Alex (footballer, born 1977) facts for kids
Alex playing for Fenerbahçe in 2011
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Alexsandro de Souza | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 14 September 1977 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Coritiba | 24 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2000 | Palmeiras | 37 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Parma | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | → Flamengo (loan) | 12 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | → Palmeiras (loan) | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | → Cruzeiro (loan) | 29 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | → Palmeiras (loan) | 16 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Cruzeiro | 55 | (27) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2012 | Fenerbahçe | 245 | (136) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Coritiba | 55 | (18) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 499 | (221) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Brazil U20 | 15 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2005 | Brazil | 49 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | São Paulo U20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Avaí | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Antalyaspor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Alexsandro de Souza (born on September 14, 1977), known simply as Alex, is a Brazilian football manager and former footballer. He played as an attacking midfielder, a player who helps both attack and defense.
Alex was once the captain of the Brazilian national team. He also captained the Turkish club Fenerbahçe. During his career, he played for several clubs in Brazil, like Coritiba, Palmeiras, Flamengo, and Cruzeiro. He also played for Parma in Italy. Alex is most famous for his time at Fenerbahçe, where he became the highest-scoring foreign player ever in the Süper Lig, Turkey's top football league.
For Brazil, Alex played 48 games and scored 12 goals between 1998 and 2005. He was part of the teams that won the Copa América in 1999 and 2004. He was captain in the 2004 win. He also played in the 2000 Olympics and two FIFA Confederations Cup tournaments. However, he was never chosen for the FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Alex's Club Journey in Football
Starting His Career in Brazil
Alex was born in Curitiba, Brazil. He started his professional football career at his hometown club, Coritiba, from 1995 to 1997. After that, he moved to Palmeiras in São Paulo.
At Palmeiras, he helped the team win important titles. These included the Copa Libertadores in 1999, the Torneio Rio-São Paulo in 2000, and the Copa do Brasil and Copa Mercosur in 1998. In 2000, he briefly played for Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro.
He returned to Palmeiras for a short time in 2000. Then, he joined Cruzeiro. He stayed there until 2002, when he went back to Palmeiras again. Alex was then sold to Parma in Italy. However, he only played friendly matches for the Italian team before returning to Cruzeiro.
At Cruzeiro, Alex became the team captain and wore the number 10 jersey. He led his team to win the Brazilian "triple crown" in 2003. This meant they won the State Championship, the Brasileirão (Brazilian League), and the Brazilian Cup. Cruzeiro won the Brasileirão with a record 100 points. They scored over 100 goals in 46 games.
Becoming a Legend at Fenerbahçe
In 2004, Cruzeiro sold Alex to Fenerbahçe in Turkey for 5 million euros. He became Fenerbahçe's captain after their previous captains left the team.
Alex scored his 100th goal in the Süper Lig for Fenerbahçe on November 13, 2010. This was against Gaziantepspor. At 33 years old, Alex scored three goals (a hat-trick) against Bucaspor in the first 35 minutes of a game. Fenerbahçe won that match 5–2. His first goal in that game was Fenerbahçe's 3000th goal in the Süper Lig. Because of this, his kit and shoes from the Bucaspor match are now displayed in the club's museum. In February 2011, he signed a new two-year contract with Fenerbahçe.
On May 15, 2011, he scored five goals in a 6–0 win against Ankaragücü. This included three penalties and a free-kick.
After Fenerbahçe won the league title in the 2010–11 season, Alex received the golden boot award. He scored 28 goals, which was nine more than the second-place player. On September 12, 2011, he played his 900th career game. This was in the first match of the Super Lig season, a 1–0 win against Orduspor. In the 2012 Turkish Cup final on May 16, 2012, against Bursaspor, Alex scored Fenerbahçe's fourth and final goal in a 4–0 victory. He was named the "Man of the Match" for that game.
On September 15, 2012, while Alex was still playing for Fenerbahçe, fans paid for a statue of him. It was put up in Kadıköy Yoğurtçu park. Alex's last goal for Fenerbahçe was on September 20 in the Europa League. He scored Fenerbahçe's second goal in a 2–2 draw with Marseille. His last game for the club was on September 29. He played the first half of a 2–0 loss to Kasımpaşa.
