Deco
Encyclopedia
Anderson Luís de Souza, OIH (born 27 August 1977 in São Bernardo do Campo
, Brazil), commonly known as Deco, is a Brazilian-born Portuguese
professional footballer who currently plays for Fluminense
.
Deco is one of the few players to have won the UEFA Champions League
with two different clubs – Porto in 2004 and FC Barcelona
in 2006. He was named UEFA Club Footballer of the Year
and UEFA
Best Midfielder in Porto's UEFA Champions League
winning season and was named Man of the Match
in the 2003–04 Champions League
final. Deco was the first player to win the UEFA
Best Midfielder Award with two different clubs (Porto and Barcelona). He was awarded the FIFA Club World Cup
Golden Ball
and the Man of the Match
award in the final despite losing to Internacional
. Deco made his 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League
while playing for Chelsea
against Atlético Madrid joining a group of only 13 players to have achieved the same milestone.
Deco received Portuguese citizenship
in 2002 having completed six years of Portuguese residence, subsequently opting to play internationally for the Portugal national football team
.
, where he was spotted and signed by Corinthians
.
Deco arrived in Portugal in 1997 at the age of 19 along with fellow Brazilian player Caju after being acquired by Lisbon
side SL Benfica.
Despite good showings in training, Benfica decided to loan Deco to the Portuguese Liga de Honra
side Alverca where he played for a season. Deco performed well and was close to renewing his contract with Benfica and joining the main squad. However, the Lisbon club and the player's representative did not reach an agreement, as the then manager Graeme Souness
did not believe that he would develop into a player worth keeping. Subsequently, Deco was traded to Portuguese Liga
side Salgueiros in the 1998–99 season
, playing 12 games and scoring two goals. His performances caught the eye of the Porto staff, and during the winter transfer window, he was sold to FC Porto.
, Deco was given the role of leading an ambitious Porto team. A key figure in the 2002–03 season
, he scored 10 goals in 30 games, but nevertheless received 17 yellow cards and one red card. Deco was one of the key players in Porto's UEFA Cup
final 3–2 win over Celtic
that year. In the 2003–04 season
, Deco helped Porto recapture the national title and led the team to the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final
in which Porto won 3–0 over AS Monaco
, scoring the second goal of the match. He was the Champions League's
top assist
provider and also suffered the most fouls in the Champions League that season. That season, Deco won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year
as well as the award for the best midfielder in the competition.
On 17 June 2004, Deco told a Portuguese radio station that he would almost certainly join English side Chelsea
(then coached by Mourinho
) following UEFA Euro 2004. He said that a transfer deal between Porto and Chelsea had been all but finalised, and that the only remaining steps were passing a physical examination and signing a formal contract with Chelsea.
However, on 26 June 2004, he told the Portuguese sports daily O Jogo
that he would rather move to FC Barcelona
than follow Mourinho to Chelsea. While Bayern Munich
gave up on Deco after the Chelsea deal seemed to have been concluded, it was still uncertain whether the German side would make a new bid. The best offer at that time was a €21 million bid from Barça, but this figure was still €4 million short of the request by Porto's board. Portuguese newspapers then reported that Barça would try to offer Portuguese winger Ricardo Quaresma
as part of the exchange in order to ease the deal.
Finally, a deal was achieved between Porto and Barcelona the day after the UEFA Euro 2004 final. Barça agreed on a €15 million fee in cash, plus the complete rights of Quaresma to Porto, which tagged Quaresma for €6M. Deco signed a four year deal with the Catalan side on 6 July 2004.
In Barcelona, some suggested Deco would be completely eclipsed by Brazilian star Ronaldinho
(a duo that according to Luiz Felipe Scolari
"can make rain fall"). Indeed, many Barcelona fans met the transfer with raised eyebrows, as Deco was considered an attacking midfielder – a department which was already well covered. Instead, coach Frank Rijkaard
used him in a three man midfield, where his tactical knowledge, passing abilities, and enormous work rate
surprised many. In December 2004, he came second in France Football
's Ballon d'Or 2004 award, losing to Andriy Shevchenko
and beating teammate Ronaldinho
by six votes.
On 14 May 2005, Deco played in the draw against Levante
, which gave Barcelona their 17th La Liga
title. He also was named Barcelona's player of the season in the 05/06 season
Deco scored twice in the Spanish Supercup 2006–07, which Barça won. Deco won the UEFA Best Midfielder Award yet again for his performance in Barça's Champions League winning season, enabling him to join the exclusive group of players that have won the same award more than once with different teams, having won the Champions League previously with Porto. Other members of this exclusive group include greats such as Paulo Sousa
(Borussia Dortmund
and Juventus), Clarence Seedorf
(Ajax, Real Madrid
, and Milan
(Twice)), Marcel Desailly
(Marseille
and Milan), Frank Rijkaard
(Milan and Ajax), Samuel Eto'o
(Real Madrid, FC Barcelona (Twice) and Internazionale), Didier Deschamps
(Marseille and Juventus), Owen Hargreaves
(Bayern Munich
and Manchester United
), Dejan Savicevic(Red Star and A.C. Milan), Miodrag Belodedic(Steaua and Red Star), Vladimir Jugovic(Red Star and Juventus) and Edwin van der Sar
(Ajax and Manchester United). He was also awarded the Golden Ball at the FIFA Club World Cup
and the Man of the Match
award, despite losing the final to Internacional
.
On 30 June 2008, Chelsea
signed Deco from FC Barcelona
on a three year contract for €10 million (£8 million). He was the first signing of new Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari
, who was formerly the national coach of Portugal.
