Cafu

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Cafu
Personal information
Full name	Marcos Evangelista de Moraes
Date of birth	June 7, 1970 (1970-06-07) (age 38)
Place of birth	São Paulo, Brazil
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Right Back / Right Wingback
Club information
Current club	Unattached
Youth clubs
1988–1990	São Paulo
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1989–1994 1994–1995 1995 1996–1997 1997–2003 2003–2008	São Paulo Juventude Real Zaragoza Palmeiras AS Roma A.C. Milan	115 (7) 074 (8) 016 (0) 035 (0) 163 (5) 119 (4)
National team2
1990–2006	Brazil	156 (5)[1]
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of May 18, 2008. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of July 1, 2006. * Appearances (Goals)

Marcos Evangelista de Moraes (born June 7, 1970 in São Paulo), better known as Cafu, is a two-time FIFA World Cup winning Brazilian footballer, was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004. He is best known for his tireless overlapping runs.

[edit] Early life

One of six children, Cafu was raised in the Jardim Irene favela of São Paulo. He was a mediocre student as he soon discovered his love for football and preferred playing over studying. At the tender age of seven, he was able to attend a football academy and soon moved up to the junior sides of Nacional, Portuguesa, and Itaquaquecetuba AC. He also played futsal for two years.

In the early 1980s, he couldn't get his foot in the door as he was rejected from the youth squads of Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos, Atlético Mineiro, and even Portuguesa. It wasn't until 1988 that he made the youth squad of hometown club São Paulo FC, and subsequently won the Copa São Paulo youth tournament that year, but he warmed the bench the next season as São Paulo won the 1989 Campeonato Paulista.

[edit] Club career

It was during this time, however, that São Paulo youth coach Telê Santana became Cafu's mentor. He suggested that Cafu move from the midfield to wingback, a spot into which Cafu made the transition with ease despite never previously playing the position. He had soon anchored onto the first team, as São Paulo FC won back-to-back Copa Libertadores in 1992 and 1993. In 1994, he was named the South American Footballer of the Year. Cafu began the 1995 season with Brazil squad Juventude but finished in Spain with Real Zaragoza, winning the '95 Cup Winners' Cup with the latter.

After a brief stint back in Brazil with Palmeiras in 1996, Cafu returned to Europe once again the next year, this time with AS Roma, and won the Scudetto in 2001. It was during his tenure at Roma that Cafu earned the nickname Il Pendolino ("The Express Train" or "The Commuter"). Despite making the Coppa Italia final in 2003 with Roma, he moved to AC Milan after turning down a move to Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos. With the Rossoneri, he won his second career Scudetto in 2004, and played in his first UEFA Champions League final in 2005.

Despite his success with Milan, he continues to hold fond memories of his Roma years, and it was for that reason that on March 4, 2007 - the day after Milan eliminated Celtic F.C. in the first knockout round of the 2006-07 Champions League - he candidly revealed in a UEFA.com chat that he did not want Milan to be drawn against the Giallorossi in the quarterfinal round. He got his wish, as Milan were drawn against Bayern Munich. Milan's successful CL campaign saw Cafu finally pick up a long-awaited winners' medal.

Cafu signed a contract extension in May 2007 that will keep him with Milan until June 2008.

On May 16, 2008 it was announced that Cafu and compatriot Serginho will be leaving Milan at the end of the season.

In Cafu's last game of his Milan career, and maybe his footballing career, he scored a goal in their 4-1 victory over Udinese.

On May 19, 2008, Cafu indicated that Milan's Vice-President Adriano Galliani has opened the doors to him to return to work for the club.^[2]

[edit] Honours

• FIFA World Cup (1994, 2002)
• Copa América (1997, 1999)
• FIFA Confederations Cup (1997)
• Copa Libertadores (1992, 1993)
• Intercontinental Cup (1992, 1993)
• Recopa Sudamericana (1993)
• UEFA Cup Winners Cup (1995)
• UEFA Super Cup (2003, 2007)
• UEFA Champions League (2007)
• FIFA Club World Cup (2007)
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (1991)
• Scudetto (2001, 2004)
• SuperCoppa Italiana (2004)
• South American Footballer of the Year (1994)

[edit] Passport controversy

On June 12, 2006, less than 24 hours before Brazil were to begin their 2006 World Cup campaign against Croatia, Rome prosecutor Angelantonio Racanelli called for the imprisonment of Cafu, his wife Regina de Morales, and his agent for nine months following the resurfacing of a false-passport scandal that dated back to Cafu's Roma days in 2000, during which his current Milan teammate Dida, along with several other Serie A players, were caught with forged documents in their attempt to dodge regulations regarding the number of non-European players allowed on Italian club rosters. Racanelli claimed that falsified documents immunized Cafu from this rule because of Regina's Italian citizenship, which was due to her grandfather's emigration from Brazil to Italy. The very next day, however, Cafu, his wife, and agent were acquitted of all charges.

