Léo Baptistão

This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is Carrilho and the second or paternal family name is Baptistão.
Léo Baptistão

Baptistão with Atlético Madrid in 2013
Personal information
Full nameLeonardo Carrilho Baptistão
Date of birth26 August 1992
Place of birthSantos, Brazil
Height1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionStriker
Club information
Current team
Rayo Vallecano (loan from Atlético Madrid)
Number19
Youth career
Portuguesa Santista
2008–2011Rayo Vallecano
2009–2010→ San Fernando (loan)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2011–2012Rayo Vallecano B17(4)
2012–2013Rayo Vallecano28(7)
2013–Atlético Madrid5(0)
2014→ Betis (loan)17(1)
2014–→ Rayo Vallecano (loan)18(7)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:00, 10 February 2015 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).

Leonardo Carrilho Baptistão (born 26 August 1992), commonly known as Léo Baptistão, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Rayo Vallecano on loan from Atlético Madrid. He mainly operates as a striker, but can also appear as a winger.

Club career

Early career

Born in Santos, São Paulo, Baptistão began playing football for Associação Atlética Portuguesa (Santos), alongside Neymar.[1] Aged only 16 he moved to Spain and joined Rayo Vallecano's youth system. However, he soon contracted hepatitis and had to return home to be treated by his father, a doctor; subsequently he was loaned to CD San Fernando de Henares after the Royal Spanish Football Federation prevented him from joining his previous club.[2][3]

Rayo Vallecano

In July 2011, after playing his last year as a junior again with Rayo, Baptistão joined the first team for preseason games.[4] However, in his debut, a Trophy of Vallecas match against Sporting de Gijón, he suffered a collarbone injury;[5] his first appearances as a senior were made with the B-team, in Segunda División B.

In the 2012 summer, Baptistão was again summoned for Rayo main squad's preseason. On 25 August he finally made his first-team debut, starting in a 2–1 La Liga away win against Real Betis, assisting Piti on one goal and scoring the winner.[6] On 16 September he netted against Atlético Madrid but in a 3–4 away loss,[7] adding a brace the following month at RCD Espanyol but again not being able to help his team gain a single point.[8]

Baptistão quickly became an automatic first-choice in his first year with the Paco Jémez-led side. On 3 November 2012 he provided a further two assists for Piti in a 2–1 away win over Málaga CF,[9] scoring his fifth goal of the season the following matchday, a 3–2 home success against Celta de Vigo.[10]

In January 2013, with the winter transfer window opened, Baptistão was linked with moves to the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers, Leeds United and Brighton,[11] but nothing came of it. On 14 February, in only his second appearance after being sidelined several weeks with a muscle injury,[12][13] he scored the winner in a 2–1 home win over Atlético Madrid,[14] only to be downed with another collarbone ailment in April, which sidelined him for the rest of the season.[15]

Atlético Madrid

On 3 June 2013 Baptistão signed a five-year contract with Atlético Madrid, for an undisclosed fee.[16] He made his debut for his new club on 21 August, replacing Arda Turan in a 1–1 home draw against FC Barcelona for the first leg of the domestic Supercup, which was eventually lost on the away goals rule.[17]

Baptistão scored his first goal for the Colchoneros on 18 September 2013, in a 3–1 home win over FC Zenit Saint Petersburg for the season's UEFA Champions League. It was also his maiden appearance in the competition.[18]

On 11 January of the following year, Baptistão joined fellow league club Betis on loan until June.[19] He scored in a 2-0 away win against city rivals Sevilla FC in the last-16 clash of the UEFA Europa League,[20] but the tie eventually ended in penalty shootout elimination.

On 19 August 2014 Baptistão joined former club Rayo, in a season-long loan.[21] In late September, in two games separated by only three days, he earned his team six points by scoring braces at home against Athletic Bilbao (2–1)[22] and at Levante UD (2–0).[23]

Honours

Atlético Madrid

Statistics

Club

As of 22 March 2015[24][25]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Rayo Vallecano B 2011–12 174000000174
Rayo Vallecano 2012–13 287100000297
Atlético Madrid 2013–14 50103120111
Betis (loan) 2013–14 171104100222
Rayo Vallecano (loan) 2014–15 237100000247
Career total 901940722010321

References

  1. ↑ Neymar relembra início de carreira na Briosa ao lado de Léo Baptistão (Neymar remembers start of career in Briosa alongside Léo Baptistão); Globo Esporte, 29 October 2012 (Portuguese)
  2. ↑ Las lesiones retrasaron la aparición de Leo en la élite (Injuries delayed Leo's coming into scene in the top); Diario AS, 27 August 2012 (Spanish)
  3. ↑ Canterano corner – Leo Baptistao; Forza Futbol, 21 September 2012
  4. ↑ Léo Baptistao: “Es un sueño hacer la pretemporada con el primer equipo” (Léo Baptistao: "It's a dream to make the pre-season with the first team"); Rayo Herald, 28 July 2011 (Spanish)
  5. ↑ Léo Baptistao se rompe la clavícula en una acción fortuita (Léo Baptistão breaks collarbone in fortuitous action); Rayo Herald, 11 August 2011 (Spanish)
  6. ↑ Baptistao maintains Rayo`s winning start; ESPN FC, 25 August 2012
  7. ↑ Atletico edge seven-goal thriller; ESPN FC, 16 September 2012
  8. ↑ Espanyol snatch five-goal thriller; ESPN FC, 21 October 2012
  9. ↑ Piti at the double to down Malaga; ESPN FC, 3 November 2012
  10. ↑ Celta stunned after Cabral red; ESPN FC, 10 November 2012
  11. ↑ Man Utd linked with Rayo youngster Leo Baptistao; ESPN FC, 9 January 2013
  12. ↑ Leo Baptistao, entre tres o cuatro semanas de baja (Leo Baptistao, out three to four weeks); Marca, 16 January 2013 (Spanish)
  13. ↑ Leo Baptistao, en condiciones de reaparacer en el Pizjuán (Leo Baptistao, fit to play at the Pizjuán); Marca, 30 January 2013 (Spanish)
  14. ↑ Rayo rock rivals Atletico; ESPN FC, 10 February 2013
  15. ↑ Leo Baptistao se perderá lo que resta de temporada por lesión (Leo Baptistao will be sidelined for the rest of the season due to injury); Diario AS, 20 April 2013 (Spanish)
  16. ↑ Baptistao, nuevo jugador rojiblanco (Baptistao, new rojiblanco player); Atlético's official website, 3 June 2013 (Spanish)
  17. ↑ Neymar ya hace de Messi (Neymar already plays as Messi); Marca, 21 August 2013 (Spanish)
  18. ↑ Atlético back with a win at Zenit's expense; UEFA.com, 18 September 2013
  19. ↑ "Leo Baptistao ya es jugador del Betis" [Leo Baptistao is a Betis player] (in Spanish). Real Betis. 11 January 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  20. ↑ "Europa League: Real Betis win 2–0 away to Sevilla in first leg of last-16 tie". Sky Sports. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  21. ↑ "Leo Baptistao nuevo jugador del Rayo" [Leo Baptistao new player of Rayo] (in Spanish). Rayo's official website. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  22. ↑ "Rayo Vallecano 2–1 Athletic Bilbao". ESPN FC. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  23. ↑ "Baptistao at the double". ESPN FC. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  24. ↑ Léo Baptistão at ESPN FC
  25. ↑ "Léo Baptistão". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 October 2014.

External links