Alex (footballer, born June 1982) facts for kids
Alex lining up for Chelsea in 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa | ||
| Date of birth | 17 June 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Niterói, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.88 m | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2001 | Juventus (SP) | ||
| 2002 | Santos | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2004 | Santos | 78 | (14) |
| 2004–2012 | Chelsea | 86 | (7) |
| 2004–2007 | → PSV (loan) | 84 | (11) |
| 2012–2014 | Paris Saint-Germain | 70 | (6) |
| 2014–2016 | AC Milan | 46 | (4) |
| Total | 361 | (42) | |
| National team | |||
| 2003–2004 | Brazil U23 | 13 | (2) |
| 2002–2011 | Brazil | 17 | (0) |
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Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa (born 17 June 1982), known simply as Alex, is a former Brazilian football player. He played as a centre-back (a defender who plays in the middle). People called him "The Tank" because he was very strong and had a powerful shot. He was also known as Canhão da Vila ("Cannon of Vila Belmiro").
Alex played for big clubs like Chelsea, PSV, Paris Saint-Germain, and A.C. Milan. He won many titles, including league championships in the Netherlands, England, and France. He also played for the Brazilian national team, winning the 2007 Copa América.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Santos
Alex began his football journey with Santos in Brazil. He made his first team debut in 2002. He quickly became an important player for the club.
His first professional league game was a 1–1 draw against Fluminense. Less than a month later, on 18 September 2002, he scored his first goal for Santos against Vasco da Gama. Thanks to his strong performances, Alex became a regular starter. In his first year, Santos won the Série A title, which was their first since 1968.
In 2003, Alex played in 34 matches and scored nine goals, which is a lot for a defender! He also helped Santos reach the final of the Copa Libertadores, a big South American club competition. Santos lost to Boca Juniors from Argentina in the final. Alex scored Santos's only goal in the second game of that final.
Moving to Chelsea (and PSV Loan)
In 2004, the English club Chelsea signed Alex. However, he couldn't get a work permit to play in England right away. So, Chelsea loaned him to the Dutch club PSV.
Playing for PSV
Alex played for PSV for three years, wearing the number 4 jersey. During this time, he earned the nickname "The Tank." This was because of his powerful free kicks and his strong physical presence on the field.
He joined PSV for the 2004–05 season. He helped them win both the Eredivisie championship (the Dutch league) and the Dutch Cup. In the Champions League, Alex was a key player. PSV reached the semi-finals but lost to A.C. Milan.
Alex won his second Dutch league title in the 2005–06 season with PSV. He stayed for a third season on loan in 2006–07 and won a third straight Eredivisie title. In a Champions League match against Arsenal, Alex scored an own goal but then scored a powerful header to make up for it, helping PSV reach the quarter-finals.
Joining Chelsea
Alex finally got his work permit on 2 August 2007. He officially joined Chelsea on 10 August, signing a three-year contract. He was given the number 33 shirt.
He made his Chelsea debut on 19 August 2007, coming on as a substitute against Liverpool. Alex scored his first goal for Chelsea on 20 October 2007, with a fantastic 30-yard free kick against Middlesbrough. He scored another free kick in a Champions League game and his first goal at Stamford Bridge against Aston Villa.
Key Seasons at Chelsea
Alex played more often in the 2008–09 season because another defender, Ricardo Carvalho, was injured. He scored Chelsea's 1,000th Premier League goal on 1 November 2008 against Sunderland. He also scored a powerful free-kick from 30 yards out against Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals. Chelsea won that game 4–4, winning 7–5 overall.
In October 2009, Alex signed a new four-year contract with Chelsea. He missed the start of the 2009–10 season due to a groin injury. He scored his first goal of that season on 13 March 2010 against West Ham United.
For the 2010–11 season, Alex became a first-choice defender alongside John Terry. On 3 October 2010, he scored another amazing 25-yard free kick in a 2–0 win over Arsenal. He later had a knee injury that kept him out for about three months. He returned in April 2011 and scored a headed goal against Newcastle United in a 2–2 draw.
