Philippe Coutinho

Philippe Coutinho Correia ([fiˈlipi kowˈtʃĩɲu]; born 12 June 1992) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, on loan from Barcelona and the Brazil national team. He is known for his combination of vision, passing, dribbling and ability to conjure curving long-range strikes.

Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Coutinho showed prodigious talent and excelled in Vasco da Gama's youth system. He was signed by Italian club Inter Milan in 2008 for €4 million and subsequently loaned back to Vasco, where he became a key player. He made his debut for Inter Milan in 2010, and was later loaned to La Liga club Espanyol in 2012. In January 2013, Coutinho joined English club Liverpool for £8.5 million. He flourished at Liverpool and earned himself the nickname "The Magician" from Liverpool fans and teammates and being named in the PFA Team of the Year in 2015. In January 2018, Coutinho signed for Barcelona for a club record fee reportedly worth €160 million, making him the world's second most expensive player, however, he was loaned to German club Bayern Munich on a season-long loan ahead of the 2019-20 season.

Coutinho made his senior international debut in 2010. He was part of the Brazilian squad at the 2015 Copa América, the Copa América Centenario in 2016, and made his World Cup debut at the 2018 FIFA World Cup where he scored two goals and was named to the FIFA World Cup Dream Team; he was also a member of the Brazilian team that won the 2019 Copa América on home soil.

The third and youngest son of Esmerelda Coutinho and architect José Carlos Correia, Coutinho was born on 12 June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, weighing 3.1 kg (6 lbs 10 oz) as a newborn. He was raised in Rio's northern Rocha district between an old shanty town and industrial warehouses.

As a child, he followed his elder brothers Cristiano and Leandro to a local concrete football pitch, where he first began playing futsal for which he said it helped him develop his skills as a footballer. With space restricted and the need for skill and improvisation heightened, the diminutive Coutinho thrived. After joining a local football academy on the insistence of his friend's grandmother, his father was later approached at a tournament by youth coaches at Vasco da Gama, where he attended a trial and joined their youth system.

Vasco da Gama

Coutinho flourished in Vasco da Gama's youth system and was soon called up to the Brazil under-15 football team. In July 2008, at age 16, he was purchased by Italian giants Inter Milan for €4 million. Coutinho remained at Vasco on loan for two years as FIFA prohibited international transfer of footballer until they reach age 18, and became a regular first team player despite his young age. In 2009, he helped Vasco win the Série B title and achieve promotion. In 2010, he made 31 appearances and scored 5 goals in all competitions as he established himself as a key first-team player.

Inter Milan

Coutinho's move to Inter Milan became effective in July 2010, after he turned 18, with new manager Rafael Benítez and chairman Massimo Moratti being quoted saying, "Coutinho is the future of Inter."

On 27 August 2010, Coutinho made his official debut for Inter coming on as a substitute during the Nerazzurri's 2–0 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup. After dropping out of selection in the starting line-up, he returned to play in the crucial 3–2 win over Bayern Munich in Germany, due to which Inter would progress to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

On 8 May 2011, in a 3–1 win at home against Fiorentina, Coutinho scored his first goal for Inter from a free-kick that curled over the wall and into the net. His second goal for Inter came in a match against Cagliari on 19 November 2011, where Coutinho received a through-ball from teammate Ricky Álvarez and scored into the bottom left corner of the net to give Inter a 2–0 lead.

Loan to Espanyol

During the 2011–12 season, Coutinho struggled to establish himself in Inter's first team and on 30 January 2012, he joined La Liga club Espanyol on loan until the end of the season. He made his debut for the club on 4 February 2012 under manager Mauricio Pochettino, starting in a 3–3 draw with Athletic Bilbao. The following month, he scored his first goals for the Catalan side when he scored a brace in a 5–1 victory against Rayo Vallecano. He ultimately scored 5 goals in 16 appearances during his loan with Espanyol before returning to Inter at the end of the season.

Liverpool

On 26 January 2013, Premier League club Liverpool agreed an £8.5 million transfer fee with Inter Milan for Coutinho, pending a medical exam and a work permit from the Home Office. Southampton had also expressed an interest in Coutinho, who had played under Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino at Espanyol, but Coutinho said he would prefer to join Liverpool. On 30 January, Liverpool confirmed the signing of Coutinho on a long-term contract after he was successful in his work permit application, and was given the number 10 shirt. Former director of football at Liverpool Damien Comolli later revealed Liverpool had scouted and ultimately signed Coutinho following a recommendation by then-Inter Milan manager and former Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez, who described the Brazilian as "world class".

