(Apologies for the emo soundtrack)
Date of birth: February 22, 1973 (age 34)
Place of birth: São Paulo, Brazil
Height: 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position: Attacking midfielder
Previous clubs: Sao Paulo, Middlesbrough, Atletico Madrid, Vasco da Gama, Flamengo, Celtic, Palmeiras .
International caps: 50 including 5 goals for Brazil
Current Team: Sydney FC
9 responses so far ↓
Mungo Amanda // Aug 3, 2007 at 6:42 pm
You approve, then?
Leinad // Aug 3, 2007 at 7:19 pm
Would’ve preferred a striker but he looks the goods.
My only gripe is the one-year contract, but given how rooned we looked on Monday I’m a damned sight happier tonight.
Bring Back CL's blog // Aug 4, 2007 at 1:04 pm
he is perfect for Sydney however whether they have the firepower to take advantage of him is moot.
Damned good buy
Stephen Hill // Aug 5, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Pretty good buy, hope the glass ankles hold up, but when fit should be a key player.
Philip Cocu would have been my pick, solid, versatile player with the skills to lead the team around the park, but maybe that was a fantasy target by the club, and there were a few other targets that would were more tempted by the cashed up Middle East clubs.
The other possibilities
Michael Mols – Was a good goal-poacher in his days at Utrecht and Rangers, quick and handy on the counter-attack, but injuries have stripped him of a lot of his pace. Ended up signing at Feyenoord, where he’ll be a bit-part player. Probably too old as well.
Robbie Fowler – This would have been a fan’s favourite – seeing Robbie snort the touch-line brings back memories, but I always thought an Engligh Championship club would win the race,
even more tempting than the truck-loads of money he’d have made in Qatar, which he can do when his contract with Cardiff expires.
Patrick Kliuvert – I think they were dreaming about landing him, but its been a few years since he’s produced, with an assortment of injuries. Could have turned into the Sydney FC equivalent of Chelsea’s signing of Winstone Bogarde.
Carsten Jancker – He is very, very, very tall, but also very, very, very slow.
BTW Anyone know what is happening with John Aloisi?
Stephen Hill // Aug 5, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Glad they never went ahead with the signing of Benito Carbone. I have an old friend, who’s a Bradford City fan, who still has nightmares about this player and the impact his wage bill had upon that small (now League Two) club.
Leinad // Aug 5, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Stephen: Heh, a lot of those were pretty vague possibilities to begin with, though Fowler would have been worth it just to make sure Zdrillic stayed benched.
As for Aloisi the word from Branko was that he was asking for $1million per year and a three year contract, the latter being the main sticking point with the club, as to where he’s going to go next, I have nfi.
Stephen Hill // Aug 5, 2007 at 11:23 pm
Aloisi – Back to Alaves, and their loopy Ukrainian owner, which led to the club almost emulating Leeds United bounce down the divisions. I dunno.
You are right, my dad was talking to one of the Sydney FC directors, and he was nervous about the risk exposure of Dwight Yorke’s lengthy contract, three years at a million per annum is still risky even with the opportunity for Asian Champions League. Probably explains why Juninho is on a one-year deal. Would like another striker though, with Brosque making late runs into the box from the flanks.
Milligan is staying from what I hear, but he’ll be the next to be lured abroad. Top player, will probably play most of his football in defensive midfield, where he is playing for the Olyroos, and if Grella’s below-par performances continue, watch out.
Leinad // Aug 5, 2007 at 11:43 pm
Aloisi would have been a great marketing boost, and would have gotten a lot of non-football people to games, but had he picked up and injury or flopped, we’d be paying $3m for a lemon. That he was asking for as much as Dwight Yorke and wouldn’t settle for two years speaks ill of him, IMO, he had a great opportunity to contribute to the game in this country.
Stephen Hill // Aug 6, 2007 at 3:23 am
“Aloisi would have been a great marketing boost, and would have gotten a lot of non-football people to games, but had he picked up and injury or flopped, we’d be paying $3m for a lemon. That he was asking for as much as Dwight Yorke and wouldn’t settle for two years speaks ill of him, IMO, he had a great opportunity to contribute to the game in this country. ”
Not wrong there, the winning PK against Uruguay is seered in our collective memory. Maybe at 31 he thinks he can spend another year or two in Europe, although unlike the Confed Cup performance he has had little to put him in the shop window. Would have been nice, particular as Zdrillic is hardly an excitment machine up front.
Still A-League is getting Craig Moore, Tony Popovic, Danny Taito, Paul Agostino back.
Just had a brain snap, wonder if a one year loan-deal with one of the Olyroo players like Neil Kilkenney (Birmingham City), Nick Ward (QPR) would be a smart-bit of business. If its possible for one of the minor European leagues like the Romanian league to loan back there young talent that aren’t getting regular football, why aren’t the A-League clubs doing the same thing. I’m going from only one or two performances but I thought Nick Ward looked the goods in the Championship (just didn’t fit into John Gregory’s park full of defensive-midfielders mindset.)