Former footballer Tarantini became on Tuesday the first professional sports athlete in Portugal to obtain the university degree of doctor.
The 38-year-old former midfielder, who became famous in the service of Rio Ave, and who, after ending his career, in 2021 assumed the position of assistant coach of the Famalicão team, of the I Liga, saw his thesis, presented to the University of Beira Interior, in Covilhã, to be unanimously approved by a panel of six professors.
Tarantini, who had graduated in 2006 and completed his master’s degree in 2014, has spent the last five years developing this doctoral thesis, on the subject of “The athletic profile of Portuguese football players over the last 50 years”.
The research work, with three articles already published in international journals of the specialty, addresses the development of the careers of footballers and the planning of their end, following the project he created on the subject, nicknamed “My cause”.
“I checked that there was no data on the Portuguese footballer’s journey and sought to obtain tools and knowledge to create a research project, which would allow me to help others”, began by explaining Tarantini to the Lusa agency.
The academic work now presented by Tarantini, quantitatively substantiated, addresses “the career indicators of athletes and the level of competition and the age at which they leave the sport”.
“By realizing the athletic identity and the commitment that the player puts in his profession, we can verify the influence and the conscience placed in the planning of the career, and in the preparation of its end, so that the transition, to the end, be done with more quality,” added the former athlete.
The former midfielder, and now a coach, recalls that his dedication to studies, particularly university studies, which he began while still a player, was intended to give him “tools to embrace other areas in case he wouldn’t succeed in sport.”
“I always wanted to add something more to my career, and show that it was possible to have a professional career in football, but at the same time to study. Of course, it was not easy, I ‘ve gone through some personal hardships, but I felt that with my academic knowledge, I would be better prepared for any scenario in the future,” he shared.
Tarantini says that, at the moment, he has no doubts that he wants to continue his coaching career, but he also feels ready to take on other challenges, especially in management, where he has accumulated experience in as vice-president of the Players. Union, responsible for the education portfolio.
The new “doctor” of national football recognizes that he is a pioneer in this academic field and hopes that his example of dedication to studies can “inspire new generations”.
“A few years ago I didn’t feel good with this label, but now I realize that I left a mark on Portuguese football. I hope to get players thinking and planning their final career. Sportingly, I did not reach the national team or a top club, but leaving this example is a source of pride,” Tarantini concludes.