César Peixoto (Sporting Clube de Braga)(part2)

Club career:

Porto:

However, Peixoto's Porto career did not go as planned: while talented, he failed to impose in the first team, and in his first season only played 15 matches, scoring three goals. Mourinho was still convinced of his abilities, so he refused to release him. Again with a slow start, he was starting to keep up with high profile players such as Benni McCarthy, Derlei and Deco when, after netting in two consecutive league games in 4–1 wins, he was seriously injured in the UEFA Champions League 3–2 victory at Olympique de Marseille on 22 October 2003 and, while it did not seem serious at first (he continued running and playing for a few minutes), in the next day a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament was diagnosed, which forced him to miss most of the season.

After his recovery, Peixoto crashed his Mercedes-Benz SL500 while speeding to arrive in time at Porto's training center in Vila Nova de Gaia, and while only getting minor bruises, the car was completely wrecked and he was promptly asked for explanations by Mourinho. His image as a professional suffered much from the accident, and in the next season he was loaned to Vitória de Guimarães, in January 2005, where he regained his previous form, returning to Porto for 2005–06.

After having scored twice at Associação Naval 1º de Maio in a 3–2 success (he also netted an own goal), Peixoto again suffered a major knee injury that would keep him away from the pitch for the rest of the season, eliminating any hope of World Cup selection. He would be dismissed by Adriaanse and joined La Liga side RCD Espanyol on loan for 2006–07, finally losing all ties with Porto in March 2007. Previously, on 27 February, Espanyol had also terminated Peixoto's contract, as the player failed to make any competitive appearances for the Catalans.