Deco scored on his Chelsea debut and his Premier League debut, with a 30-yard goal, in a 4–0 victory over Portsmouth
. Deco followed up his performance by scoring in his second game for Chelsea, a curling free kick against Wigan Athletic
. These performances led to him winning the Premier League Player of the Month award for August. Deco made his Champions League
debut for Chelsea on 16 September. Deco injured himself during a training session, but he returned from the thigh injury on 19 October and came on as a substitute against Middlesbrough. He was sent off in the 3–1 defeat by AS Roma
on 4 November 2008. He then scored a bicycle kick
against Bolton Wanderers
on 6 December.
Deco eventually lost his place in the 2008–09 starting line up, due in part to some poor performances, but also to the sacking of Scolari. In a June interview, Deco stated: "I do not want to stay. I have not liked my experience at Chelsea." This was soon followed by Internazionale
, managed by former Chelsea manager José Mourinho
, declaring that they were attempting to sign Deco along with fellow countryman Ricardo Carvalho
, who had also declared his desire to leave and like Deco desired to link up with Mourinho again. Both players were under Mourinho at Porto. However, Inter president Massimo Moratti
later ruled out signing either of the Portuguese internationals on the basis of their age, telling Gazzetta dello Sport, "Deco and Carvalho? They are two champions but at this time I don't feel there's a need to buy them."
Soon after this Deco said that he would be willing to stay at Chelsea for at least the rest of his contract, but he said that things must change from his first season in West London.
After talks with new Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti
Deco said he was very happy at the club and wanted to show everyone what he could do, he started on the bench in the 2009 FA Community Shield
against Manchester United. Deco himself stepped up to take the winning penalty for Chelsea, but was not allowed as Salomon Kalou
was placed before him on the list handed to the referee. Deco had an excellent start to the new campaign. He came on as a second half substitute in the first game of the new season for Chelsea against Hull City
, and assisted Didier Drogba
who scored in injury time. He scored in the next match with a 3–1 win over Sunderland A.F.C with a powerful right-footed shot which came off the inside of the post from outside of the penalty area. He made his 100th UEFA Champions League
appearance against Atlético Madrid joining only 13 other players to have achieved as many appearances.
Deco scored his second goal of the season in a League Cup
tie against Bolton Wanderers F.C.
, with a shot from 16 yards into the bottom right hand corner of the goal. He added to his goal tally the very next game, again against Bolton Wanderers, with a curling left footer from inside the penalty box.
Deco was a consistent player for Chelsea throughout the autumn period but injuries halted his season throughout the Christmas period. He returned in games against Preston, Hull City and Birmingham
and played well, but then injury caught him again.
Deco made his first start after injury in the 5–0 win away at Portsmouth, and his header forward (even though through an error from Portsmouth goalkeeper David James
) set up Didier Drogba for Chelsea's first goal.
Deco was sensational in Chelsea's 7–1 win over Aston Villa, creating chances for his team mates and helping Chelsea's midfield flow, he provided a key pass for Chelsea's third goal of the game, skilfully working past an Aston Villa defender and playing a clever ball with the outside of his right foot to Yuri Zhirkov
whose cross fell to Florent Malouda
who scored.
Deco started in Chelsea's potential title decider against Manchester United at Old Trafford
alongside fellow midfielders Frank Lampard
and John Obi Mikel. Deco made several accurate passes to advancing teammates and also provided a key delivery to Florent Malouda
who set up Joe Cole
for the opening goal in Chelsea's 2–1 win.
on a free transfer, joining former Chelsea player Juliano Belletti
.
Also on 2010, Deco has won his first Brazilian Championship, participating in Fluminense
's victorious campaign.
Deco was never called up to the Brazilian national team
and the Brazil squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup included other attacking midfielders such as Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, and Juninho. Having played six years of club football with Porto allowed Deco to gain Portuguese citizenship that made him eligible to play for Portugal. None of Deco's great grandparents, grandparents or parents were Portuguese and therefore under Fifa's player eligibility rules required Portuguese citizenship to be considered eligible. Deco was mentioned several times in the media as an option for the Portuguese national team
. In 2002, having completed six years of Portuguese residence, he received Portuguese citizenship. After many months of public discussion which split Portuguese public opinion, and despite the opposition of a large number of Porto rivals' supporters, he was called up for his first international – coincidentally against Brazil. He scored the free kick that stunned Brazil, leading to a 2–1 win for Portugal. This was Portugal's first win over Brazil since the 1966 World Cup
. Since that game, he has been a regular in the national team. Before the 2004 European championship Luís Figo
, criticized the Deco's inclusion and said "If you're born Chinese, well, you have to play for China." However Deco commented saying "I was born in Brazil and it would be a lie to say that I'm just Portuguese now and not Brazilian but I love Portugal and I love playing for the national team." Despite the early criticism, Deco was one of the highlights of the Portuguese national team. He scored five goals in 75 caps for Portugal by June 2010 and his international career ended after the second round defeat to Spain at the 2010 World Cup
.
, Deco scored the first goal in Portugal's second Group D match against Iran
in the 63rd minute minute prior to Cristiano Ronaldo
's 80th minute penalty. During the first knockout stage of the competition, Deco received two yellow cards in the game
against Netherlands
with the first given for a rash tackle on John Heitinga
, suspending him from the quarterfinal win against England
, as he already picked up a caution in the match with Iran. The win against England
in the quarterfinal stage led to Portugal's
defeat in the semifinal, which Deco was able to participate in.
clash with the Czech Republic
. The game ended 3–1 to Portugal, with Deco aiding his team in their passage to the quarter-finals where Portugal's campaign came to an end against Germany
, the eventual runners-up of the tournament.
