Júlio César (footballer, born November 1978)

Júlio César

César during a game with Olympiacos in 2008
Personal information
Full name Júlio César Santos Correa
Date of birth (1978-11-18) 18 November 1978
Place of birth São Luís, Brazil
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Centre back
Youth career
1995 Club América
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–1996 Marathón 17 (0)
1996–1999 Valladolid 60 (4)
1999–2002 Real Madrid 21 (0)
2000Milan (loan) 4 (0)
2000–2001Real Sociedad (loan) 16 (1)
2001–2002Benfica (loan) 20 (3)
2002–2003 Austria Wien 9 (1)
2003–2004 Valladolid 28 (1)
2004–2005 Bolton Wanderers 5 (0)
2005–2006 Tigres 33 (6)
2006–2008 Olympiacos 45 (9)
2008 Dinamo Bucureşti 10 (0)
2009–2010 Gaziantepspor 29 (1)
2010 Marítimo 0 (0)
2011–2012 Sporting Kansas City 58 (3)
2013 Toronto FC 0 (0)
2014 Parrillas One 7 (0)
Total 362 (28)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (goals)

Júlio César Santos Correa (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʒulju ˈsɛzɐʁ]; born 18 November 1978), known as Júlio César, is a retired Brazilian footballer who played mainly as a central defender.

During a professional career that spanned two decades, he played for 16 clubs in 12 different countries, but never in his own. In the Spanish La Liga, he amassed La Liga totals of 125 games and six goals during six seasons, winning one Champions League with Real Madrid.

Football career

Early years

Júlio César was born São Luís, Maranhão. He finished his formation in Mexico with Club América,[1][2] making his professional debuts in Honduras with C.D. Marathón.

At the age of only 17, Júlio César signed with Spanish club Real Valladolid. He immediately began playing regularly (25 La Liga matches in his first season, helping his team rank seventh and qualify for the UEFA Cup[3]), soon attracting interest from bigger clubs.

Real Madrid

In the 1999 summer, Júlio César was bought by Real Madrid, appearing regularly in his first year with a team which also included established stoppers Iván Helguera, Fernando Hierro and Aitor Karanka, as well as Iván Campo.[4][5][6] He helped the capital side to the campaign's UEFA Champions League, although he did not make the list of 18 for the final itself.[7]

Initially loaned to A.C. Milan in October 2000,[8] Júlio César quickly left the Italians unsettled, after which he returned to Spain with Real Sociedad, also on loan. The following summer, he joined S.L. Benfica in the same predicament.[9]

Bolton

After a one-year spell (already as a free agent) with FK Austria Wien, Júlio César returned to Valladolid in 2003, again being a starter but seeing the Castile and León side be relegated to Segunda División. He then moved to England and its Premier League, after signing with Bolton Wanderers.

Júlio César's debut came on 14 August 2004, in a 4–1 home victory over Charlton Athletic.[10] However, after the next game, a 0–2 away defeat to Fulham,[11] he found himself dropped from the starting line-up in favour of Tunisian international Radhi Jaïdi; additionally, he also sustained a broken foot against Manchester United at Old Trafford, on Boxing Day, which would be his last appearance of the season.

Júlio César's transfer was one of those about which the Stevens enquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns, because of the apparent conflict of interest between agent Craig Allardyce, his father Sam Allardyce – the Trotters' manager – and the club itself.[12]

Professional journeyman

Júlio César joined Tigres UANL in 2005, and quickly became a key in the Mexican team's defense in both the Liga MX and the Copa Libertadores. Notably, he participated with one goal in the match dubbed "Aztecazo", a 4–1 turn-around win against Club América after a 1–3 home loss for the 2005 Apertura.

In July 2006, Júlio César moved to Olympiacos FC. He scored five goals in 27 matches in his first year, being essential to the conquest of the Superleague Greece championship. On 31 October 2006, he helped to a 1–1 away draw against A.S. Roma for Champions League group stage,[13] but his team eventually ranked last.

In the following years, Júlio César represented FC Dinamo Bucureşti (Romania) and Gaziantepspor (Turkey). Before agreeing to a one-and-a-half-year deal with the latter, he spoke with countryman and former Real Madrid teammate Roberto Carlos, then at Fenerbahçe SK, asking him for information about the Süper Lig.[14]

Sporting Kansas City

On 14 March 2011, after only a few weeks in Portugal with C.S. Marítimo,[15] 32-year-old Júlio César signed for Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City.[16] The terms of the contract were unknown, but general manager Peter Vermes stated that the seasoned veteran would be "a very nice addition to the back line this season".[17]

César was released by Kansas City on 19 November 2012.[18]

Toronto FC

On 14 January 2013, Júlio César joined Toronto FC.[19] He was released only two months later, without having made one single appearance; during his spell in North America, he was deployed mainly as a defensive midfielder.[20]

Honours

Real Madrid
Austria Wien
Tigres
Olympiacos
Sporting Kansas City

References

  1. "El jugador que debutó en Marathón y jugó en Real Madrid" [The player that made debuts in Marathón and played in Real Madrid] (in Spanish). Diez. 22 January 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  2. "Jugadores olvidados (XI): Júlio César Santos Correa" [Forgotten players (XI): Júlio César Santos Correa] (in Spanish). Fútbol Con Propriedad. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  3. "Vuelve el 'Europucela'" ['Europucela' is back] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 16 June 1997. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  4. "El Arsenal se recrea en unos centrales de feria" [Arsenal has fun with carnival stoppers] (in Spanish). El País. 9 November 1999. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  5. "Julio César, el sustituto de Karanka, dice que no está bien" [Julio César, Karanka's replacement, says he is not well] (in Spanish). El País. 9 May 2000. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  6. "Fichajes de paso" [Fleeting signings] (in Spanish). Marca. 15 July 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  7. "Real Madrid CF – All the players in European Cups". RSSSF. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  8. "Julio César se va al Milan cedido hasta el final de esta temporada" [Julio César goes to Milan on loan until the end of this season] (in Spanish). El País. 27 October 2000. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  9. "El Madrid cede a Julio César al Benfica" [Madrid loans Julio César to Benfica] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 13 July 2001. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  10. "Bolton 4–1 Charlton". BBC Sport. 14 August 2004. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  11. "Fulham 2–0 Bolton". BBC Sport. 21 August 2004. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  12. "What Stevens said about each club". The Daily Telegraph. 16 June 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
  13. "Roma 1–1 Olympiacos". UEFA.com. 31 October 2006. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  14. "Julio Cesar İmzaladı" [Julio Cesar signed] (in Turkish). Gaziantepspor. 28 January 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
  15. "El central brasileño Julio César refuerza al Marítimo de Funchal" [Brazilian stopper Julio César bolsters Marítimo from Funchal] (in Spanish). Marca. 17 August 2010. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  16. "KC signs Brazilian defender Julio Cesar". Sporting Kansas City. 14 March 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  17. "Sporting KC finally signs defender Julio Cesar". The Full 90. 13 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  18. "Sporting Kansas City waives four players". Sporting Kansas City. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  19. "Report: Toronto FC sign Brazilian Julio Cesar". CP24. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  20. "Toronto FC releases veteran Brazilian MF Cesar". The Sports Network. 29 March 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2013.

External links

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