Aílton (footballer, born 1973) facts for kids
Aílton at practice with MSV Duisburg in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aílton Gonçalves da Silva | ||
| Date of birth | 19 July 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Mogeiro, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.77 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1993–1994 | Ypiranga | 12 | (2) |
| 1994–1995 | Internacional | 21 | (4) |
| 1994–1995 | → Mogi Mirim (loan) | 28 | (8) |
| 1995–1996 | Santa Cruz | 21 | (7) |
| 1996–1997 | Guarani | 43 | (20) |
| 1997–1998 | UANL | 23 | (5) |
| 1998–2004 | Werder Bremen | 169 | (88) |
| 2004–2005 | Schalke 04 | 29 | (14) |
| 2005–2006 | Beşiktaş | 14 | (5) |
| 2006 | → Hamburger SV (loan) | 13 | (3) |
| 2006–2007 | Red Star Belgrade | 13 | (4) |
| 2007 | → Grasshoppers (loan) | 13 | (8) |
| 2007–2008 | MSV Duisburg | 8 | (1) |
| 2008–2009 | Metalurh Donetsk | 2 | (1) |
| 2008–2009 | → SCR Altach (loan) | 12 | (7) |
| 2009 | Campinense | 1 | (1) |
| 2009 | Chongqing Lifan | 5 | (0) |
| 2010 | KFC Uerdingen 05 | 13 | (4) |
| 2010–2011 | FC Oberneuland | 12 | (3) |
| 2011 | Rio Branco-SP | 4 | (1) |
| 2012–2013 | Hassia Bingen | 21 | (19) |
| Total | 476 | (205) | |
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Aílton Gonçalves da Silva (born on July 19, 1973) is a famous former Brazilian football player. He was known as a striker, meaning he played at the front of the team to score goals. People often called him Kugelblitz, which means "Ball lightning" in German. This nickname came from his strong build and surprising speed on the field.
Aílton played for many different teams throughout his career. He started in Brazil with clubs like Ypiranga and Internacional. After playing in Mexico for Tigres UANL, he moved to Germany. There, he became a star player for SV Werder Bremen. He helped Werder Bremen win both the Bundesliga (the top German league) and the German Cup in the 2003–04 season. Later, he played for other big clubs like FC Schalke 04 in Germany, Beşiktaş in Turkey, and Red Star Belgrade in Serbia.
Aílton is one of only a few foreign players to have scored more than 100 goals in the Bundesliga. This shows how successful he was in German football.
Contents
Aílton's Football Journey
Aílton's professional football career began in his home country, Brazil. He played for several Brazilian teams, including Mogi Mirim Esporte Clube, Santa Cruz, and Guarani. After his time in Brazil, he moved to Mexico to play for Tigres UANL.
Becoming a Star in Germany
In 1998, Aílton joined SV Werder Bremen in Germany. His first season was a bit tough, as he only scored two goals. However, he quickly improved and became a very important player for the team. In 1999, Werder Bremen won the DFB-Pokal, which is the German Cup. Even though Aílton didn't play in the final match, he was part of the winning team.
He started scoring many more goals in the following seasons. In the 2003–04 season, Aílton scored an amazing 28 goals! That year was very special because Werder Bremen won both the Bundesliga league title and the German Cup. This was a huge achievement for the club. Because of his great performance, Aílton was chosen as the "Footballer of the Year (Germany)" in 2004. He was the first non-German player to win this award.
Moving to New Teams
After his success at Werder Bremen, Aílton moved to another German club, FC Schalke 04, for the 2004–05 season. He continued to score goals there.
Around this time, in 2004, the football association in Qatar tried to get Aílton to play for their national team. They offered him Qatari citizenship and a lot of money. However, FIFA, the world's football governing body, stepped in and stopped this from happening. They then made rules stricter about which players could play for different national teams.
Aílton was known for being very emotional and outspoken in his interviews while playing in Germany.
In 2005, Aílton moved to Beşiktaş in Turkey. He didn't quite reach his full potential there, and fans hoped for more goals from him. He later went on loan to Hamburger SV back in Germany in 2006. Unfortunately, he broke his jaw early on and missed much of the season.
After his time in Turkey and Germany, Aílton played for Red Star Belgrade in Serbia. He also had a loan spell with Grasshopper Club Zürich in Switzerland, where he scored eight goals. He then played for MSV Duisburg in Germany, and later for teams in Ukraine and Austria. He finished his career playing for smaller clubs, including KFC Uerdingen 05 and FC Oberneuland. In 2012, he joined BFV Hassia Bingen, where he scored two goals in his first game.
Aílton's Life Outside Football
Aílton is married to Rosseli Judith Rodriguez, who is from Mexico. They have four children together. In January 2012, Aílton took part in the German version of the TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, called Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus!.
Honours
Werder Bremen
- Bundesliga: 2003–04 (League Champion)
- DFB-Pokal: 1998–99, 2003–04 (German Cup Winner)
- DFB-Ligapokal runner-up: 1999
Schalke 04
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2004
Red Star Belgrade
- Serbian SuperLiga: 2006–07 (League Champion)
Individual Awards
- Bundesliga top scorer: 2003–04 (Scored the most goals in the league)
- Footballer of the Year (Germany): 2004
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2003–04
See Also
In Spanish: Aílton Gonçalves da Silva para niños