In February 2010 Deco announced that he would be retiring from international football after the 2010 World Cup
.
. During the game he was injured and was ruled out of the remaining two group games, against North Korea and Brazil
. He was fit again for the Last 16 game against Spain
but Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz
chose Tiago
over Deco.
Deco retired from international football with 75 caps and 5 goals.
Barcelona
Chelsea
Fluminense
(Brazil) and divorced Cila to live with Jaciara in Porto
. They married in April 2005 and now have a son, David, and a daughter, Yasmin. They announced their divorce in March 2008. In 2009 his ex-girlfriend gave birth to his fifth child, a daughter, Sofia.
Deco is the brother-in-law of fellow footballer Alecsandro
, who plays for Internacional
and Brazil international
Richarlyson.
Deco is an ambassador for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation
. He has a charitable organisation, Deco Institute, in the Brazilian city of Indaiatuba
, near São Paulo
, where he grew up.
São Bernardo do Campo
São Bernardo do Campo is a municipality in the state of São Paulo, in southern Metropolitan São Paulo and São Paulo microregion. The municipality's total area is 408.45 km ² and a population estimated at 1 July 2009, according to the IBGE, was 810,979 inhabitants, which results in a population...
, Brazil), commonly known as Deco, is a Brazilian-born Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
professional footballer who currently plays for Fluminense
Fluminense Football Club
Fluminense Football Club is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in the beginning of the 20th century as a single-sport institution, Fluminense is today an umbrella organization for several teams in more than 16 different sport activities. The most popular endeavor of Fluminense,...
.
Deco is one of the few players to have won the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
with two different clubs – Porto in 2004 and FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
in 2006. He was named UEFA Club Footballer of the Year
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year
The UEFA Club Footballer of the Year was a football award presented by UEFA to the most outstanding performers of the European club football season. The award, along with "Best Goalkeeper," "Best Defender," "Best Midfielder," and "Best Forward," was given at the end of each season at a special gala...
and UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
Best Midfielder in Porto's UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
winning season and was named Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
in the 2003–04 Champions League
UEFA Champions League 2003-04
The 2003–04 UEFA Champions League was the 12th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since its rebranding from the European Cup in 1992, and the 49th tournament overall...
final. Deco was the first player to win the UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
Best Midfielder Award with two different clubs (Porto and Barcelona). He was awarded the FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
Golden Ball
Golden Ball
Golden Ball may refer to:In sport:*Ballon d'Or , award given to the best football player of the year by France Football magazine*Golden Ball Award, award given to the best player of the FIFA World Cup...
and the Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
award in the final despite losing to Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...
. Deco made his 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
while playing for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
against Atlético Madrid joining a group of only 13 players to have achieved the same milestone.
Deco received Portuguese citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
in 2002 having completed six years of Portuguese residence, subsequently opting to play internationally for the Portugal national football team
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
.
Early career
Deco started off his career at Nacional Atlético Clube in the city of São PauloSão Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, where he was spotted and signed by Corinthians
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league...
.
Deco arrived in Portugal in 1997 at the age of 19 along with fellow Brazilian player Caju after being acquired by Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
side SL Benfica.
Despite good showings in training, Benfica decided to loan Deco to the Portuguese Liga de Honra
Liga de Honra
The Liga de Honra , known for sponsorship reasons as the Liga Orangina, is the Portuguese second level football league. It was formerly called Segunda Divisão and Segunda Divisão de Honra . When the LPFP took control of the two nationwide levels, it was renamed Segunda Liga, before renaming it...
side Alverca where he played for a season. Deco performed well and was close to renewing his contract with Benfica and joining the main squad. However, the Lisbon club and the player's representative did not reach an agreement, as the then manager Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
did not believe that he would develop into a player worth keeping. Subsequently, Deco was traded to Portuguese Liga
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
side Salgueiros in the 1998–99 season
1998-99 in Portuguese football
The 1998/99 season of the Portuguese First Division began on August 21 and ended on May 30. FC Porto became champions for the fifth time in a row.-Promoted teams:These teams were promoted from the Portuguese Second Division of Honour at the start of the season:...
, playing 12 games and scoring two goals. His performances caught the eye of the Porto staff, and during the winter transfer window, he was sold to FC Porto.
Porto
Under the guidance of José MourinhoJosé Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
, Deco was given the role of leading an ambitious Porto team. A key figure in the 2002–03 season
2002-03 in Portuguese football
In 2002–03, José Mourinho's FC Porto won the championship, the Portuguese Cup and the UEFA Cup.-Winning roster:FC PORTO: Alenichev, Bruno, Buszáky, Cândido Costa, Capucho, César Peixoto, Clayton, Costinha, Deco, Derlei, Elias, Hélder Postiga, Hugo Luz, Jankauskas, Jorge Costa, Maniche, Marco...
, he scored 10 goals in 30 games, but nevertheless received 17 yellow cards and one red card. Deco was one of the key players in Porto's UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
final 3–2 win over Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
that year. In the 2003–04 season
2003-04 in Portuguese football
The 2003-2004 football season in Portuguese football was dominated by FC Porto. Although Porto did not manage to win the Portuguese Double, the club won the UEFA Champions League, becoming the first Portuguese team to do so in the current form of the competition, and complete the European...
