Belenenses salute 'The Emperor'

Thanks to God
Based in Lisbon, Belenenses have long been in awe of their custodian but Marco Aurélio insists there is no secret to his endurance. "There are no secrets at all," he told uefa.com. "I just thank God as I have never had a serious injury in my career, meaning I can always work at my best."

Confident goalkeeper
While coaches have come and gone at Belenenses, Marco Aurélio's position in the first XI has never been in doubt, thanks to his professionalism and the confidence he oozes from every pore. But he insists he would happily sacrifice his awesome record for the benefit of the club.

Team first
"If I had to concede a penalty and get sent off for a professional foul, I would not hesitate for a second because no personal records are more important than the team's result," he said. "The important thing is to help the club the best I can and I feel lucky that successive Belenenses coaches have put faith in me."

Rare lapse
The keeper came to Portugal in the 1996/97 season to play for northern side Rio Ave FC, before joining Algarve team SC Farense the following campaign. He headed to Belenenses in summer 1998, and - in a rare aberration - received his only red card in Portuguese football in a game at FC Paços de Ferreira.

Avoiding bookings
However, he has managed to avoid angering referees - or troubling club physiotherapists - since. "It is not difficult to avoid yellow cards as I am not an outfield player," he said. "The last ones I got were for time-wasting. With injuries, I got lucky and I have to thank Him for keeping me out of trouble."

Reserve players
The reserve goalkeepers at Belenenses must have moments when they wish Marco Aurélio's guardian angel would have an off-day, such has been his absolute dominance of the No1 shirt. In his role as team captain, Marco Aurélio is only too aware how such long spells on the bench might sap morale.

Staying alert
"I cannot do anything other than my best," he sighed. "I acknowledge that it can be hard for [the reserve keepers] to handle but they must understand that only God knows what happens next. At any moment anybody can be called to play and that is why everybody must be at their best, keep focused and be ready to play."

Stable backdrop
Having been at Belenenses throughout his 199-match run, stability may have played a part in Marco Aurélio's achievement. "It possibly helped as nobody knows whether I would have been first choice every weekend if I had changed clubs," he said.

Constant striving
As it happens, staying at Belenenses has allowed the man who shares his name with a Roman emperor to build a huge reputation at the Estádio do Restelo. "I do not consider myself a marathon man or an iron man," he concluded. "Just one who works hard every day to be better than the day before."