Paulinho (footballer)

This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is Bezerra and the second or paternal family name is Maciel.
Paulinho
José Paulo Bezerra (Paulinho)
Paulinho with Brazil before the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Final
Personal information
Full nameJosé Paulo Bezerra
Maciel Júnior[1]
Date of birth25 July 1988
Place of birthSão Paulo, Brazil
Height1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Playing positionMidfielder
Club information
Current team
Tottenham Hotspur
Number8
Youth career
2004–2005Pão de Açúcar
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2006–2007FC Vilnius38(5)
2007–2008ŁKS Łódź17(0)
2008–2009Pão de Açúcar39(7)
2009–2010Bragantino28(6)
2010–2013Corinthians86(20)
2013–Tottenham Hotspur43(6)
National team‡
2011–Brazil32(5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12 April 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 12 July 2014

José Paulo Bezerra Maciel Júnior, commonly known as Paulinho, (Brazilian Portuguese: [pawˈlĩj̃u]); born 25 July 1988) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur and the Brazil national team.

Paulinho has been described as a box-to-box midfielder, with powerful running and good movement into the box. He possesses the ability to push his side forward from midfield to supplement his strong defensive work. Paulinho also offers a useful presence in set piece situations at both ends of the pitch.[3]

Club career

Early career

Paulinho began his playing career with Pão de Açúcar, joining the youth squad in 2004. After failing to break through into the first team, Paulinho joined Lithuanian side FC Vilnius in 2006. He played well for the club during his two seasons in Lithuania, scoring five goals from 38 domestic appearances, but at the end of the 2007 LFF Lyga campaign, FC Vilnius were relegated to the second division and Paulinho left the club where he moved to Poland, signing for Ekstraklasa side ŁKS Łódź.[4] Following one season in Poland where Paulinho made 17 league appearances, he returned to Brazil and his first club Pão de Açúcar in the summer of 2008. After a single successful season, Paulinho was on the move again, joining Série B side Bragantino in 2009.[5]

Corinthians

In 2009, playing for Bragantino, he drew the attention of São Paulo giants Corinthians, and was signed by the club. His first league goal for the club came on 30 May 2010, coming off the bench to score Corinthians's fourth goal, sealing a 4–2 win over state rivals Santos.[6] He would eventually go on to win important competitions with the São Paulo side, such as the 2011 Brasileirão and the 2012 Copa Libertadores, cementing himself as a hero for his club.[7] Along the way to the Copa Libertadores final, Paulinho netted the only goal of the two-legged quarter-final tie against fellow Brazilian side Vasco da Gama, scoring in the 87th minute of the second leg on 23 May 2012 to send Corinthians into the semi-finals.[8]

On 10 November 2012, Paulinho struck twice as Corinthians cruised to a 5–1 victory over Coritiba in the 35th round of league play.[9] On 16 December, Paulinho and Corinthians won the Club World Cup in Yokohama as Paolo Guerrero scored the winner in the 1–0 victory over European champions Chelsea.[10]

Tottenham Hotspur

On 6 July 2013, Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur confirmed the signing of Paulinho after he successfully completed his medical for a fee reported to be just under £17m.[11] This was the club's record transfer fee at the time. However, in the same transfer window, this record was broken twice with the signings of striker Roberto Soldado from Valencia and winger Erik Lamela from Roma for a deal worth an initial £25.8 million, plus up to £4.2 million in bonus payments.[12] He made his Premier League debut on 18 August 2013 against Crystal Palace, eventually being named Man of the Match in which Tottenham won 1–0 thanks to a Roberto Soldado penalty.[13] On 22 August, he scored his first goal for the club in a Europa League qualification match against Dinamo Tbilisi, a 5–0 away victory in the first-leg.[14] He scored his first goal for the club in the Premier League on 22 September 2013 against Cardiff City, a 1–0 away victory, with a backheel in the 92nd minute of the game.[15]

International career

Paulinho made his debut for the Seleção on 14 September 2011, in the first leg of the 2011 Superclásico de las Américas against rivals Argentina in Córdoba, with the game ending in a goalless draw.[16] His first goal for his international side came against Argentina a year later on 20 September 2012, when he netted Brazil's equalizing goal in an eventual 2–1 in the first leg of the 2012 Superclásico de las Américas.[17] Paulinho started in the squad for the 5–0 friendly against South Africa on 5 March 2014 and looks to be in Scolari's world cup squad.

