Ricardo Manuel Ferreira Sousa (born 21 December 1981), known as Cadú, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a central defender.
He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 121 games and seven goals over five seasons, with Paços de Ferreira, Boavista and Gil Vicente. He spent the vast majority of his career in Romania with CFR Cluj, appearing in 255 competitive matches and winning eight major trophies.
Cadú was born on 21 December 1981 in Paços de Ferreira, Portugal. He began playing junior-level football in 1990 at local club Paços Ferreira. One year later, he started to play senior-level football at fourth league side Aliados Lordelo. Subsequently, for the 2001âÂÂ02 season, he joined third tier club Gondomar.
In 2002, Cadú returned to Paços Ferreira, making his Primeira Liga debut on 29 September under coach José Mota in a 3âÂÂ1 home win over Boavista. On 23 February 2003, he netted his first goal in a 2âÂÂ0 victory against Gil Vicente. Until the end of the season, he scored two more goals in a 3âÂÂ1 loss to Beira-Mar and a 1âÂÂ0 win over Porto. In the 2003âÂÂ04 season, Paços Ferreira finished in 17th place and was relegated.
In 2004, Cadú joined Boavista. In his first season, he netted two goals in a 2âÂÂ1 loss to MarÃÂtimo and a 1âÂÂ0 victory against Porto, with the team finishing in sixth place. In the 2005âÂÂ06 season, he scored a goal in a 1âÂÂ1 draw against Vitória de Guimarães and again finished in sixth place.
In 2006, Cadú joined Romania's CFR Cluj, together with compatriots António Semedo, Manuel José and Pedro Oliveira. CFR paid Boavista a â¬750,000 fee for his transfer. He made his Liga I debut on 30 July 2006 when player-coach Dorinel Munteanu sent him in the 79th minute to replace Zoran Miloà ¡eviàin a 4âÂÂ0 home victory over Unirea Urziceni. On 20 September, he scored his first goal in the league in a 5âÂÂ1 home win against FC Universitatea Craiova.
Cadú became CFR's captain in late 2007. In the 2007âÂÂ08 season, CFR won The Double, which constituted the club's first trophies, and Cadú contributed with four goals in 29 league matches under coach Ioan Andone. One of these goals was scored in the last round of the season from a penalty in a 1âÂÂ0 Cluj derby win over Universitatea Cluj that mathematically secured the title. Additionally, he made his debut in a European club competition, playing in both legs of the 3âÂÂ1 loss on aggregate to Anorthosis in the UEFA Cup second qualifying round. Cadú then played six games in the 2008âÂÂ09 Champions League group stage with The Railway Men, including a historical 2âÂÂ1 victory at Stadio Olimpico against AS Roma. In the same season he won another Cupa României, coach Toni Conceição using him the entire match in the 3âÂÂ0 win over Politehnica TimiÃÂoara in the final.
Cadú started the 2009âÂÂ10 season by winning the Supercupa României, as coach Conceição used him the whole match in the penalty shoot-out win against Unirea Urziceni, and he netted the final spot kick. Subsequently, he helped his side eliminate FK Sarajevo in the 2009âÂÂ10 Europa League play-off, reaching the group stage where he played in five games. Cadú finished the season by winning another Double with CFR, being used by coaches Conceição and Andrea Mandorlini in 28 games in which he netted five goals. He also played the entire match in the victory at the penalty shoot-out against FC Vaslui in the Cupa României final with Cadú scoring the final spot kick. For these performances he was voted Central Defender of the Year alongside Unirea Urziceni's George Galamaz.
He won the 2010 Supercupa României, following another penalty shoot-out victory against Unirea Urziceni in which coach Mandorlini played him for the entire match. Afterwards, he played five matches in the 2010âÂÂ11 Champions League group stage, scoring a goal and an own goal in a 3âÂÂ2 away loss to Bayern Munich. Cadú's last trophy won with The White and Burgundies was the 2011âÂÂ12 championship, as coaches Jorge Costa and Andone used him in 27 matches in which he netted five goals. The title was mathematically clinched after Cadú scored the victory goal in the 88th minute of the 3âÂÂ2 win over Universitatea Cluj. Next season he played 10 games in the team's 2012âÂÂ13 Champions League campaign as they got past Slovan Liberec, against whom he scored a goal, and Basel in the qualifying rounds. In the group stage, the club finished third, earning 10 points against opponents such as Manchester United, Galatasaray and Braga. Subsequently, they qualified for the round of 32 in the Europa League, where they were defeated by Inter Milan.
On 6 May 2014, he made his 200th Liga I appearance in a 3âÂÂ0 away win over Dinamo BucureÃÂti, becoming the foreign player with the most matches played after the 1989 Romanian Revolution. Cadú made his last appearance in the competition on 15 May 2014 in CFR's 3âÂÂ1 home win over Gaz Metan MediaÃÂ, totaling 202 matches with 27 goals in the competition.
In July 2014, Cadú signed with AEL Limassol, making his Cypriot First Division debut on 24 August under coach Ivaylo Petev in a 2âÂÂ0 away victory against Nea Salamina. In the following two rounds, he scored his first two goals which helped the team earn a draw against Ethnikos and a win over Doxa. Cadú also played in the two-legged 3âÂÂ1 loss to Zenit Saint Petersburg in the 2014âÂÂ15 Champions League third qualifying round. Subsequently, he appeared in both games in the 2014âÂÂ15 Europa League play-off as his side was defeated 5âÂÂ1 on aggregate by Tottenham Hotspur. Those were his last appearances in European competitions, as he accumulated 35 matches with two goals.
In January 2015, Cadú returned to Portugal, signing with Gil Vicente. He scored his first goal for them on 25 April in a 2âÂÂ1 away victory against Académica. On 23 May 2015, he made his last Primeira Liga appearance in a 2âÂÂ0 home loss to Belenenses, totaling 121 matches with seven goals in the competition. However, the team was relegated by the end of the season, but Cadú stayed with the club for one more year.
In July 2016, Cadú joined second league side Leixões. Subsequently, he joined Merelinense in the third league and then played for Maia Lidador, ending his career in 2021.
From 2003 to 2004, Cadú played four matches for Portugal's under-21 team and made two appearances for the B squad.
CFR Cluj