Lincoln (footballer)

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Lincoln
Image:Schalke Lincoln 01.jpg
Personal information
Full name Lincoln Cássio de Souza Soares
Date of birth January 22, 1979 (1979-01-22) (age 29)
Place of birth    São Brás do Suaçuí, Brazil
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9+12 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Galatasaray S.K.
Number 10
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1997–2001
2001–2004
2004–2007
2007–
Atlético Mineiro
Kaiserslautern
Schalke 04
Galatasaray S.K.
50 0(4)
53 (12)
83 (20)
19 (5)   

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 10 May 2008.
* Appearances (Goals)

Lincoln Cássio de Souza Soares (born January 22, 1979 in São Brás do Suaçuí) is a Brazilian football player. He is currently playing for the Turkish Club Galatasaray S.K.

Contents

[edit] 1. FC Kaiserslautern

Lincoln is known foremostly for his stint in the German Bundesliga. He was signed in 2001 by 1. FC Kaiserslautern as a replacement for playmaker Ciriaco Sforza, who was bought by Bayern Munich. The slender, but technically gifted, Lincoln made an immediate impact and contributed to a strong FCK finish in that season. However, trouble was afoot within the club from Rhineland-Palatinate, heavy internal friction was experienced and this was not helped by a large turnover of players. The last straw was when Lincoln went AWOL in Spring 2004. It turned out that he had headed back to his native Brazil as he felt it would be better for an injury he was apparently suffering from. This was not endorsed by the club and earned him a season-long suspension. Many of the clubs fans, members of the board and playing staff were left embittered by the fact that Lincoln left the club while they struggled against relegation.

[edit] Schalke 04

Lincoln's reputation had suffered, and it was seen as a surprise when Schalke 04 signed the playmaker. However, his game flourished while at the Ruhrgebiet club, and he was one of the strongest pillars in the surprising Schalke 2004-05 campaign that earned them second place in the Bundesliga. Although Lincoln experienced a dip in form in 2005-06, he firmly established himself as one of the best playmakers in the Bundesliga.

Lincoln was also a member of the 1999 Atlético Mineiro team, who were runners-up in Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, which also had Marques, Belletti, Caçapa, Galvan and the 1999 top-scorer Guilherme in the side, among others.

In June 2007 Lincoln signed a four-year contract for Galatasaray S.K., for a fee of around €4.5m. He was greeted at the Ataturk International Airport with a crowd of 4,000 Galatasaray supporters (see: ultrAslan). Some of the club's supporters consider him the new Gheorghe Hagi.

[edit] Galatasaray

Lincoln has scored 6 times in his first season in the 2007/2008 Turkcell Super League and he has made a few important assists showing great performances both in Turkish league and Uefa cup games. He has become a favorite of the Galatasaray fans. He was taken out of the squad of the 7th week clash against the arch rivals Besiktas JK. Karl-Heinz Feldkamp took Lincoln and Hakan Sukur out of the match squad because they had broken the camp rules by bringing family and friends to training. After the 2-1 win thanks to the goals of Hakan Balta and Shabani Nonda (P), some have called Karl-Heinz Feldkamp a braveheart and a hero, but many other supporters criticised him because of the decision.

Because of his many and long injuries, Lincoln didn't play many games in his first season in Turkey. He also hasn't participated in a derby in the Turkish Super Lig because of injuries. However he did play in the Turkish Cup quarter final against Fenerbahce and showed a great performance during that game that Galatasaray won 2 - 1 (Hakan Sukur '4 / Umit Karan '90).

[edit] Honours

[edit] External links