, Deco helped Porto recapture the national title and led the team to the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final
2004 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2004 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on 26 May 2004, to decide the winner of the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League...
in which Porto won 3–0 over AS Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
, scoring the second goal of the match. He was the Champions League's
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
top assist
Assist (football)
In association football, an assist is a contribution by a player which helps to score a goal. Statistics for assists made by players may be kept officially by the organisers of a competition, or unofficially by, for example, journalists or organisers of fantasy football competitions...
provider and also suffered the most fouls in the Champions League that season. That season, Deco won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year
The UEFA Club Footballer of the Year was a football award presented by UEFA to the most outstanding performers of the European club football season. The award, along with "Best Goalkeeper," "Best Defender," "Best Midfielder," and "Best Forward," was given at the end of each season at a special gala...
as well as the award for the best midfielder in the competition.
Barcelona
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
(then coached by Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
) following UEFA Euro 2004. He said that a transfer deal between Porto and Chelsea had been all but finalised, and that the only remaining steps were passing a physical examination and signing a formal contract with Chelsea.
However, on 26 June 2004, he told the Portuguese sports daily O Jogo
O Jogo
O Jogo is a Portuguese daily sport newspaper. The paper has a daily circulation of 28,900 .It was first published on 22 February 1985 by the Jornal de Notícias company in Porto, and it was seen as appealing mainly to supporters of Futebol Clube do Porto, suppressing the gap of the two other...
that he would rather move to FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
than follow Mourinho to Chelsea. While Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
gave up on Deco after the Chelsea deal seemed to have been concluded, it was still uncertain whether the German side would make a new bid. The best offer at that time was a €21 million bid from Barça, but this figure was still €4 million short of the request by Porto's board. Portuguese newspapers then reported that Barça would try to offer Portuguese winger Ricardo Quaresma
Ricardo Quaresma
Ricardo Andrade Quaresma Bernardo is a Portuguese footballer of partial Romani descent who currently plays as a winger for Turkish Süper Lig side Beşiktaş J.K and the Portuguese national team. Quaresma began his career at Sporting Clube de Portugal, and has also played for FC Barcelona, FC Porto,...
as part of the exchange in order to ease the deal.
Finally, a deal was achieved between Porto and Barcelona the day after the UEFA Euro 2004 final. Barça agreed on a €15 million fee in cash, plus the complete rights of Quaresma to Porto, which tagged Quaresma for €6M. Deco signed a four year deal with the Catalan side on 6 July 2004.
In Barcelona, some suggested Deco would be completely eclipsed by Brazilian star Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year...
(a duo that according to Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari , ComIH , also known as Felipão in Brazil and Phil Scolari in the United Kingdom, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager. He is currently the manager of Palmeiras. He served as the manager of the Portuguese national team from July 12, 2003 to June 30, 2008...
"can make rain fall"). Indeed, many Barcelona fans met the transfer with raised eyebrows, as Deco was considered an attacking midfielder – a department which was already well covered. Instead, coach Frank Rijkaard
Frank Rijkaard
Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard is a Dutch football manager of Dutch and Surinamese descent and former player. Rijkaard has played for Ajax, Real Zaragoza and Milan, and represented his national side 73 times, scoring 10 goals. In his coaching career, he has been at the helm of the Dutch national side,...
used him in a three man midfield, where his tactical knowledge, passing abilities, and enormous work rate
Work rate
In Association Football, work rate refers to the extent to which a player contributes to running and chasing in a match while not in possession of the ball....
surprised many. In December 2004, he came second in France Football
France Football
France Football is a French bi-weekly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It's one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of their photographic reports and accurate statistics of the big European Cup matches, and extensive coverage of the European...
's Ballon d'Or 2004 award, losing to Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko is a Ukrainian footballer who plays for Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukraine national team as a striker. He is the third-highest scorer in the history of European club competition with 67 goals as of 2011-03-10, behind Filippo Inzaghi and Raúl. With 175 goals scored with A.C...
and beating teammate Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year...
by six votes.
On 14 May 2005, Deco played in the draw against Levante
Levante UD
Levante Unión Deportiva, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, in the namesake community.Founded in 1909, it plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadi Ciutat de València.-Early years:...
, which gave Barcelona their 17th La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
title. He also was named Barcelona's player of the season in the 05/06 season
Deco scored twice in the Spanish Supercup 2006–07, which Barça won. Deco won the UEFA Best Midfielder Award yet again for his performance in Barça's Champions League winning season, enabling him to join the exclusive group of players that have won the same award more than once with different teams, having won the Champions League previously with Porto. Other members of this exclusive group include greats such as Paulo Sousa
Paulo Sousa
Paulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa, CavIH is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and a current manager.He was a member of the “Portuguese Golden Generation”...
(Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
and Juventus), Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Clyde Seedorf OON is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Milan. Seedorf is the first player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs - Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and Milan in 2003 and 2007...
(Ajax, Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, and Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
(Twice)), Marcel Desailly
Marcel Desailly
Marcel Desailly is a retired Ghanaian born French footballer and star of the France national football team squad, with whom he won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000...
(Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
and Milan), Frank Rijkaard
Frank Rijkaard
Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard is a Dutch football manager of Dutch and Surinamese descent and former player. Rijkaard has played for Ajax, Real Zaragoza and Milan, and represented his national side 73 times, scoring 10 goals. In his coaching career, he has been at the helm of the Dutch national side,...
(Milan and Ajax), Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy...
(Real Madrid, FC Barcelona (Twice) and Internazionale), Didier Deschamps
Didier Deschamps
Didier Claude Deschamps is a retired French footballer and current manager of Marseille. He played as a defensive midfielder. As an international, he assisted France with victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000...
(Marseille and Juventus), Owen Hargreaves
Owen Hargreaves
Owen Lee Hargreaves is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English Premier League club Manchester City and the English national football team....
(Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
), Dejan Savicevic(Red Star and A.C. Milan), Miodrag Belodedic(Steaua and Red Star), Vladimir Jugovic(Red Star and Juventus) and Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar OON is a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for AFC Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United. He is the most capped player in the Netherlands national football team's history...
(Ajax and Manchester United). He was also awarded the Golden Ball at the FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
and the Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
award, despite losing the final to Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...
.
Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
signed Deco from FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
on a three year contract for €10 million (£8 million). He was the first signing of new Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari , ComIH , also known as Felipão in Brazil and Phil Scolari in the United Kingdom, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager. He is currently the manager of Palmeiras. He served as the manager of the Portuguese national team from July 12, 2003 to June 30, 2008...
, who was formerly the national coach of Portugal.
Deco scored on his Chelsea debut and his Premier League debut, with a 30-yard goal, in a 4–0 victory over Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
. Deco followed up his performance by scoring in his second game for Chelsea, a curling free kick against Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
. These performances led to him winning the Premier League Player of the Month award for August. Deco made his Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
debut for Chelsea on 16 September. Deco injured himself during a training session, but he returned from the thigh injury on 19 October and came on as a substitute against Middlesbrough. He was sent off in the 3–1 defeat by AS Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
on 4 November 2008. He then scored a bicycle kick
Bicycle kick
A Bicycle kick or Scissor kick is a physical move made by throwing the body up into the air, making a shearing movement with the legs to get one leg in front of the other without holding on to the ground. The move can either be done backwards or sideways...
against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
on 6 December.
Deco eventually lost his place in the 2008–09 starting line up, due in part to some poor performances, but also to the sacking of Scolari. In a June interview, Deco stated: "I do not want to stay. I have not liked my experience at Chelsea." This was soon followed by Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, managed by former Chelsea manager José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
, declaring that they were attempting to sign Deco along with fellow countryman Ricardo Carvalho
Ricardo Carvalho
Ricardo Alberto Silveira de Carvalho OIH , is a footballer who plays as a centre back for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid.Carvalho was born in Amarante where he played for the local team, Amarante Futebol Clube. By his great performance as a youngster, he was spotted by the Portuguese powerhouse,...
, who had also declared his desire to leave and like Deco desired to link up with Mourinho again. Both players were under Mourinho at Porto. However, Inter president Massimo Moratti
Massimo Moratti
Massimo Moratti is an Italian oil tycoon. He is the owner and President of Italian football team Football Club Internazionale Milano, and Chief Executive Officer of Saras S.p.A.-Life and career:...
later ruled out signing either of the Portuguese internationals on the basis of their age, telling Gazzetta dello Sport, "Deco and Carvalho? They are two champions but at this time I don't feel there's a need to buy them."
Soon after this Deco said that he would be willing to stay at Chelsea for at least the rest of his contract, but he said that things must change from his first season in West London.
After talks with new Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
Deco said he was very happy at the club and wanted to show everyone what he could do, he started on the bench in the 2009 FA Community Shield
2009 FA Community Shield
The 2009 FA Community Shield was the 87th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions...
against Manchester United. Deco himself stepped up to take the winning penalty for Chelsea, but was not allowed as Salomon Kalou
Salomon Kalou
Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a striker for Chelsea in the Premier League.He is often used on the wings at Chelsea. He has a preference for playing on the left wing as this gives him opportunities to cut inside and take shots with his favoured right foot...
was placed before him on the list handed to the referee. Deco had an excellent start to the new campaign. He came on as a second half substitute in the first game of the new season for Chelsea against Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
, and assisted Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
who scored in injury time. He scored in the next match with a 3–1 win over Sunderland A.F.C with a powerful right-footed shot which came off the inside of the post from outside of the penalty area. He made his 100th UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
appearance against Atlético Madrid joining only 13 other players to have achieved as many appearances.
Deco scored his second goal of the season in a League Cup
League Cup
In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...
tie against Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, with a shot from 16 yards into the bottom right hand corner of the goal. He added to his goal tally the very next game, again against Bolton Wanderers, with a curling left footer from inside the penalty box.
Deco was a consistent player for Chelsea throughout the autumn period but injuries halted his season throughout the Christmas period. He returned in games against Preston, Hull City and Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
and played well, but then injury caught him again.
Deco made his first start after injury in the 5–0 win away at Portsmouth, and his header forward (even though through an error from Portsmouth goalkeeper David James
David James (footballer)
David Benjamin James is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bristol City.On 14 February 2009, he achieved the all-time Premier League appearance record with 536 appearances, overtaking Gary Speed. He held this record until being overtaken by Ryan Giggs on the 14th May 2011...
) set up Didier Drogba for Chelsea's first goal.
Deco was sensational in Chelsea's 7–1 win over Aston Villa, creating chances for his team mates and helping Chelsea's midfield flow, he provided a key pass for Chelsea's third goal of the game, skilfully working past an Aston Villa defender and playing a clever ball with the outside of his right foot to Yuri Zhirkov
Yuri Zhirkov
Yuri Valentinovich Zhirkov is a Russian footballer who plays for Anzhi Makhachkala and the Russian national team.-Early life:Yuri Valentinovich Zhirkov was born in Tambov, on 20 August 1983. His father, Valentin Ivanovich Zhirkov worked at the "Revtrud" factory and his mother was a postwoman. Yuri...
whose cross fell to Florent Malouda
Florent Malouda
Florent Johan Malouda is a French footballer who plays as a left winger for Chelsea and the French national team.-Châteauroux:A street footballer in his teen years, Malouda gradually developed into an interesting, new football talent, able to penetrate defenses with his technical skills and...
who scored.
