Cafu

Cafu

Cafu in 2010

Cafu in 2010
Personal information
Full name Marcos Evangelista de Morais
Date of birth (1970-06-07) 7 June 1970
Place of birth Itaquaquecetuba, Brazil
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Right Back / Centre-back
Youth career
1988–1990 São Paulo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1994 São Paulo 95 (6)
1994 Zaragoza 16 (0)
1995 Juventude 0 (0)
1995–1997 Palmeiras 35 (0)
1997–2003 Roma 163 (5)
2003–2008 Milan 119 (4)
Total 428 (15)
National team
1990–2006 Brazil 142 (5[1])
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Marcos Evangelista de Morais (born 7 June 1970), known as Cafu [kaˈfu], is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a defender. With 142 appearances for the Brazil national football team, he is the most internationally capped male Brazilian player of all time. He represented his nation in four FIFA World Cups between 1994 and 2006, and is the only player to have appeared in three consecutive World Cup finals, winning the 1994 and 2002 editions of the tournament, the latter as his team's captain. With Brazil, he also took part in four editions of the Copa América, winning the title twice, in 1997 and 1999; he was also a member of the national side that won the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup.

At club level, Cafu won several domestic and international titles while playing in Brazil, Spain and Italy; he is best known for his spells at São Paulo, Roma and Milan, teams with which he made history, although he also played for Real Zaragoza, Juventude and Palmeiras throughout his career. Known for his pace and energetic attacking runs along the right flank, he is regarded as one of the greatest full-backs of all time, one of the best defenders ever to grace the Italian Serie A,[2][3][4] and as one of the greatest Brazilian and South American players of his generation.[5][6] In 1994, he was named South American Footballer of the Year, and in 2004, he was named by Pelé one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers at a FIFA Awards ceremony.[7]

Early life

One of six children, Cafu was raised in the Jardim Irene favela of São Paulo. At the age of seven, he was able to attend a football academy and soon moved up to the junior sides of Nacional-SP, Portuguesa and Itaquaquecetuba. He also played futsal for two years.

In the early 1980s, he was rejected from the youth squads of Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos, Atlético Mineiro and Portuguesa. It was not until 1988 that he made the youth squad of hometown club São Paulo, and subsequently won the Copa São Paulo youth tournament that year, but he did not play during the next season as São Paulo won the 1989 Campeonato Paulista.

Club career

It was during this time, however, that São Paulo youth coach Telê Santana became Cafu's mentor. He suggested that Cafu move from wingback to midfield, a spot into which Cafu made the transition with ease despite never previously playing the position. He had soon anchored onto the first team, as São Paulo won back-to-back Copa Libertadores and World Championships in 1992 and 1993. In 1994, he was named the South American Footballer of the Year. Cafu began the 1995 season with Brazil squad Juventude but finished in Spain with Real Zaragoza, winning the 1995 Cup Winners' Cup with the latter.

After a brief stint back in Brazil with Palmeiras in 1996, Cafu returned to Europe once again the next year, this time with Roma, and won the Scudetto in 2001, followed by the Supercoppa Italiana. It was during his tenure at Roma that Cafu earned the nickname Il Pendolino ("The Express Train" or "The Commuter"). Despite making the Coppa Italia final in 2003 with Roma, he moved to Milan after turning down a move to Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos. With the Rossoneri, he won his second career Scudetto in 2004, followed by his second Supercoppa Italiana, and he played in his first UEFA Champions League final in 2005.

Cafu playing for Milan

Despite his success with Milan, he continued to hold fond memories of his Roma years, and it was for that reason that on 4 March 2007 – the day after Milan eliminated Celtic in the first knockout round of the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League – he candidly revealed in a UEFA.com chat that he did not want Milan to be drawn against the Giallorossi in the quarter-final round. He got his wish, as Milan were drawn against Bayern Munich. Milan's successful Champions League campaign saw Cafu finally pick up a long-awaited winners' medal, in a rematch of the 2005 final.

Cafu signed a contract extension in May 2007 that would keep him with Milan until the end of the 2007–08 season, during which he won another UEFA Supercup, and his third World Title at Club level and now his first FIFA Club World Cup. On 16 May 2008, it was announced that Cafu and compatriot Serginho would be leaving Milan at the end of the season. In Cafu's last game of his Milan career, and maybe his footballing career, he scored a goal in their 4–1 victory over Udinese. Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has opened the doors to him to return to work for the club.

He is a member of the A.C. Milan and the A.S. Roma Hall of Fame.

