José Ferreira Neto

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Olympic medalist
Neto (centre) with Brazilian footballer Marcelinho Carioca (left) and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil
Medal record
Competitor for  Brazil
Men's Football
Silver	1988 Seoul	Team Competition

José Ferreira Neto (born September 9, 1966 in Santo Antônio de Posse, near Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil), most commonly known as Neto, is a former football (soccer) player.

He began his career very early, playing for Campinas-based team Guarani. In the mid-1980s he also played for Bangu (in Rio de Janeiro) and São Paulo before returning to Guarani once again. In 1988 he brought more attention upon himself by scoring a goal from a bicycle-kick in the São Paulo State Championship finals against Corinthians. In this same year he was also part of the Brazilian national team that went to Seoul to play in the Olympic Games. Neto's was the corner kick who enabled Romário to score Brazil's first goal against Soviet Union in the final game (however, the Soviets overcame Brazil, with a 2-1 win in the extra-time).

In 1989 he played for Palmeiras and then he was transferred to Corinthians, were he was an idol in the beginning of the nineties. With his precise game and strong personality, he was the key player during the 1990 National Championship in Brazil, when Corinthians won the finals against São Paulo.

After almost five years and 90 goals for Corinthians, his cycle in the club was over. Still, even today Neto is remembered as one of the player who most identified himself with the black-and-white club. After Corinthians he played in many other clubs, in Brazil (Araçatuba, Atlético Mineiro, Matsubara, Santos) and abroad (Millonarios of Colombia).

Neto's career was always plagued by weight problems and divergences with referees and club managers. His most famous episode was when he spat in referee José Aparecido de Oliveira's face, earning himself a 4-month suspension from the games. Neto says this is the only regrettable thing he did in his career.

Neto stopped playing at the end of the nineties. He was, for a while, manager in his first club, Guarani, but he's now (2004) a soccer commentator in Brazil.