Marcos Assunção

Assunção, fullname Marcos do Santos Assunção (born 25 July 1976 in Caieiras), is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a central midfielder. Assunção is currently one of the best dead ball specialists in Spain, playing for La Liga side Real Betis.

[edit] Career

Assunção began his career at Rio Branco, where he stayed from 1993 through to 1995. He then played for Santos from 1996 to 1998, where he scored 3 goals in 33 league games, and moved to Flamengo in the 1998 season. 1998 season has been a successful season where he scored 5 goals in 21 games. His performances eventually earned him a spot in the Italian Serie A.

Assunção moved to A.S. Roma in 1999. In the 1999/2000 season, Assunção scored 1 goal in 21 appearances in league games, and 1 goal in 5 games at UEFA Cup. Assunção eventually scored 9 goals in 55 league games during his three year stay. During his time at Roma he proved himself to be a threat at set pieces.

After making a move to the Spanish club, Real Betis, Assunção has made 109 La Liga appearances and scored 22 league goals, many from free-kicks. During the 2005/2006 season Assunção made two appearances in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, five appearances from six group stage matches in the UEFA Champions League, but failed to make an appearance in the UEFA Cup due to injury. His debut at Real Betis was one of the most spectacular ever seen in a Verdiblanco shirt as he scored a 40 yard goal with his weaker left foot then precided to strike the woodwork on no less than 3 occasions delivering a gasp from the Real Betis substitutes bench. Real Betis went on to beat Deportivo La Coruna in El Riazor 2-4.

On the 25 July 2006, his 30th birthday, Assunção became a citizen of Spain due to his time spent at Real Betis. Three days later Assunção scored an 89th minute free-kick winner against Sanluqueño as Real Betis won 2-1 in a pre-season friendly.

Assunção has made 11 appearances for the Brazilian national side. He made his debut against El Salvador, he has score a goal against Russia on 18.11.98 in the Brazil victory 5-1. Assunção was dropped from Seleção after a poor performance during a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Chile, which Brazil lost 3-0.

Real Betis - Current Squad
1 Contreras \| 2 Melli \| 3 Romero \| 4 Juanito \| 5 Rivas \| 6 Lembo \| 7 Damià \| 8 Arzu \| 9 Fernando \| 10 Edú \| 11 Dani \| 12 Robert \| 13 Toni D \| 14 Capi \| 15 Nano \| 16 Vogel \| 17 Wágner \| 18 Rivera \| 19 Xisco \| 20 Assunção \| 21 Miguel Angel \| 22 Vega \| 23 Odonkor \| 24 Maldonado \| 25 Sóbis \| 26 Cañamero \| Coach Irureta