2013 Confederations Cup

He was selected by Luiz Felipe Scolari for the 23-man Brazil squad for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup held in his home country.[18] And in Brazil's final warm-up match for the competition against England at the Maracanã on 2 June 2013, Paulinho volleyed home Lucas Moura's cross to level the game late on at 2–2; the sides would finish level on this same scoreline.[19] In the opening group match on 15 June against Japan, Paulinho scored Brazil's second goal in a 3–0 victory.[20] In the semi-final round against South American rivals Uruguay on 26 June, Paulinho netted in the 86th minute to give Brazil a 2–1 win and book the host country a spot in the final.[21] In the final, Brazil outclassed Spain, beating the World and two-time defending European champions by a score of 3–0; for his efforts throughout the tournament, Paulinho received the Bronze Ball as the competition's third best player.[22]

Honours

Corinthians

Brazil

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Barclays Premier League Squad Numbers 2013/14". Premier League. 16 August 2013. Archived from the original on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  2. ↑ "Paulinho". FIFA.com. FIFA. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  3. ↑ Atkins, Christopher (16 December 2012). "Paulinho passes audition at Club World Cup". ESPN Soccernet. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "Scouting Paulinho: Rumored Inter Milan and Monaco Transfer Target". Bleacher Report. Los Angeles Times. 4 June 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  5. ↑ Carlos Augusto Ferrari (8 July 2011). "Paulinho supera preconceito europeu para brilhar no Timão: 'É a minha hora'" (in Portuguese). São Paulo: Globo Esporte. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "Corinthians vs. Santos 4–2". UK Soccerway. 30 May 2010. Archived from the original on 12 September 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "José Paulo (Paulinho) Bezerra Júnior". Globo Esporte. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013.
  8. ↑ "Ficha del partido". Fic Files. 23 May 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  9. ↑ "EM NOVO TESTE, TIMÃO ATROPELA O COXA E GANHA CORPO PARA O MUNDIAL" (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 10 November 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  10. ↑ Fifield, Dominic (16 December 2012). "Chelsea distraught after losing to Corinthians in Club World Cup final". The Guardian (London). Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  11. ↑ David Ornstein (6 July 2013). "Paulinho: Brazil midfielder completes move to Tottenham". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "Tottenham pays club-record fee for Valencia's Roberto Soldado". Sports Illustrated. CNN. 1 August 2013. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  13. ↑ "Crystal Palace 0 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur". Yahoo! Sports. 18 August 2013. Archived from the original on 20 August 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  14. ↑ Alistair Magowan (22 August 2013). "Dinamo Tbilisi 0 5 Tottenham". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 23 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  15. ↑ Gareth Roberts (22 September 2013). "Cardiff 0–1 Tottenham". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 24 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  16. ↑ "Argentina 0–0 Brazil: Rival nations play out a stalemate in Cordoba". Goal.com. 14 September 2011. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  17. ↑ "Neymar nets injury-time winner as Brazil defeats Argentina in Superclassico Das Americas". Goal.com. 20 September 2012. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  18. ↑ "Squad List". FIFA. Archived from the original on 10 June 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  19. ↑ Phil McNulty (2 June 2013). "England came close to leaving Brazil's iconic Maracana home with an unlikely victory – only to be denied a repeat of their win here 29 years ago by Paulinho's late equaliser". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  20. ↑ Lehourites, Chris (15 June 2013). "Brazil 3 Japan 0: Neymar stunner sets Samba stars on their way to opening day Confederations Cup triumph". Daily Mail (London: Mail Online). Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  21. ↑ Ben Smith (25 June 2013). "Brazil scraped into the final of the Confederations Cup with victory in an emotional and highly-charged encounter at the Estadio Mineirao". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  22. ↑ Zac Wassink (1 July 2013). "Transfer News: Paulinho Announces Move to Tottenham; Spurs Close to Signing Three More, Including David Villa". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  23. ↑ "FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2012". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  24. ↑ Copa Libertadores - Final 5 July 2012, Accessed 20 January 2014
  25. ↑ Franceschini, Gustavo; Carvalho, Samir (20 January 2015). "Com a cabeça enfaixada, Danilo, meia do Corinthians, marca o gol do título paulista Corinthians conquista Paulistão com empate, espanta crise e frustra tetra de Neymar". UOL Esportes (in Portuguese). Santos: Grupo Folha. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  26. ↑ 2011 Superclásico de las Américas AFA, Accessed 20 January 2015
  27. ↑ 2012 Superclásico de las Américas AFA, Accessed 20 January 2015
  28. ↑ 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Final, Accessed 20 january 2015
  29. ↑ AFA Report, Accessed 20 January 2015
  30. ↑ Bola de Prata Placar Magazine - rsssfbrazil, Accessed 20 January 2015
  31. ↑ 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, Accessed 20 January

External links

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