After some disagreements with coach Aykut Kocaman, his contract with Fenerbahçe ended on October 1. He finished his amazing career in Turkey with 136 assists and 171 goals in 341 games. He was only five goals away from matching the club record for league goals, which was held by Aykut Kocaman.
Returning to Coritiba and Retirement
After leaving Fenerbahçe, Alex joined his boyhood club, Coritiba, in Brazil on October 18, 2012. He played his first game for Coritiba on January 31, 2013. His first goal for the club came on February 9 in a 1–1 draw with Arapongas.
Alex scored the only goal in a game against Londrina on March 3. This started a streak where he scored in nine straight matches, netting 12 goals. This included two goals in a 6–0 win against Rio Branco. Alex finished the Campeonato Paranaense season by scoring two goals in Coritiba's 3–1 win over Atlético Paranaense. This secured a 5–3 win overall in the final, and Coritiba won their 37th state title.
In October 2014, Alex announced he was retiring from football. His last game was a 3–2 win against Bahia on December 7, 2014.
Alex's International Career with Brazil
Alex first played for the senior Brazilian national team on September 23, 1998. This was in a friendly match against Yugoslavia. He scored his first goal in his third game, helping Brazil win 3–0 against Latvia.
At the 1999 Copa América in Paraguay, Alex scored an important goal from 25 yards out against Mexico. Brazil won this tournament. Days later, at the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup in Mexico, he scored two goals against Germany and two more against Saudi Arabia. However, Brazil lost the final to the host team, Mexico.
Alex also played for the Brazilian Olympic team at the 2000 Olympics in Australia. He scored in a 3–1 win over Slovakia and the only goal in a win against Japan. Brazil was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Cameroon. At the 2001 Copa América in Colombia, Alex scored in a 3–1 win over Paraguay. But again, Brazil was surprisingly eliminated in the quarter-finals, this time by Honduras.
In the qualifiers for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he scored a goal in a 3–1 home win against rivals Argentina. He was not chosen for the World Cup team because of fitness issues, but Brazil went on to win the tournament.
At the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup in France, Alex scored a goal in added time. Brazil drew 2–2 with Turkey, but they were still eliminated from the tournament. Brazil won the 2004 Copa América in Peru. As captain, Alex scored in a 4–0 quarter-final win against Mexico. He was not selected for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
How Alex Played Football
Alex was a very talented and creative playmaker. He usually played as an attacking midfielder, which means he helped create scoring chances for his team. He was known for his excellent passing, technical skills, and ball control. He also had great vision, meaning he could see the whole game and find teammates in good positions.
Even though he wasn't super fast or physically strong, he was great at setting up goals for others. He could also score goals himself, especially from free kicks. Sometimes, he also played as a second striker or on the left side of the field.
Alex's Coaching Career
On April 5, 2021, Alex became the head coach for the under-20 team at São Paulo in Brazil. He left the club on October 28, 2022.
On November 16, 2022, Alex was named head coach of Avaí. This team had just been relegated from Brazil's top league. He left Avaí on May 3, 2023.
On May 18, 2024, Alex returned to Turkey to become the head coach of Antalyaspor.
Alex's Personal Life
Alex married Daianne in 2000. They have two daughters, Maria Eduarda (born 2004) and Antonia (born 2006), and one son, Felipe (born 2010).