2012–13

Coutinho made his Liverpool debut on 11 February 2013, replacing Stewart Downing in the 77th minute of a 2–0 defeat against West Bromwich Albion at Anfield. On 17 February, he scored his first goal for Liverpool on his full debut in a 5–0 victory over Swansea City. On 2 March, he set-up Liverpool's first and second goals in a 4–0 win over Wigan Athletic and followed on with a goal in a 3–1 away loss to Southampton and another assist in a 2–1 away win against Aston Villa. His form during the month saw him named as Liverpool's Player of the Month for March.

Towards the end of the following month, he was named man of the match for his performance in Liverpool's 6–0 away victory over Newcastle United, claiming two assists and winning the free-kick from which Jordan Henderson scored Liverpool's sixth goal. Coutinho then scored Liverpool's final goal of the season against Queens Park Rangers in Jamie Carragher's final match for the club, executing a driven shot from 30 yards out after being played in by Jordon Ibe. He ended his debut season with Liverpool with a return of 3 goals in 13 Premier League appearances.

2013–14

Coutinho began the 2013–14 season well before injuring his shoulder in a match against Swansea City on 16 September 2013. He was restored to the starting line-up for the 4–0 victory over Fulham at Anfield on 9 November. On 23 November, Coutinho scored the opening goal against Everton in the Merseyside derby in the first minute of the game. Coutinho created his first assist of the season with a corner in the 5–1 thrashing of Norwich City at Anfield. On 26 December, he scored the Reds' only goal in a 2–1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. On 30 March, Coutinho scored the third goal in a 4–0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.

On 13 April 2014, Coutinho scored the winning goal in the 78th minute in a 3–2 win against Manchester City. The result put Liverpool seven points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table with four matches remaining. However, Manchester City had six matches remaining and went on to win the title, with Liverpool finishing second.

During the season, Coutinho mainly played in central midfield and earned praise from many pundits due to his long and accurate passing from midfield, dribbling skills and creative play to set-up strikers Luis Suárez and Daniel Sturridge.

2014–15

On 17 August 2014, Coutinho started in Liverpool's first match of the 2014–15 season, a 2–1 win against Southampton at Anfield. He created his first assist of the season in a 2–1 win against Swansea City in the fourth round of the League Cup, where he supplied the ball for Dejan Lovren to head the winning goal.

Coutinho scored his first goal of the season in a 3–2 away win against Queens Park Rangers on 19 October after coming off the substitutes' bench. On 21 December, Coutinho scored Liverpool's first goal in a 2–2 draw against Arsenal at Anfield.

On 31 January 2015, Coutinho assisted both goals for Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge in a 2–0 win over West Ham United. On 3 February 2015, Coutinho signed a new long-term deal set to keep him at Liverpool until 2020. On 4 February, just one day after extending his contract, he scored the winning goal in a 2–1 FA Cup fourth round match against Bolton Wanderers. On 22 February, he scored the opening goal in Liverpool's 2–0 victory over Southampton. In the next match, against Manchester City on 1 March, Coutinho scored the winning goal for Liverpool. He won the PFA Fans' Player of the Month award for February.

On 8 April, Coutinho scored the winning goal in the 1–0 FA Cup sixth round replay win against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park after slotting the ball into the bottom left corner of the net. Eleven days later, he scored past goalkeeper Shay Given in the FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium, although Villa won 2–1. On 26 April, Coutinho was the only Liverpool player named in the PFA Team of the Year. On 2 May, Coutinho scored the opening goal, and provided the assist in the 87th minute for Steven Gerrard's winner in a 2–1 win over Queens Park Rangers. Seventeen days later, he was named the team's Player of the Season. At the end of the season, he was shortlisted for the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the PFA Young Player of the Year, ultimately losing to Eden Hazard and Harry Kane respectively.

2015–16

On 9 August 2015, Coutinho scored the winning goal in the 86th minute with a bending 25-yard strike in Liverpool's first match of the Premier League season, a 1–0 victory away to Stoke City. One week later, when Liverpool won at home against AFC Bournemouth through Christian Benteke's goal, the Premier League later confirmed the goal should not have counted as Coutinho was offside when it was scored. On 29 August, Coutinho was sent-off in a 0–3 home defeat to West Ham United, being booked the first time for dissent and the second for a foul on Dimitri Payet. On 26 September, he assisted two goals in a 3–2 win over Aston Villa at Anfield. On 31 October, he scored his first Liverpool brace, scoring two long-range strikes to overturn a deficit and seal a 3–1 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. On 21 November, Coutinho scored in a 4–1 victory over Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium, the first time he had scored in three consecutive Premier League matches. He also assisted Roberto Firmino's first goal for Liverpool.