Deco started in Chelsea's potential title decider against Manchester United at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
alongside fellow midfielders Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
and John Obi Mikel. Deco made several accurate passes to advancing teammates and also provided a key delivery to Florent Malouda
Florent Malouda
Florent Johan Malouda is a French footballer who plays as a left winger for Chelsea and the French national team.-Châteauroux:A street footballer in his teen years, Malouda gradually developed into an interesting, new football talent, able to penetrate defenses with his technical skills and...
who set up Joe Cole
Joe Cole
Joseph John "Joe" Cole is an English footballer who plays for Lille, on loan from Liverpool, and the England national football team as midfielder. He started his career with where he played more than 100 games during five years, until he left for Chelsea in 2003...
for the opening goal in Chelsea's 2–1 win.
Fluminense
On 6 August 2010, Deco signed a 2-year contract with Brazilian club FluminenseFluminense Football Club
Fluminense Football Club is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in the beginning of the 20th century as a single-sport institution, Fluminense is today an umbrella organization for several teams in more than 16 different sport activities. The most popular endeavor of Fluminense,...
on a free transfer, joining former Chelsea player Juliano Belletti
Juliano Belletti
Juliano Haus Belletti , is a former Brazilian footballer. He was awarded the Silver Ball by Placar for his consistently great performances for Atlético Mineiro during the 1999 Brazilian Série A...
.
Also on 2010, Deco has won his first Brazilian Championship, participating in Fluminense
Fluminense Football Club
Fluminense Football Club is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in the beginning of the 20th century as a single-sport institution, Fluminense is today an umbrella organization for several teams in more than 16 different sport activities. The most popular endeavor of Fluminense,...
's victorious campaign.
International career
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
and the Brazil squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup included other attacking midfielders such as Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, and Juninho. Having played six years of club football with Porto allowed Deco to gain Portuguese citizenship that made him eligible to play for Portugal. None of Deco's great grandparents, grandparents or parents were Portuguese and therefore under Fifa's player eligibility rules required Portuguese citizenship to be considered eligible. Deco was mentioned several times in the media as an option for the Portuguese national team
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
. In 2002, having completed six years of Portuguese residence, he received Portuguese citizenship. After many months of public discussion which split Portuguese public opinion, and despite the opposition of a large number of Porto rivals' supporters, he was called up for his first international – coincidentally against Brazil. He scored the free kick that stunned Brazil, leading to a 2–1 win for Portugal. This was Portugal's first win over Brazil since the 1966 World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
. Since that game, he has been a regular in the national team. Before the 2004 European championship Luís Figo
Luís Figo
Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, OIH, is a Portuguese former international footballer. He played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Internazionale, during a career which spanned over a period of 20 years. He retired from football on 31 May 2009...
, criticized the Deco's inclusion and said "If you're born Chinese, well, you have to play for China." However Deco commented saying "I was born in Brazil and it would be a lie to say that I'm just Portuguese now and not Brazilian but I love Portugal and I love playing for the national team." Despite the early criticism, Deco was one of the highlights of the Portuguese national team. He scored five goals in 75 caps for Portugal by June 2010 and his international career ended after the second round defeat to Spain at the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
2006 World Cup
In the 2006 World Cup2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, Deco scored the first goal in Portugal's second Group D match against Iran
Iran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...
in the 63rd minute minute prior to Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
's 80th minute penalty. During the first knockout stage of the competition, Deco received two yellow cards in the game
Battle of Nuremberg
The Battle of Nuremberg is the nickname of a football match played in Round 2 of the 2006 FIFA World Cup between Portugal and the Netherlands at the Frankenstadion in Nuremberg on 25 June 2006...
against Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
with the first given for a rash tackle on John Heitinga
John Heitinga
John Gijsbert Alan "Johnny" Heitinga is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defender for English Premier League club Everton and the Dutch national team. A product of Jong Ajax, he previously played for AFC Ajax and Atlético Madrid, before signing for Everton in 2009. Heitinga previously represented...
, suspending him from the quarterfinal win against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, as he already picked up a caution in the match with Iran. The win against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in the quarterfinal stage led to Portugal's
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
defeat in the semifinal, which Deco was able to participate in.
Euro 2008
On 11 June, Deco scored the opening goal in Portugal's second match of Euro 2008, a Group AUEFA Euro 2008 Group A
Group A of the 2008 UEFA European Championships is one of four groups competing of nations at UEFA Euro 2008. The group's first round of matches was played on 7 June, with the final round played on 15 June. All six group matches were played at venues in Switzerland, in Basel and Geneva...
clash with the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
. The game ended 3–1 to Portugal, with Deco aiding his team in their passage to the quarter-finals where Portugal's campaign came to an end against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, the eventual runners-up of the tournament.
In February 2010 Deco announced that he would be retiring from international football after the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
2010 World Cup
Deco played for Portugal in their opening game against Côte d'IvoireCôte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
. During the game he was injured and was ruled out of the remaining two group games, against North Korea and Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
. He was fit again for the Last 16 game against Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
but Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz
Carlos Queiroz
Carlos Manuel Brito Leal Queiroz ComIH is a Portuguese football manager. He is currently the manager of the Iran national football team. A former manager of Real Madrid, and Portugal national football team, he has also twice been Alex Ferguson's assistant manager at English club Manchester...
chose Tiago
Tiago Mendes
Tiago Cardoso Mendes , simply Tiago, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid.A versatile midfielder, adept as both a central or defensive unit and with good overall skills, he played professionally in four of Europe's major leagues: England, France, Italy and Spain.A...
over Deco.