[edit] National Team

Cafu is the most-capped Brazilian player of all time with 142, including a record 21 World Cup finals appearances. He won two World Cups in 1994 and 2002, and is one of the few players that have participated in four consecutive tournaments, as well as being the first to participate in three consecutive WC final matches. He earned his first cap in a friendly against Spain on September 12, 1990, and played sparingly for Brazil in the early 90s, making the 1994 FIFA World Cup roster as a substitute. He appeared in the final against Italy, following an injury to Jorginho in the 22nd minute. After that, Cafu was soon a regular in the starting eleven as Brazil won the Copa América in 1997 and 1999, and reached the 1998 FIFA World Cup final.

Brazil endured a rocky qualification for the 2002 tournament, during which Cafu came under heavy criticism from coach Wanderley Luxemburgo, who stripped him of the team captaincy after he was sent off in a qualifier against Paraguay. Shortly after that, though, Luxemburgo was out of a job, and replacement Luiz Felipe Scolari made Emerson his new choice for captain. However, Emerson missed the cut after he dislocated his shoulder in training, which allowed Cafu to regain the armband. After Brazil defeated Germany 2-0 in the final match, he stood on the victory podium during the postmatch celebration and, as he raised the trophy, shouted to his wife, "Regina, eu te amo!" ("Regina, I love you!").

Cafu and Brazil fell short of high expectations placed on the squad four years later in 2006, as the Seleção meekly exited in the quarterfinals after a 1-0 defeat by France. Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira was criticized for featuring fading veterans, most notably the 36-year-old Cafu and 33-year-old Roberto Carlos, in the starting eleven in lieu of younger players. Cafu was one of only a few Brazil players who spoke to the press in the midst of a hailstorm of criticism from Brazilian fans and media alike following the team's return home. He nonetheless has expressed interest in participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when he will be 40 years old. However, he has yet to be capped again since current coach Dunga took over for Parreira in July 2006.

Cafu was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.

[edit] Honours and awards

• Officer of the Order of Rio Branco: 2008

[edit] Note on name

Cafu is correct (as opposed to Cafú). He was given this nickname because his speed up and down the right flank was reminiscent of that of Cafuringa, a legendary Brazilian forward who played for Fluminense and Atlético Mineiro in the 1970s.

[edit] External links

• Cafu FIFA competition record
• Official Cafu Foundation site (in Portuguese)
• Cafu profile by Aaron Marcus - acmilan-online.com
• Career stats - acmilan.com
• Cafu profile - FootballDatabase.com
• Champions League profile - UEFA.com

[edit] References

• Roma clinch Italian title - BBC Sport, 6/17/01
• "Commuter" Cafu finally arrives at his destination - Reuters, 5/23/05
• Cafu: I've lived in hell - Deutschland 2006, 2/8/06
• Cafu could face prison over false passport affair - Yahoo! UK, 6/12/06
• Cafu acquitted in false passport case - news.notiemail.com, 6/13/06
• Surprise, sadness and anger following Brazil's World Cup exit - People's Daily Online, 7/4/06
• Chat session - UEFA.com, 3/4/07

v • d • e Brazil squad - 1994 FIFA World Cup Winners (4th Title) 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

v • d • e Brazil squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup Runners-up 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

v • d • e Brazil squad - 2002 FIFA World Cup Winners (5th Title) 1 Marcos • 2 Cafu • 3 Lúcio • 4 Roque Júnior • 5 Edmílson • 6 Roberto Carlos • 7 Ricardinho • 8 Gilberto Silva • 9 Ronaldo • 10 Rivaldo • 11 Ronaldinho • 12 Dida • 13 Belletti • 14 Anderson Polga • 15 Kléberson • 16 Júnior • 17 Denílson • 18 Vampeta • 19 Juninho • 20 Edílson • 21 Luizão • 22 Rogério Ceni • 23 Kaká • Coach: Scolari

v • d • e Brazil squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Dida • 2 Cafu • 3 Lúcio • 4 Juan • 5 Emerson • 6 Roberto Carlos • 7 Adriano • 8 Kaká • 9 Ronaldo • 10 Ronaldinho • 11 Zé Roberto • 12 Rogério Ceni • 13 Cicinho • 14 Luisão • 15 Cris • 16 Gilberto • 17 Gilberto Silva • 18 Mineiro • 19 Juninho • 20 Ricardinho • 21 Fred • 22 Júlio César • 23 Robinho • Coach: Parreira