On 5 January 2016, Coutinho suffered a hamstring injury in a 1–0 win over Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium in the first leg of the League Cup semi-finals, which ruled him out for five weeks. On 9 February, he returned to score a goal to make it 1–1 against West Ham United in the FA Cup, although Liverpool lost in extra time. On 28 February, in the 2016 League Cup Final, Coutinho scored an 83rd-minute equalizer in a 1–1 draw against Manchester City. However, in the subsequent penalty shootout, his "hesitant" attempt was one of three saved by victorious City goalkeeper Willy Caballero. On 17 March, Coutinho scored Liverpool's goal in a 1–1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford, helping Liverpool to a 3–1 aggregate victory that saw them progress to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League. On 14 April, he scored as Liverpool defeated Borussia Dortmund 4–3 in the second leg of their quarter-final. On 13 April, Coutinho was one of six players nominated for the 2016 PFA Young Player of the Year award. On 21 April, he scored the final goal of a 4–0 Merseyside derby win over Everton.

2016–17

On 14 August 2016, Coutinho scored twice in Liverpool's Premier League season opener in a 4–3 win against Arsenal. His first goal was a curling 30-yard free kick to equalize at the end of the first half. He assisted Dejan Lovren's opener against Chelsea in an eventual 2–1 win. He also scored a goal and provided an assist against Hull City and was voted man of the match. After this match, he did not register any goals or assists for two games, but was very impressive with his performances against Manchester United and Swansea City. He was voted man of the match for three successive matches for Liverpool against West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace and Watford. After 11 league matches, Liverpool reached the top of the table for the first time since May 2014, with Coutinho having played an important role.

On 26 November, Coutinho suffered ankle ligament damage in the first half of a 2–0 win against Sunderland, which ruled him out of action until 11 January against Southampton in the EFL Cup first leg.

In January, Coutinho signed a new five-year contract with no release clause with Liverpool which would keep him at the club until 2022. He then was named man of the match in his performance in the 3–1 Merseyside victory over Everton after scoring and assisting a goal. Coutinho became the all-time leading Brazilian goalscorer in Premier League history after scoring his 30th Premier League goal in a win against Stoke City.

2017–18

In August 2017, Liverpool rejected a £72 million bid from Barcelona for Coutinho, prompting the player to submit a transfer request over email. Two more improved bids from Barcelona were rejected, leading Barça director Albert Soler to claim Liverpool wanted £183 million for Coutinho, which Liverpool denied. Coutinho made his first appearance of the season for Liverpool on 13 September 2017, coming on as a substitute for Emre Can in the 75th minute of a 2–2 draw against Sevilla in the UEFA Champions League. He scored his first Premier League goal of the season on 23 September 2017 in a 3–2 victory at Leicester City.

On 6 December, Coutinho captained Liverpool for the first time in the absence of Jordan Henderson and scored his first hat-trick for the club in a 7–0 win against Spartak Moscow in the final group stage match of the season's Champions League. His second, a tap-in from Roberto Firmino's pass, was his 50th career goal for the Reds in all competitions. Coutinho had previously also netted in Liverpool's 7–0 victory over Maribor which was the club's joint-largest ever away win in the competition, and largest away win by an English club. Later that month, he opened the scoring in a 4–0 win over AFC Bournemouth, a result which saw Liverpool become the first team in Premier League history to win four consecutive league matches by at least a three-goal margin. On 26 December, he captained Liverpool in his 200th appearance for the club, scoring once and providing an assist in a 5–0 league win over Swansea City to score his third goal in as many league matches.

Coutinho played what transpired to be his final match for Liverpool on 30 December 2017, featuring prominently in a 2–1 league win against Leicester City at Anfield. On 31 December, sportswear company Nike—Coutinho and Barcelona's sponsor—advertised Coutinho's image on the back of a Barcelona shirt, despite Coutinho still being a Liverpool player at the time. Coutinho was omitted from the Liverpool squad to face Burnley on New Year's Day with a minor thigh injury. He left Liverpool having registered 12 goals and 9 assists in 20 appearances for the club in 2017–18.