Deco retired from international football with 75 caps and 5 goals.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 29 March 2003 | Estádio das Antas Estadio das Antas The Estádio das Antas was the third stadium of the Portuguese football side FC Porto. It was in use from 1952 to 2004, replacing the earlier Campo da Constituição and later replaced by Estádio do Dragão. As well the stadium, it had an indoor arena and three training grounds... , Porto Porto Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes... , Portugal |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 2. | 13 October 2004 | Estádio José Alvalade Estádio José Alvalade Estádio José Alvalade is a football stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, home of Sporting Clube de Portugal, one of the country's biggest clubs. It is the center of a complex called Alvalade XXI , designed by Portuguese architect... , Lisboa, Portugal |
4–0 | 7–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifying | |
| 3. | 17 June 2006 | Commerzbank-Arena Commerzbank-Arena The Commerzbank-Arena is a sports stadium in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. Commonly known by its original name, Waldstadion , the stadium opened in 1925. The stadium has been upgraded several times since then; the most recent remodelling was its redevelopment as a football-only stadium in preparation... , Frankfurt, Germany |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup 2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
|
| 4. | 11 June 2008 | Stade de Genève Stade de Genève Stade de Genève is a stadium in the greater Geneva, Switzerland area . It has a capacity of 30,084.-Overview:The stadium was completed in 2003 by Zschokke Construction S.A. after nearly three years of construction... , Geneva, Switzerland |
1–0 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2008 | |
| 5. | 10 September 2008 | Estádio José Alvalade Estádio José Alvalade Estádio José Alvalade is a football stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, home of Sporting Clube de Portugal, one of the country's biggest clubs. It is the center of a complex called Alvalade XXI , designed by Portuguese architect... , Lisbon, Portugal |
2–1 | 2–3 | FIFA World Cup 2010 Qualifying 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament... |
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||||||||||
| Corinthians Sport Club Corinthians Paulista Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league... |
1995–1996 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 1996 The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 1996 was played between August 8 and December 15, 1996. It had 24 teams and divided into two stages. In the first one, every team played against each other once... |
2 | 0 | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 2 | 0 | ? | ? | |– | Alverca F.C. Alverca Futebol Clube de Alverca is a Portuguese football club based in Alverca do Ribatejo, Vila Franca de Xira, Lisbon. Founded on 1 September 1939, it currently plays in the Lisbon District Championships.-History:... | 1996–97 Portuguese Liga 1996-97 -Overview:It was contested by 18 teams, and F.C. Porto won the championship.-League standings:... |
32 | 13 | – | – | – | ||||||||||
| Total | 32 | 13 | ? | ? | |– | Porto | 1997–98 Portuguese Liga 1997-98 -Overview:It was contested by 18 teams, and F.C. Porto won the championship.-League standings:... |
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |– | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| Salgueiros | 1997–98 Portuguese Liga 1997-98 -Overview:It was contested by 18 teams, and F.C. Porto won the championship.-League standings:... |
12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | - | 12 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |– | Porto | 1998–99 Portuguese Liga 1998-99 -Overview:It was contested by 18 teams, and F.C. Porto won the championship.-League standings:-References:... |
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | |||||
| 1999–00 Portuguese Liga 1999-00 -Overview:It was contested by 18 teams, and Sporting Clube de Portugal won the championship. It was their first Championship victory in 18 years .-League standings:... |
23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | - | 23 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 2000–01 Portuguese Liga 2000-01 -Overview:It was contested by 18 teams, and Boavista F.C. won the championship. This was one of two occasions where one of Porto, Benfica and Sporting Lisbon did not win the championship.-League standings:... |
31 | 6 | – | 10 | 6 | - | 41 | 12 | ||||||||||||||
| 2001–02 Portuguese Liga 2001-02 -Overview:It was contested by 18 teams, and Sporting Clube de Portugal won the championship.-League standings:... |
30 | 13 | – | 12 | 2 | - | 42 | 15 | ||||||||||||||
| 2002–03 Portuguese Liga 2002-03 -Overview:It was contested by 18 teams, and Porto won the championship.-League standings:... |
30 | 10 | – | 5 | 0 | - | 35 | 10 | ||||||||||||||
| 2003–04 Portuguese Liga 2003-04 The Primeira Liga 2003-04 began on 16 August 2003 with an opening game between Académica de Coimbra and Sporting Clube de Portugal, and ended on 9 May 2004. It was contested by 18 teams. Futebol Clube do Porto was the defending champion and the new champion again, winning the Portuguese title in... |
28 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 4 | |||||||||||
| Total | 148 | 32 | ? | ? | Barcelona FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.... | 2004–05 | 35 | 7 | 1 | 0 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 42 | 9 | ||||||
| 2005–06 | 29 | 3 | 4 | 0 | – | 11 | 2 | – | 44 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| 2006–07 | 31 | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 6 | |||||||||||
| 2007–08 La Liga 2007-08 -League table:||rowspan=2 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|||rowspan=7 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|-Results:... |
18 | 1 | 5 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | – | 28 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 113 | 11 | 13 | 0 | Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... | 2008–09 Premier League 2008–09 The 2008–09 Premier League season was the seventeenth since its establishment in 1992. Manchester United became champions for the eleventh time on the penultimate weekend of the season, defending their crown after winning their tenth Premier League title on the final day of the previous season... |
24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 30 | 3 | |||||
| 2009–10 Premier League 2009–10 The 2009–10 Premier League was the 18th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. A total of 20 teams competed in the league, with Chelsea unseating the three-time defending champions Manchester United, scoring a Premier League record 103 goals in the process... |
18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | – | 25 | 3 | |||||||||||
| Total | 42 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0 | Career total | 355 | 65 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 79 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 434 | 81 | |
Club
Porto- Portuguese LigaPortuguese LigaThe Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
: 1997–98, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2003–04 - Taça de PortugalTaça de PortugalThe Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is...
