Pinto - Pinto José Manuel - Biography

José Manuel Pinto joined Barça on 18 January 2008 from Celta, the club he had played for during the previous ten seasons. He came on loan but FC Barcelona signed him permanently at the end of the 2007/08 season.

Born in Puerto de Santa Maria (Cádiz) on November 8, 1975, Pinto started his professional career in Andalusia. After spending three seasons with Real Betis's B side, he moved up to the first team and made his debut for the club during the 1997/98 campaign. A year later he agreed to move to Celta Vigo, where would spend the next decade before leaving to go to Camp Nou in January 2008.

After being replaced by Toni Prats at Betis, Pinto opted to join Celta and it was there that he found stability and was awarded the captain's armband. He went on to play 126 games in the first and 56 matches in the second divisions, as well as appearing in the UEFA Cup regularly with the club, and helping the side to qualify for the Champions League in 2003/04. Pinto’s finest hour came when he won the Zamora Trophy as the best keeper in the league in 2005/06.

That year, Pinto conceded just 28 goals in 37 league matches (an average of 0.75 per game) and helped guide the team to sixth place in the top flight and into the UEFA Cup. The season before the Zamora had been won by Víctor Valdés, his future colleague at Barça.

When playing for Celta in the Second Division, FC Barcelona bought him in the January transfer window as cover for Albert Jorquera, who was sidelined with a long-term knee injury. He came on loan but FC Barcelona signed him permanently at the end of the 2007/08 season, during which he made his League debut away at Deportivo and then played in two more matches.

In the 2008/09 season, Guardiola made Pinto his first choice stopper in the cup. The Andalusian played every game in the competition and performed especially well in the semi final, saving a penalty from Mallorca's Martí, which could have complicated Barcelona's qualification. He also played the last games of the league campaign, thus ensuring Valdés won the Zamora Trophy.

From 2009/10 to 2010/11 he played a total of 21 games, mainly due to first choice keeper Valdés being out for some time though injury, but also due to his continued presence in the Copa del Rey, in which Barça reached the final. In the final season under Pep Guardiola (2011/12), Pinto was once again used in all cup matches as the team won the title for a record 26th time. On January 2, 2012, the club accepted the renewal of José Manuel Pinto’s contract until 2013.