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said "I only have good things to say about Philippe, but I think he left Liverpool because he wanted to play for one of the two big Spanish clubs. We tried to convince him that we had the club moving in the right direction and that he could experience great nights in the Champions League if he stayed in Liverpool". Coutinho "lost a lot of support for the manner in which he forced through a move to Barcelona".

Barcelona

On 6 January 2018, Liverpool confirmed they had reached an agreement with La Liga club Barcelona for the transfer of Coutinho. His transfer fee was reported to be an initial £105 million, which could rise to £142 million with various clauses being met. During his medical, he was diagnosed with a thigh injury sustained a few days before joining Barcelona, ruling him out for three weeks.

He made his debut for Barcelona on 25 January 2018, in a 2–0 (2–1 on aggregate) win against his former club Espanyol in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute for captain Andrés Iniesta. Assisted by his former Liverpool teammate Luis Suárez, Coutinho scored his first Barcelona goal on 8 February 2018 against Valencia in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals just four minutes after coming on as a half-time substitute.Coutinho quickly established himself as a key performer in a season which culminated with Barcelona lifting La Liga and the Copa del Rey. He also personally accomplished his best ever professional season by achieving 22 goals and 14 assists in 42 total games played for Liverpool and Barcelona.

2018–19 season

On 28 October 2018, Coutinho scored a curtain-raising goal, his first Clásico goal, in a 5–1 win against Real Madrid.. He scored his first Champions League goal on 4 October 2018 in a 4–2 away win against Tottenham.

Bayern Munich

2019–20 season

On 19 August 2019, Coutinho joined German club Bayern Munich on a season-long loan. Bayern will pay a loan-fee of €8.5 million plus Coutinho's wages. Bayern reportedly have the option to sign Coutinho on a permanent contract in the summer of 2020 for €120 million. On 24 August 2019, Coutinho made his Bundesliga debut for Bayern in a 3–0 win at Schalke. Coutinho came on as a 57th minute substitute. On 21 September 2019, Coutinho scored his first goal for Bayern in a 4-0 win against 1. FC Köln. Coutinho admitted in a press conference that he is happy at Bayern Munich and intends to stay there. On 14 December 2019, Coutinho scored his first hat-trick for FC Bayern Munich, also assisting two goals, in a 6–1 win over SV Werder Bremen.

Having made youth appearances for Brazil from the under-14 team upwards, Coutinho became a key player in the Brazilian squad that won the 2009 South American Under-17 Football Championship, scoring three goals.

Coutinho made his first senior appearance in a Brazil shirt on 7 October 2010, starting in a friendly match against Iran. He was omitted from the final squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil by manager Luiz Felipe Scolari. On 19 August 2014, Coutinho was called up to the national squad by new Brazil manager Dunga for the friendly matches against Colombia and Ecuador in September, and played the final 25 minutes of the match against Ecuador. On 29 March 2015, he was selected to start in Brazil's 1–0 friendly victory over Chile in London. On 5 May 2015, Coutinho was included in Brazil's squad for the 2015 Copa América, and he scored his first international goal on 7 June during a 2–0 friendly win over Mexico at Allianz Parque.

In May 2016, Coutinho was included by Dunga in Brazil's 23-man squad for the Copa América Centenario in the United States. On 8 June, in the second group match at the Citrus Bowl, he scored a hat-trick in a 7–1 win against Haiti. Brazil did not advance past the group stage after losing 0–1 to Peru. On 28 March 2017, Coutinho scored in a 3–0 win against Paraguay that ensured Brazil's 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification.

In May 2018, Coutinho was named in the squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. On 17 June 2018, he scored in his FIFA World Cup debut with a curtain-raising, trademark right-footed curling shot from outside the penalty area into the corner of the goal in Brazil's 1–1 draw with Switzerland in their opening match at the World Cup. In the following match against Costa Rica on 22 June, he scored the opening goal in injury time of the second half and was named man of the match as Brazil won 2–0. On 6 July, he assisted Renato Augusto's goal in a 1–2 quarter-final defeat to Belgium as Brazil were eliminated from the World Cup.

In May 2019, Coutinho was included in Brazil's 23-man squad for the 2019 Copa América. He earned his 50th cap for his nation in the tournament's opening match on 14 June, and netted twice in a 3–0 win over Bolivia.

Considered to be an archetypal Brazilian number 10 advanced playmaker, Coutinho has been used as an attacking midfielder, second striker, as a central midfielder in a number 8 role, or even as a wide attacking midfielder on the flanks, where he excels at providing assists for teammates.