Passport controversy

Cafu was accused along with several other Serie A players, including Roma team-mate Fábio Júnior and Gustavo Bartelt, countryman and later Milan teammate Dida, for using forged passport in their attempt to dodge regulations regarding the number of non-European players allowed on Italian club rosters. However, the charge was cleared by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) as Cafu's Italian passport was real and issued by Italian officials, but 13 others – including Dida – were banned.[8] But Cafu faced another controversy that similar to Juan Sebastián Verón, accused that Cafu's wife, Regina used falsified documents to claim Italian nationality through Italian descent.[9] Cafu acquired Italian nationality through marriage. In 2004, Cafu and Roma club president Franco Sensi went to court.[10][11]

On 12 June 2006, less than 24 hours before Brazil were to begin their 2006 World Cup campaign against Croatia, Rome prosecutor Angelantonio Racanelli called for the imprisonment of Cafu, his wife Regina de Morais and his agent for nine months following the resurfacing of a false-passport scandal.[12] The very next day, however, Cafu, his wife and agent were acquitted of all charges.[13]

International career

Cafu playing for Brazil.

Cafu is the most-capped Brazilian men's player of all time with 142, including a record 21 World Cup games. He has won two World Cups in 1994 and 2002, as well as being the only player to participate in three World Cup final matches. Cafu also held the record of winning the most number of matches in World Cups with 15 (along with two games Brazil won on penalty kickoffs), before being surpassed by Germany's Miroslav Klose in the 2014 World Cup.

He earned his first cap in a friendly against Spain on 12 September 1990, and played sparingly for Brazil in the early 1990s, making the 1994 World Cup roster as a substitute. He appeared in the final against Italy, following an injury to Jorginho in the 22nd minute. After that, Cafu was soon a regular in the starting eleven as Brazil won the Copa América in 1997 and 1999, the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup, and reached the 1998 World Cup final.

Brazil endured a rocky qualification for the 2002 tournament, during which Cafu came under heavy criticism from coach Wanderley Luxemburgo, who stripped him of the team captaincy after he was sent off in a qualifier against Paraguay. Shortly after that, however, Luxemburgo was out of a job, and replacement Luiz Felipe Scolari made Emerson his new choice for captain. However, Emerson missed the cut after he dislocated his shoulder in training, which allowed Cafu to regain the armband. After Brazil defeated Germany 2–0 in the final match (Cafu's third consecutive World Cup final), he stood on the victory podium during the postmatch celebration and, as he raised the trophy, shouted to his wife, "Regina, eu te amo!" ("Regina, I love you!").

Cafu and Brazil fell short of high expectations placed on the squad four years later in 2006, as Brazil meekly exited in the quarter-finals after a 1–0 defeat by France. Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira was criticized for featuring fading veterans, most notably the 36-year-old Cafu and 33-year-old Roberto Carlos, in the starting XI in lieu of younger players. Cafu was one of only a few Brazil players who spoke to the press in the midst of a hailstorm of criticism from Brazilian fans and media alike following the team's return home. He nonetheless expressed interest in participating in the 2010 World Cup; however he did not, as he retired completely from football in 2008.

Cafu was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.

Style of play

Regarded as one of the greatest full-backs of all time, one of the best footballers of his generation, and as one of Brazil's best ever players,[2] Cafu was a dynamic, hard-working, offensive-minded, and energetic right-sided wing-back who is mostly remembered for his great pace, stamina, tactical intelligence, distribution, and technical skills, as well as his ability to make overlapping attacking runs down the right flank and provide accurate crosses to teammates in the area. In addition to his footballing ability, he was also known for his discipline, leadership and his characteristically cheerful demeanour. Although he usually played as an attacking right-back, he was also capable of playing as a centre-back, due to his defensive skills, or in more advanced positions, and was often deployed as a right winger. During his time in Italy, he was given the nickname Pendolino, after the country's express trains.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]

Career statistics

Club

Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brazil League Copa do Brasil South America Total
1990São PauloSérie A201——201
1991201——201
1992211——211
1993181——181
1994162——162
Spain League Copa del Rey Europe Total
1994–95Real ZaragozaLa Liga160—10170
Brazil League Copa do Brasil South America Total
1995PalmeirasSérie A190——190
1996160——160
199700——00
Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Total
1997–98RomaSerie A31150—361
1998–99201—50251
1999–20002824050372
2000–013112070401
2001–0227010102382
2002–0326031120411
2003–04Milan2811090381
2004–05331—120451
2005–061911050251
2006–072403080350
2007–081512010181
Total Brazil 1306——1306
Spain 160—10170
Italy 282922174237812
Career total 4281522175252518

International

[28]

Brazil national team
YearAppsGoals
199030
199190
199220
1993120
199471
199550
199630
1997200
1998122
1999120
2000102
200160
2002120
200370
200490
200580
200650
Total142[29]5

