José Alberto da Mota Barroso (born 26 August 1970) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.
After a successful loan also in the north, with Segunda Liga club Rio Ave FC, he returned, becoming an essential midfield element for the Minho side as well as their captain; in his last two years, although they finished tenth and eighth respectively, he scored a total of 14 league goals, mostly from long-range shots and/or free kicks.
[2][3] After one year with Académica de Coimbra he returned to Braga, now consolidated in the Portuguese top flight;[4][5] he netted 13 times in his first two seasons, then added a career-best 12 goals in the 2002–03 campaign but the team could only rank in 14th place.
[6][7] Barroso retired from football in summer 2005 at nearly 35, after helping Braga to two consecutive UEFA Cup qualifications,[8] even though he contributed sparingly due to injuries.
Barroso won his sole cap for Portugal on 26 January 1995, as an 89th-minute substitute for Ricardo Sá Pinto in a 1–1 draw against Canada in the SkyDome Cup.