Leonardo Araújo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Leonardo
Image:Leonardobbc.jpg
Personal information
Full name Leonardo Nascimento de Araujo
Date of birth September 5, 1969
Place of birth Niterói, Brazil
Position Attacking midfielder
Fullback
Youth clubs
1984-1987 Flamengo
Professional clubs*
Years Club Apps (goals)
1987-1990
1990-1991
1991-1992
1993-1994
1994-1996
1996-1997
1997-2001
2001
2002
2002-2003		 Flamengo
São Paulo FC
Valencia CF
São Paulo FC
Kashima Antlers
Paris St Germain
AC Milan
São Paulo FC
Flamengo
AC Milan		 168 (7)
 ? (?)
 ? (?)
 ? (?)
 ? (?)
 ? (?)
 ? (?)
 ? (?)
8 (3)
 ? (?)
National team
1991-2002 Brazil 60 (8)

* Professional club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.

Leonardo Nascimento de Araujo, known simply as Leonardo (born September 5, 1969 in Niterói, Brazil), is a football midfielder, who played for Brazil, playing on the teams that won the 1994 FIFA World Cup (although he was suspended for the latter part of the tournament), and placed second in 1998.

Contents

[edit] Playing career

Leonardo began his career with the Brazilian club Flamengo in 1987; at just 17, he was given the opportunity to play with his hero Zico plus Leandro, Bebeto and Renato Gaúcho, and to take part in winning his first Brazilian championship. In 1990, Leonardo signed with São Paulo FC, and in 1991, Leonardo, Raí, and other young talents were assembled as part of the so-called "esquadrão tricolor" under the command of Brazilian legend Telê Santana, giving Leonardo his second Brazilian championship.

Later that year, he made the switch to European football, signing with the Spanish club Valencia CF. After two seasons with Valencia, he returned to Brazil for a brief stint with São Paulo in 1993, during which time the team won several titles, including the prestigious Toyota Cup.

Leonardo made his international debut in 1989. He is remembered for the vicious elbow to the head of American midfielder Tab Ramos during the second round of the 1994 World Cup. He later apologized to Ramos in English, stating that he did not intentionally hurt him. Leonardo was suspended for the rest of the tournament as Brazil won the championship. The four match suspension was the second longest imposed during the World Cup.

In 1994, after the World Cup, Leonardo signed with the Kashima Antlers of the newly-formed J. League. Leonardo continued his success in Kashima, again playing with his idol and friend Zico. By 1996, he had had enough of Japan and returned to Europe, this time signing with French club Paris St Germain, where he again proved to be successful, one of his goals helping them to oust Liverpool FC out of the semi-finals of the Cup Winners Cup. In 1997, Leonardo was given the #10 shirt for the national team.

The following year, Leonardo played all seven games in his second 1998 FIFA World Cup, helping Brazil to a second-place finish. In the second opening round match against Morocco, he netted one shot and began celebrating, but was later called off-side. In 1997 he signed with Italian giants AC Milan, becoming a prominent part of that club's star-studded lineup. He played four full seasons in Milan, but was hampered by injuries. In 2001, he returned to play for São Paulo and then Flamengo, before finishing his career in Milan in 2003. He was selected to play a game for the 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign and ended his career with 60 caps and eight goals for Brazil.

[edit] Post-playing career

Since 2002, Leonardo has dedicated himself to social works with the Fundação Gol de Letra and Fondazione Milan.

Leonardo worked for BBC Television in the United Kingdom during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, as one of their Match of the Day analysts, alongside another former World Cup winner Marcel Desailly.

On 5th November 2006, Leonardo appeared on the panel of the Match of the Day 2 alongside Lee Dixon and Ian Wright.

[edit] Honours

[edit] Club Honours

1987 - Flamengo
1991 - São Paulo FC

[edit] International Honours

[edit] External links


Brazil Brazil squad - 1994 World Cup Champions (4th Title) Brazil

1 Taffarel | 2 Jorginho | 3 Ricardo Rocha | 4 Ronaldão | 5 Mauro Silva | 6 Branco | 7 Bebeto | 8 Dunga | 9 Zinho | 10 Raí | 11 Romário | 12 Zetti | 13 Aldair | 14 Cafu | 15 Márcio Santos | 16 Leonardo | 17 Mazinho | 18 Paulo Sérgio | 19 Müller | 20 Ronaldo | 21 Viola | 22 Gilmar | Coach: Parreira
Brazil Brazil squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup Runners-up Brazil

1 Taffarel | 2 Cafu | 3 Aldair | 4 Júnior Baiano | 5 César Sampaio | 6 Roberto Carlos | 7 Giovanni | 8 Dunga | 9 Ronaldo | 10 Rivaldo | 11 Emerson | 12 Carlos Germano | 13 Zé Carlos | 14 Gonçalves | 15 André Cruz | 16 Zé Roberto | 17 Doriva | 18 Leonardo | 19 Denílson | 20 Bebeto | 21 Edmundo | 22 Dida | Coach: Zagallo
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../l/e/o/Leonardo_Ara%C3%BAjo_fe19.html"