Honours

Club

São Paulo[30]
Real Zaragoza[30]
Palmeiras[30]
Roma[30]
Milan[30][31]

International

Brazil[30][32]

Individual

Orders

References

General
  1. ↑ "Marcos Evangelista de Morais "CAFU" – Century of International Appearances". RSSSF. 23 Jul 2006. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  2. 1 2 http://www.rossoneriblog.com/2013/07/04/maldini-and-cafu-included-in-world-soccers-all-time-xi/
  3. ↑ "World's greatest XI: the best ever football team in pictures". The Daily Telegraph. London. 28 April 2011.
  4. ↑ "Cafu, stop 20 giorni Zeman ottimista" (in Italian). La Repubblica. 21 November 1998. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  5. ↑ "Cafu cacciato via dallo spogliatoio" (in Italian). Il Corriere della Sera. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  6. ↑ Valerio Clari (4 July 2015). "La top50 dell’Equipe: Pelé meglio di Diego. Cafu 12°!" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  7. ↑ "Pele's list of the greatest". BBC Sport. 4 March 2004. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  8. ↑ Kennedy, Frances (28 June 2001). "Players banned over false passport scandal". The Independent. UK. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  9. ↑ "CNNSI.com's Marcotti: End foreign-player limits". CNNSI.com. 6 February 2001. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  10. ↑ "Cafu and Sensi could go to court over passport charges". (The Star Online). Reuters. 6 March 2004. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  11. ↑ "Cafu and Sensi could go to court over passport charges". (encyclopedia.com Archive). Australian Associated Press. 5 March 2004. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  12. ↑ "Cafu could face prison over false passport affair". World Cup Soccer. 12 June 2006. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  13. ↑ "Cafu acquitted". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph. 14 June 2006. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  14. ↑ "Pendolino Cafu: il campione che non perdeva mai…il sorriso" (in Italian). ICampioniDelloSport.com. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  15. ↑ "Cafu: The double World Cup winner with 'two hearts'". CNN. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  16. ↑ "Il saluto di CAFU': " In Italia ho dato tanto"" (in Italian). MilanNews.it. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  17. ↑ "Milan: due punte, zero gol" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 24 February 2004. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  18. ↑ "Milan, bene un tempo, ma non segna e Dida, nel finale, lo salva dai francesi" (in Italian). La Repubblica. 26 September 2006. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  19. ↑ MASSIMO VINCENZI (15 December 2000). "Sandreani gioca il derby "Deciderà la fantasia"" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  20. ↑ "Super Cafu per la Roma Nesta e Nedved non bastano" (in Italian). La Repubblica. 17 December 2000. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  21. ↑ Emilio Piervincenzi (21 July 1997). "LE CERTEZZE DI ZEMAN 'PER ORA CAFU E VAGNER'" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  22. ↑ Enrico Currò (7 February 2005). "Shevchenko e Crespo San Siro tra brividi e gioia" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  23. ↑ "Cafu è l' attaccante aggiunto Rui Costa e Tomasson in ombra" (in Italian). La Repubblica. 1 March 2004. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  24. ↑ Jonathan Wilson (25 March 2009). "The Question: why is full-back the most important position on the pitch?". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  25. ↑ "Brazil's greatest defenders". Sky Sports. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  26. ↑ "Roma - Squad profiles". ESPN. 13 February 2003. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  27. ↑ Paul Doyle (21 October 2010). "Your greatest ever football XI: defenders". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  28. ↑ http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/cafu-intl.html
  29. ↑ http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/fifafacts/stats-centclub/52/00/59/centuryclub290715_neutral.pdf
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Cafu". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  31. 1 2 "A.C. Milan Hall of Fame: Marcos Evangelista de Morais (Cafu)". acmilan.com. A.C. Milan. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  32. 1 2 "Cafu". UEFA.com. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  33. ↑ "South American Team of the Year". 16 January 2009. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  34. ↑ José Luis Pierrend (21 January 2016). "South American Player of the Year". RSSSF. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  35. ↑ "2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan: Report and Statistics" (PDF). FIFA.com. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  36. ↑ FIFA XI´s Matches - Full Info
  37. ↑ "Pele's list of the greatest". BBC Sport. 4 March 2004. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  38. ↑ "FIFPro WOrld XI 2004/2005". FIFPro. 20 August 2005. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  39. ↑ Rainbow, Jamie (2 July 2013). "The Greatest". World Soccer. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  40. ↑ "A.S. Roma Hall of Fame: 2013". A.S. Roma. 22 July 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  41. ↑ http://www.givemesport.com/343841-world-xi-team-of-the-21st-century
Bibliography
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