Due to his dribbling ability, pace and agility, he has been compared to Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho by his former Espanyol manager Mauricio Pochettino, who also said, "Philippe... he has a special magic in his feet." Former Brazilian striker Careca has also compared Coutinho to Zico due to his creativity, and he has been highly praised by his Liverpool teammates. He is widely considered to be amongst the very best of a breed of quick, skilful and versatile attacking midfielders in the world, along with Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne, and later his teammate Bernardo Silva.

Coutinho's elite vision and passing ability earned him the nickname "Little Magician" by Liverpool fans and his precocious ability has also led his team's supporters to give him the nickname "The Kid". Although naturally right-footed, Coutinho is capable of playing with both feet and can strike the ball particularly well from distance. He has a penchant for scoring from spectacular curling shots with his right foot from just or well outside the penalty area, especially after cutting inside from the left flank, and placing the ball into the top corner of the goal, which has led his former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp to compare him to Alessandro Del Piero. He is also a highly accurate free kick taker.

Coutinho is sponsored by sportswear company Nike. He wears Nike Phantom Vision boots. Coutinho features in the video game Pro Evolution Soccer. He appears on the cover of Pro Evolution Soccer 2019.

When Coutinho moved to Italy at age 18 to join Inter Milan, he was joined there by his parents and then-girlfriend Ainê, whom he had first met at a friend's party. On moving to Espanyol, his parents returned to Brazil. He married Ainê in the summer of 2012 in Brazil. Coutinho has said his idol is Ronaldinho. He has tattoos stretching from his fingers to his biceps which form tributes to his parents, two brothers, and his wife Ainê. Coutinho is a devout Christian.

During the early-morning hours of 20 February 2018, Coutinho had been eating dinner with his family the previous night and returned to his Barcelona home to find his house burgled. It was reported he was having construction work done on his house, which made it easier for burglars to break in.

In August 2018, Coutinho gained a Portuguese passport through his wife, no longer making him a non-EU player.

Club

As of match played 8 March 2020

International

As of match played 19 November 2019

International goals

Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first:

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	7 June 2015	Allianz Parque, São Paulo, Brazil	Mexico	1–0	2–0	Friendly
2.	8 June 2016	Camping World Stadium, Orlando, United States	Haiti	1–0	7–1	Copa América Centenario
3.				2–0
4.				7–1
5.	6 October 2016	Arena das Dunas, Natal, Brazil	Bolivia	2–0	5–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.	10 November 2016	Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil	Argentina	1–0	3–0
7.	27 March 2017	Arena Corinthians, São Paulo, Brazil	Paraguay	1–0	3–0
8.	31 August 2017	Arena do Grêmio, Porto Alegre, Brazil	Ecuador	2–0	2–0
9.	23 March 2018	Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia	Russia	2–0	3–0	Friendly
10.	10 June 2018	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria	Austria	3–0	3–0
11.	17 June 2018	Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, Russia	Switzerland	1–0	1–1	2018 FIFA World Cup
12.	22 June 2018	Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia	Costa Rica	1–0	2–0
13.	11 September 2018	FedExField, Landover, United States	El Salvador	3–0	5–0	Friendly
14.	9 June 2019	Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, Brazil	Honduras	3–0	7–0
15.	14 June 2019	Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil	Bolivia	1–0	3–0	2019 Copa América
16.				2–0
17.	19 November 2019	Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates	South Korea	2–0	3–0	Friendly

Vasco da Gama

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 2009

Inter Milan

• Coppa Italia: 2010–11
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2010

Barcelona

• La Liga: 2017–18, 2018–19
• Copa del Rey: 2017–18
• Supercopa de España: 2018

Brazil U17

• South American U-17 Championship: 2009

Brazil U20

• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2011

Brazil

• Copa América: 2019

Individual

• PFA Fans' Player of the Month: February 2015
• PFA Team of the Year: 2014–15 Premier League
• UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2015–16
• Liverpool Fans Player of the Season Award: 2014–15, 2015–16
• Liverpool Players' Player of the Season Award: 2014–15, 2015–16
• Liverpool Goal of the Season: 2014–15, 2015–16
• Liverpool Performance of the Season: 2014–15, 2015–16
• Samba Gold Award (Samba d'Or): 2016
• Football Supporters' Federation Player of the Year: 2016
• FIFA FIFPro World XI 4th team: 2017, 2018
• FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2018
• FIFA World Cup Fantasy McDonald's Overall XI: 2018
• FIFA World Cup top assist provider: 2018
• Bundesliga Goal of the Month: December 2019