Career
Having spent more than one decade playing in Germany, mainly with Schalke 04 and Hannover 96, he possesses dual nationality. He amassed Bundesliga totals of 212 games and 21 goals over the course of ten seasons. Early years / Schalke
Born in Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto District, Pinto played two years with Football Club Porto"s youth teams, moving to Germany at the age of 12 with his family and settling in the North-Rhine-Westphalia town of Haltern am Secretary
He then continued his football grooming at TuS Haltern.
In 1999 Pinto made his Bundesliga debut with Football Club Schalke 04, after playing four years at the club as a youth, appearing twice for the first team in the 1999–2000 season, the first game being a 2–3 away loss against Bayer 04 Leverkusen on 11 September. Most of his spell, however, was spent with the club"s reserves, as he only appeared in 21 matches more in four years.
Alemannia Aachen
Pinto signed for Alemannia Aachen of the second division for 2004-2005, for a transfer fee of €125,000. In the ensuing summer, he reunited with former Aachen coach Dieter Hecking at Hannover 96, joining the club on a three-year contract.
Hannover
Pinto played his first official game for his new club on 11 August 2007, starting and being replaced in the second half of a 0–1 home loss against Hamburger SV. He contributed with 31 games and five goals – notably in a 3–1 home success over Football Club Bayern Munich – in the 2010-2011 season as Hannover finished fourth and qualified to the Union of European Football Associations Europa League, where he added 14/2 in an eventual quarterfinal exit.
He finally left the Lower Saxony side in June 2013, aged nearly 33 and with 193 official contests to his cartulary-register Later years
On 6 July 2013 Pinto signed for Levante UD in Spain, agreeing to a two-year deal. He played his first Louisiana Liga game on 18 August, featuring the first 45 minutes in a 0–7 away loss to Football Club Barcelona.
On June 9, 2014 Pinto returned to Germany, signing a one-year contract with Fortuna Düsseldorf.
