Alex De Souza

1995/97 Coritiba FC (BRA) 123 games, 32 goals, 38 assists

1997/2001 SE Palmeiras (BRA) 226 games, 74 goals, 54 assists

2000 CR Flamengo (BRA) 12 games, 3 goals

2001/2002 Cruzeiro EC (BRA) 29 games, 6 goals, 10 assists

2002 Parma AC (ITA) 5 games, 2 goals, 7 assists

2002 SE Palmeiras (BRA) 15 games, 5 goals, 1 assist

2003/04 Cruzeiro EC (BRA) 92 games, 58 goals , 51 assists

2004/13 Fenerbahçe (TUR) 378 games, 185 goals, 162 assists

2013/14 Coritiba FC (BRA) 87 games, 38 goals, 20 assists

With the National Team :

49 caps, 12 goals, 12 assists

(Friendly Matches: 11 caps, 3 goals, 2 assists)

(World Cup qualifiers: 18 caps, 1 goal)

(Copa America: 13 caps, 3 goals, 8 assists)

(Confederations Cup: 7 caps, 5 goals, 2 assists)

1st cap: September 23, 1998 against Yugoslavia (1-1)

Last cap: October 12, 2005 against Venezuela (3-0)

(Olympic Team 19 games, 8 goals, 1 assist)

Alexsandro de Souza

Born on September 14, 1977 in Curitiba (BRA)

Brazilian, attacking-midfielder, second striker, left-winger, 1m74

Alex De Souza was born on September 14 in Curitiba, Brazil, he made his debut in 1995, at 18 years old in the Coritiba FC club in Serie B. In his first season, he obtained the promotion of his team after an exceptional season for a young player. 52 matches, 6 goals and 15 assists.

His next season was excellent, he allowed his team to reach 14th place in the Brazilian championship, finishing ahead of big teams like Botafogo, Vasco De Gama, Santos or Fluminense. His individual season was 47 matches, 11 goals and 11 assists.

In 1997, after half a season played for his first club, he was sold to Palmeiras. There, he continued to progress, in 1998, he had his first full year at Palmeiras, a fantastic season, in total he played 70 games, scored 20 goals and made 20 assists. He won the Brazilian cup and truly became one of the best players in the championship.

The following season, he participated in the Copa Libertadores, eliminating Corinthians in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals during the return match, he scored twice against River Plate. In the final against Deportivo Cali, he provided an assist. Palmeiras were South American champions. He finished the year with 62 games played for 22 goals and 13 assists.

Still on the rise, the following season, he had another very good season and took Palmeiras to a new Copa Libertadores final. Unfortunately this time the Brazilian club lost to Boca Juniors.

Then he went through a lot of club changes before joining Europe and Parma in 2002, he only played 5 games there, but scored 2 goals and provided 7 assists. Enough to impress! His transfer to the Italian club Parma was another brief stay, due to a disagreement with coach Cesare Prandelli. Without making a competitive appearance in Italy, he returned to Cruzeiro.

He then returned to Brazil, winning new trophies. In 2003, he signed the best season of his career individually with Cruzeiro where he played 63 games for 39 goals and 39 assists. In 2004, the Brazilian player who was then 27 years old would leave Brazil again, this time for Turkey and Fenerbahçe.

The Brazilian player is coming off a 2004 where he was the best player in the Brazilian championship. Able to play as an attacking midfielder, second striker or left winger, Alex is a very efficient player, very fast and an excellent dribbler. With a low centre of gravity, he can dribble past any defender. He is also an excellent passer, often at the conclusion or creation of the most dangerous actions.

For the 2004 Copa America, he had the honour of being named captain of the Brazilian Seleção. Brazil won this edition and Alex won his second Copa America after the one he won in 1999.

As soon as he arrived, it was love at first sight with the supporters and the Turkish club. The player who arrived for 5 million pounds sterling would sign a record of 16 assists in the national championship. He logically finished as the best player in the championship. In total, his 2004/05 season was simply spectacular, 30 goals and 24 assists in 48 matches!

Despite his excellent performances in Turkey, after his match against Venezuela in 2005 won 3-0, he will never play for his country again. A great disappointment for the player who is nevertheless among the best players of this era. But undoubtedly in the shadow of Kaka, Juninho and so many other legendary Brazilians.

Humble, he always claimed to understand and accept the decisions of the different selectors, understanding the strong competition for his position. However, the player would have been perfect in the role of a luxury substitute in the national team, being able to play left winger, attacking midfielder, central midfielder, second striker, right winger or even right midfielder, positions that he has known in the national team.

In the summer of 2007, Alex became the captain of Fenerbahçe where he was simply the best player in his team. During his first four seasons at the Turkish club, he scored at least 40 g/a per season. Statistics that would make any world-class striker pale.

During the 2012/13 season, when he was 35 years old and coming off a 2011/12 season with 18 goals and 14 assists in 40 games, the coach at the time, Kocaman, told him that he would be benched and would only play a few games. The reason he gave? The Brazilian's age. The real reason? Kocaman was the holder of the highest number of goals scored by a Fenerbahçe player in the Süper Lig with 140 goals in the competition. Alex was at 136. The coach will therefore push the player towards the exit despite the Brazilian player's strong desire to beat this record and retire in Turkey.

The vast majority of supporters will take the player's side and chant his name during different matches and advocate the dismissal of the coach. After a match and a 2-0 defeat in the Turkish League, the Brazilian, replaced, sat opposite his coach. After this fact, the club's management announced that the player would no longer be involved in the activities of the first team and if he wanted to play, he would do so with the reserve team.

The supporters do not give up on the player and will 100% finance the construction of a statue in his honor, unveiled the day after the Brazilian's 35th birthday. The player will never have been given up on by the fans, who idolize him.

But the player must resign himself to it, he cannot stay in his favorite club. He therefore returned to Coritiba FC where his "age" was not a problem, the player scored 28 goals and provided 9 assists in 50 games at 36 years old. He ended his career at the end of 2014, after another great season with 10 goals and 11 assists in 37 games.

In the Brazilian national team, the player also posted 12 goals and 12 assists in 49 games. This exercise of scoring more than 10 goals and 10 assists per season was his element, since he achieved this feat during 18 seasons out of the 21 of his career!

- Campeonato Paranaense Revelation: 1995

- Campeonato Paranaense Best Player: 1996

- Campeonato Paranaense Best Midfielder: 1997

- Copa Mercosur Best Player: 1998

- IFFHS World Top Scorer: 1999 (3rd place)

- South American Team of the Year: 1999, 2003

- Troféu Telê Santana Best Midfielder: 2002

- Troféu Telê Santana Star of the Year: 2003

- Bola de Ouro: 2003

- Bola de Prata: 2003

- Copa América Team of the Tournament: 2004

- Turkish Cup Top Scorer: 2004-05

- Turkish Footballer of the Year: 2005, 2010, 2010

- Süper Lig Gol Kralı: 2006-07 (19 goals), 2010-11 (28 goals)

- UEFA Champions League Best Assists: 2007-08 (6 assists)

- Turkish Cup Best Player: 2011-2012

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