: 2000, 2001, 2003 - Portuguese Supercup: 1999, 2001, 2003
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 20042004 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2004 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on 26 May 2004, to decide the winner of the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League... - UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
: 20032003 UEFA Cup FinalThe 2003 UEFA Cup Final was played on 21 May 2003 between Celtic of Scotland and Porto of Portugal. Porto won the match 3–2 in extra time thanks to a goal from Derlei...
Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
- La LigaLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
: 2004–052004–05 La Liga2004–05 season was composed of the following clubs:* Albacete Balompié* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Real Betis* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Levante UD* Málaga CF* Real Mallorca* CD Numancia* CA Osasuna...
, 2005–062005–06 La Liga* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Betis* Cádiz CF* Celta de Vigo* Deportivo Alaves* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Málaga CF* RCD Mallorca* CA Osasuna* Racing de Santander* Real Madrid* Real Sociedad* Sevilla FC... - Supercopa de EspañaSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 20052005 Supercopa de EspañaThe 2005 Supercopa de España was a two-leg Spanish football match played on 13 and 20 August 2005.It contested by league champions FC Barcelona and cup-winners Real Betis. FC Barcelona won 4–2 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:-References:...
, 20062006 Supercopa de EspañaThe 2006 Supercopa de España was a two-leg Spanish football match played on 17 and 20 August 2006.It was contested by league champions FC Barcelona and cup-winners RCD Espanyol . FC Barcelona won 4–0 on aggregate.-First leg:... - UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 20062006 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2006 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Barcelona of Spain and Arsenal of England at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, France, on Wednesday, 17...
Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
- Premier League: 2009–10
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 20092009 FA Cup FinalThe 2009 FA Cup Final was the 128th final of the world's oldest domestic football cup competition, the FA Cup. The final was played at Wembley Stadium in London on 30 May 2009 and marked the third time that the final has been staged at the stadium since it was rebuilt...
, 20102010 FA Cup FinalThe 2010 FA Cup Final was the 129th final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 15 May 2010, at Wembley Stadium, London... - Community Shield: 20092009 FA Community ShieldThe 2009 FA Community Shield was the 87th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions...
Fluminense
Fluminense Football Club
Fluminense Football Club is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in the beginning of the 20th century as a single-sport institution, Fluminense is today an umbrella organization for several teams in more than 16 different sport activities. The most popular endeavor of Fluminense,...
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série ACampeonato Brasileiro Série AThe Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...
: 20102010 Campeonato Brasileiro Série AThe 2010 Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A was the 40th season of the Série A, the top-level of professional football in Brazil. It began on May 8 and ended on December 5. Flamengo came as the defending champion having won the 2009 season.-Format:...
Individual
- Portuguese League Footballer of the Year: 2003–04
- UEFA Club Footballer of the YearUEFA Club Footballer of the YearThe UEFA Club Footballer of the Year was a football award presented by UEFA to the most outstanding performers of the European club football season. The award, along with "Best Goalkeeper," "Best Defender," "Best Midfielder," and "Best Forward," was given at the end of each season at a special gala...
: 2003–04 - UEFA Best MidfielderUEFA Club Football AwardsThe UEFA Club Football Awards are awards given by UEFA to the most outstanding performers of the European club football season. The awards were presented in August each year at a special gala in Monaco ahead of the UEFA Super Cup. Since 2005, the awards are presented at the UEFA Champions League draw...
: 2003–04, 2005–06 - FIFA World Club Cup Golden BallFIFA Club World CupThe FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
: 2006 - Premier League Player of the MonthPremier League Player of the MonthThe Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best Premier League player each month of the season. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor, and announced alongside the Manager of the Month on the first or second Friday of the following month...
: August 2008
Orders
- Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila ViçosaOrder of the Immaculate Conception of Vila ViçosaThe Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa is an dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Braganza, the former Portuguese Royal Family...
(House of BraganzaDuke of BraganzaThe title Duke of Braganza in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Since the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal in 1640, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown was known as the Duke of Braganza and Prince of Brazil until 1822, or...
)
Personal life
When Deco started his European career in 1997, his first wife Cila, whom he had met three years earlier, moved to Portugal with him. Deco and Cila have two sons, João Henrique and Pedro Gabriel, who now live in Brazil with their mother. A few years later, Deco met Jaciara at a party in SalvadorSalvador, Bahia
Salvador is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first...
(Brazil) and divorced Cila to live with Jaciara in Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
. They married in April 2005 and now have a son, David, and a daughter, Yasmin. They announced their divorce in March 2008. In 2009 his ex-girlfriend gave birth to his fifth child, a daughter, Sofia.
Deco is the brother-in-law of fellow footballer Alecsandro
Alecsandro
Alecsandro Barbosa Felisbino or simply Alecsandro , is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a striker for Vasco da Gama.- Career :In 2006–07, he played on-loan, as a striker, for the Portuguese giants Sporting...
, who plays for Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...
and Brazil international
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
Richarlyson.
Deco is an ambassador for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation
Laureus Sport for Good Foundation
The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation was founded in 2000 by Daimler and Richemont and is supported by its Global Partners Mercedes-Benz, IWC Schaffhausen and Vodafone...
. He has a charitable organisation, Deco Institute, in the Brazilian city of Indaiatuba
Indaiatuba
Indaiatuba is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2006 is 181,124 and has an area is 311.34 km². The elevation is 624 m. The city's name comes from the Tupi language. One of the most important city of the area....
, near São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, where he grew up.