He has worked with brands like Puma and Armani. Alex's father-in-law used to be the president of the Coritiba football club. After he retired from playing, Alex started working as a football expert and TV presenter for ESPN Brasil.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Coritiba | 1995 | Série B | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 | 2 | 52 | 6 | |
| 1996 | Série A | 18 | 5 | 2 | 0 | – | 24 | 6 | 47 | 27 | ||
| 1997 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | – | 20 | 13 | 38 | 11 | |||
| 2013 | 29 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 14 | 47 | 27 | ||
| 2014 | 26 | 6 | 3 | 0 | – | 8 | 4 | 38 | 11 | |||
| Total | 102 | 29 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 89 | 39 | 202 | 70 | ||
| Palmeiras | 1997 | Série A | 28 | 7 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 28 | 7 | |
| 1998 | 23 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 21 | 5 | 65 | 19 | ||
| 1999 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 22 | 7 | 15 | 5 | 60 | 19 | ||
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 16 | 5 | 31 | 10 | ||
| 2001 (loan) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 18 | 9 | 30 | 13 | ||
| 2002 (loan) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 13 | 5 | 15 | 5 | |||
| Total | 65 | 19 | 21 | 2 | 58 | 21 | 83 | 29 | 229 | 73 | ||
| Flamengo | 2000 (loan) | Série A | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 |
| Cruzeiro | 2001 (loan) | Série A | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 19 | 4 | |
| 2002 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | |||
| 2003 | 38 | 23 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 9 | 62 | 38 | ||
| 2004 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 | 14 | 29 | 19 | ||
| Total | 74 | 31 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 30 | 19 | 123 | 63 | ||
| Fenerbahçe | 2004–05 | Süper Lig | 31 | 24 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 1 | – | 44 | 29 | |
| 2005–06 | 31 | 15 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 3 | – | 43 | 20 | |||
| 2006–07 | 32 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 1 | – | 47 | 20 | |||
| 2007–08 | 28 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 18 | ||
| 2008–09 | 26 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 2 | – | 40 | 17 | |||
| 2009–10 | 26 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 43 | 21 | ||
| 2010–11 | 33 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 38 | 28 | |||
| 2011–12 | 33 | 14 | 3 | 3 | – | – | 36 | 17 | ||||
| 2012–13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 2 | ||
| Total | 245 | 136 | 35 | 17 | 61 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 344 | 171 | ||
| Career total | 496 | 218 | 77 | 27 | 130 | 39 | 205 | 90 | 910 | 380 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 1998 | 2 | 0 |
| 1999 | 11 | 6 | |
| 2000 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2002 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 13 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 3 | 1 | |
| Total | 48 | 12 |
Manager
| Team | Nat. | From | To | Record | Ref. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Avaí |  |
16 November 2022 | 3 May 2023 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 22 | 25 | −3 | 33.33 | |
| Antalyaspor |  |
18 May 2024 | 13 January 2025 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 29 | 40 | −11 | 38.10 | |
| Total | 39 | 14 | 8 | 17 | 51 | 65 | −14 | 35.90 | — | |||
Alex's Football Trophies and Awards
Team Honours
Palmeiras
- Copa do Brasil: 1998
- Copa Mercosur: 1998
- Copa Libertadores: 1999
- Torneio Rio-São Paulo: 2000
- Copa dos Campeões: 2000
Flamengo
- Campeonato Carioca: 2000
- Taça Rio: 2000
Cruzeiro
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2003
- Copa do Brasil: 2003
- Campeonato Mineiro: 2003, 2004
- Copa Sul-Minas: 2001, 2002
Fenerbahçe
- Süper Lig: 2004–05, 2006–07, 2010–11
- Turkish Cup: 2011–12
- Turkish Super Cup: 2007, 2009
Coritiba
- Campeonato Paranaense: 2013
Brazil U20
- South American Youth Championship: 1992, 1995
Brazil U23
- CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament: 2000
Brazil
- Copa América: 1999, 2004
Individual Awards
- Campeonato Paranaense Revelation: 1995
- Campeonato Paranaense Best Player: 1996
- Campeonato Paranaense Best Midfielder: 1997
- Copa Mercosur Best Player: 1998
- IFFHS World's Top Goal 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
- Footballer of the year in Turkey: 2005, 2010
- Süper Lig Gol Kralı: 2006–07 (19 goals), 2010–11 (28 goals)
- UEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2007–08 (6 assists)
- Turkish Cup Best Player: 2011–12
Orders
Chevalier in the Order of Rio Branco
See also
In Spanish: Alexsandro de Souza para niños
