This week, we sit down with the Portuguese number two, Rui Coimbra, as he discusses his life both on and off the sand.
National Champion, European Champion, World Champion. Rui Coimbra has won it all with club and country.
Rui Coimbra was born in Quarteira, Portugal. He is an only child and remains very close to his family, as he explains himself.
“My parents are retired. They and my family have been by far the most important support for me during my career. They have been with me since the very beginning.”
Much like many beach soccer players, Coimbra is much more than just an athlete, having studied Communications and Sports Design. However, he is now a full professional player.
“I don’t have another job besides being a beach soccer player. I’ve loved the sport since the first day that I played and I want to learn and develop more each day to achieve new goals. It has become part of my life and I have totally embraced the sport.”
It’s clear that beach soccer holds a special place in Coimbra’s heart, but what is it exactly about the sport that he loves so much?
“I think it’s the possibility to do what I really love: playing beach soccer, getting to know new cultures and making friends that I will have for life.”
“I started playing for fun, after that I entered in a summer tournament with some friends in Quarteira, where I was born, and that’s how my career started.”
In terms of influences, Coimbra looks back fondly on the start of his career…
“On a professional level, I can think of some people who were very important for me in the beginning, such as former national coaches Ze Miguel Mateus and Johny Conceição.”
“But of course, the current coach Mario Narciso will always have a huge role in my career. It was with him that I completed my greatest achievements and won the most important trophies of my career.”
“Mario lead the team to the most important moment in my career to date. This was, without doubt, winning the 2015 FIFA World Cup in front of the Portuguese people.”
Having played alongside a true legend of the game for so long, the defender could hardly speak about influences and role models without mentioning, arguably the biggest name in the sport…
“In terms of players, I learned a lot with everyone that was on the National Team, but perhaps the one that had most influence on my career would be Madjer.”
This year, Portugal will compete in the European league, as well as the continental qualifiers for the World Beach Games and, of course, for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Paraguay. Maybe this is the year that Coimbra can relive his greatest achievement, by doing it all over again…
