Wendel Geraldo

Wendel
Personal information
Full name Wendel Geraldo Maurício e Silva
Date of birth 8 April 1982 (1982-04-08) (age 29)
Place of birth Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)[1]
Playing position Left Winger
Club information
Current club Al-Ittihad
Number 37
Youth career
1998–1999 Cruzeiro
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2000–2006 Cruzeiro 87 (4)
2005 → Nacional da Madeira (loan) 15 (4)
2005–2006 → Santos (loan) 44 (3)
2006–2011 Bordeaux 156 (35)
2011– Al-Ittihad 9 (4)
National team
2004 Brazil U23 6 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14 December 2011.
† Appearances (Goals).

Wendel Geraldo Maurício e Silva, commonly known as Wendel, (born 8 April 1982) is a Brazilian left winger or left wingback. He currently plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Ittihad.

Contents

Club career

Wendel started his career with Cruzeiro Esporte Clube in 1998 with the youth team. By 2000 he began featuring in some matches for the senior side. In 2005 he was loaned out to Santos on an 18 month deal. After a successful spell there, Wendel secured a move to Bordeaux from Cruzeiro in August 2006.[2]

Bordeaux

Soon after he signed for Bordeaux, he broke into the first team and by the end of his first season he had played a total of 29 league games with 5 goals. He was much more active in his second season scoring 12 league goals in 36 league games. The 2008-09 started brightly for Wendel as he started every game. In the season opener against Caen he had a free-kick on target in the early minutes, had an open shot on target and then set up Yoann Gourcuff to score from outside the area. Then again against Nantes he set up a goal. After four games he finally opened his account by scoring against Nice, following this up by scoring again three days later, against Le Havre AC in a 2–2 draw.[3] Bordeaux went on to win the Ligue 1, the club's first title triumph since 1999,[4] and Coupe de la Ligue trophies in 2009 under the management of Laurent Blanc. In the Coupe de la Ligue Final, Wendel opened the scoring in the third minute against Ligue 2 side Vannes OC. This proved the winning goal in a 4-0 triumph for his side.[5] Wendel appeared in 29 games that season, starting 25 of them, and added 4 goals and 9 assists.[6] The 2009-10 campaign for Bordeaux was less successful for the club, as they could not retain their league or league cup trophies. However Wendel was very productive in the league from his wide position, scoring 11 goals and adding 6 assists. The following season proved even more difficult after the departures of Marouane Chamakh and Gourcuff. Wendel's last appearance for the club came on 29 May 2011, in the final match of the 2010-11 Ligue 1 season. He capped his final performance with a goal in a 2-0 victory over Montpellier HSC that ensured Bordeaux finished the season in 7th.[7]

Al-Ittihad

After five seasons in the southwest of France, Wendel moved on in August 2011. During his time with Les Girondins he scored 35 goals in 156 Ligue 1 appearances, scoring hat tricks against Toulouse FC and PSG. After his departure he signed for Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad.[8]

International

Wendel capped for Brazil at 2004 CONMEBOL Men Pre-Olympic Tournament. Wendel received French nationality in 2011 and it was reported that he desired to play for France,[9] however in fact he is ineligible to play for a national team other than his native Brazil because he only held Brazilian nationality when he represented Brazil.[10]

Honours

Statistics

Correct as of 7 March 2010[11]

Season Team League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
2006/07 Bordeaux 29 5 0 0 6 0 35 5
2007/08 36 11 0 0 5 1 41 12
2008/09 29 4 4 2 8 1 41 7
2009/10 22 7 7 4 8 0 37 11
Total 114 27 10 6 26 2 150 35

References

  1. ^ Geraldo Wendel. Bordeaux official website. Retrieved on 18 March 2009.
  2. ^ "RANSFERÊNCIAS INTERNACIONAIS EM 2006" (in Portuguese). CBF. 22 January 2007. 
  3. ^ Bordeaux draw 2–2 with Le Havre AC Retrieved on 29 October 2008
  4. ^ http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/252362?cc=5901
  5. ^ http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/262498?cc=5901
  6. ^ http://soccernet.espn.go.com/player/_/id/86216/wendel?cc=5901
  7. ^ http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/295085?cc=5901
  8. ^ http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/942791/al-ittihad-sign-bordeaux-midfielder-wendel?cc=5901
  9. ^ "Wendel : "Jouer pour la France"" (in French). France Football. 8 June 2010. http://www.francefootball.fr/FF/breves2010/20100608_125228_wendel-jouer-pour-la-france.html. Retrieved 30 November 2010. 
  10. ^ "FIFA Statutes August 2009 Edition: REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE APPLICATION OF THE STATUTES Article 18: Change of Association". FIFA. http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/federation/01/24/fifastatuten2009_e.pdf. Retrieved 22 April 2010. "Change of Association......subject to the following conditions:
    (a) He has not played a match (either in full or in part) in an official competition at “A” international level for his current Association [Brazil for Wendel], and at the time of his first full or partial appearance in an international match in an official competition for his current Association [Brazil for Wendel], he already had the nationality [France for Wendel] of the representative team for which he wishes to play."     
  11. ^ Wendel stats for France Retrieved on 28 October 2008

External links

Ittihad FC (Jeddah) – current squad