the main squad (six Primeira Liga appearances, then 25 and nine), definitely becoming an important part in 2007–08 and scoring his first league goals in the following season in home matches against C.D. Nacional (1–1) and C.F. Os Belenenses (1–0); by this time, he was already team captain.

In June 2009, Piloto moved abroad, signing a three-year contract with Iraklis Thessaloniki F.C. in Greece. In the end of July, during pre-season training, he suffered a tear in the ligaments of his left knee after a strong challenge by Matías Lequi, being sidelined for six months. The surgery took place in his country, on 10 August, being performed by FC Porto's medical staff.