In the 2011–12 season, Alex had some challenges. He made a defensive mistake against West Bromwich Albion and received a red card in a League Cup game against Fulham. In November 2011, he played his last game for Chelsea in a League Cup match against Liverpool. In December 2011, Alex asked to leave the club.
Moving to Paris Saint-Germain
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On 27 January 2012, Alex joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France. He reunited with his former manager, Carlo Ancelotti. Alex said he moved because he wanted more playing time. He was given the number 13 shirt.
Alex made his debut for PSG on 12 February 2012 in a 0–0 draw against Nice. The next week, he scored his first goal for PSG with a 30-yard free kick against Montpellier. On 8 April 2012, he scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Olympique de Marseille. He also scored in a Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb in November 2012.
On 3 August 2013, Alex scored the winning goal in the very last moments of the game. This helped PSG beat Bordeaux 2–1 in the Trophée des Champions in Gabon. He won the Ligue 1 title twice with PSG.
Time at A.C. Milan
On 5 June 2014, Alex signed with A.C. Milan in Italy after his contract with PSG ended. He made his first game for Milan on 31 August. He accidentally scored an own goal in that match against Lazio, but Milan still won 3–1.
Alex scored his first goal for Milan on 17 May 2015 in a 3–2 loss to Sassuolo. On 31 January 2016, he scored a diving header in the famous Derby della Madonnina against Inter Milan.
On 25 May 2016, it was announced that Alex would be leaving the club. In December 2016, Alex officially announced that he was retiring from playing football.
International Career
Alex played for the Brazilian national team. His first game for Brazil was on 17 July 2003 against Mexico in the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Even though he played for the Brazil U-23 team in that tournament, it was recognized as a full international match by FIFA.
He was not chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup squad. However, after the World Cup, he was regularly called up to the national team by the new coach, Dunga. He was part of the Brazil squad that won the 2007 Copa América. They beat their rivals Argentina 3–0 in the final. Alex missed the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup due to injuries.
On 11 May, he was named as one of the seven back-up players for the 2010 FIFA World Cup squad.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Santos | 2002 | Série A | 25 | 3 | 25 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2003 | Série A | 40 | 10 | 40 | 10 | |||||||||
| 2004 | Série A | 13 | 1 | 13 | 1 | |||||||||
| Total | 78 | 14 | 78 | 14 | ||||||||||
| PSV (loan) | 2004–05 | Eredivisie | 27 | 3 | — | 13 | 2 | 40 | 5 | |||||
| 2005–06 | Eredivisie | 28 | 2 | — | 7 | 0 | 35 | 2 | ||||||
| 2006–07 | Eredivisie | 29 | 6 | — | 8 | 2 | 37 | 8 | ||||||
| Total | 84 | 11 | — | 28 | 4 | 112 | 15 | |||||||
| Chelsea | 2007–08 | Premier League | 28 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 39 | 3 | |
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 24 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | — | 41 | 4 | ||
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 16 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 | |
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 20 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| Total | 86 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 134 | 10 | ||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2011–12 | Ligue 1 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 2 | ||
| 2012–13 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | — | 34 | 3 | ||
| 2013–14 | Ligue 1 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 3 | |
| Total | 70 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 92 | 9 | ||
| A.C. Milan | 2014–15 | Serie A | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 23 | 1 | |||
| 2015–16 | Serie A | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 25 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 46 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 48 | 4 | |||||
| Career total | 364 | 42 | 19 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 68 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 465 | 52 | ||
International
| National team | Club | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Santos | 2003 | 5 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | ||
| PSV Eindhoven | 2004–2005 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2005–2006 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2006–2007 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Chelsea | 2007–2008 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2008–2011 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2012 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 17 | 0 | ||
Honours
Santos
PSV
- Eredivisie: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07
- KNVB Cup: 2004–05
Chelsea
- Premier League: 2009–10
- FA Cup: 2008–09, 2009–10
- FA Community Shield: 2009
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2012–13, 2013–14
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2013–14
- Trophée des Champions: 2013
Brazil
- Copa América: 2007
Individual
- Bola de Prata: 2002, 2003
See also
In Spanish: Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa para niños
