Dedé (footballer, born 1978) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dedé

Dedé playing with Eskişehirspor in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Leonardo de Deus Santos
Date of birth	(1978-04-18) 18 April 1978 (age 47)
Place of birth	Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position	Left back
Club information
Current club	Eskişehirspor (assistant)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1996–1998	Atlético Mineiro	36	(3)
1998–2011	Borussia Dortmund	322	(12)
2010–2011	Borussia Dortmund II	3	(0)
2011–2014	Eskişehirspor	75	(4)
Total		436	(19)
National team
1999	Brazil U23	1	(0)
2004	Brazil	1	(0)
Teams managed
2015	Eskişehirspor (assistant)
Honours Borussia Dortmund Winner Bundesliga 2002 Winner Bundesliga 2011
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Leonardo de Deus Santos (born on April 18, 1978), known as Dedé, is a retired Brazilian footballer. He mostly played as a left back or a left midfielder.

Dedé spent 13 years playing for Borussia Dortmund in Germany. He played over 400 official games for them. During his time there, he helped his team win two Bundesliga championships.

Playing Career

Early Days in Brazil

Dedé was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. He was one of six brothers. He started playing football at a very young age. He would play three-a-side games with his brothers in their parents' apartment. Their living room became their football field!

He first played for a local club called Clube Atlético Mineiro. In the 1997 season, he played 30 games in Brazil's top league, the Série A. He scored two goals that year. Dedé also won the Bola de Prata award. This award is given by the magazine Placar to the best player in each position in the national league.

Time at Borussia Dortmund

In 1998, when Dedé was only 20, he moved to Germany. He signed with Borussia Dortmund. He played his first game in the Bundesliga on August 14, 1998. He finished his first year playing in 29 games. His team, known as the Black Yellow, finished fourth in the league.

In the next season, another Brazilian player, Evanílson, joined Borussia Dortmund. Dedé and Evanílson became a strong team on the wing. They were very important when the club won the league in 2002. They also reached the final of the UEFA Cup that year. Dedé played in 45 official games that season and scored one goal. From 2004 to 2008, he played in at least 30 games every season.

Later, Dedé started to have some injury problems. He also faced strong competition from a younger player, Marcel Schmelzer, for his left-back position. In his last three seasons combined, he played in only 33 league matches. This included just four games in the 2010–11 season, when his team won their second national championship.

Later Years and Retirement

On July 27, 2011, Dedé, who was 33 years old, joined the Turkish club Eskişehirspor. He played for three seasons in the Süper Lig. After that, he retired from playing football. He then became an assistant coach for Eskişehirspor, working with his former Borussia Dortmund coach, Michael Skibbe.

International Football

Dedé played his first and only game for the Brazilian national team in April 2004. It was a friendly game against Hungary, which Brazil won 4–1.

Earlier that year, he had said he wanted to play for the German national team. The Qatar Football Association also asked Dedé to play for their national team in 2004. Even though he had no connection to the country, FIFA did not allow him to switch his nationality. This led to FIFA making new, stricter rules about which country players could represent.

Family Life

Dedé's brothers, Cacá and Leandro, were also footballers. They both played in Germany for a short time. Leandro even played with Dedé at Borussia Dortmund for a while.

Awards and Trophies

Atlético Mineiro

• Copa CONMEBOL: 1997

Borussia Dortmund

• Bundesliga: 2001–02, 2010–11
• UEFA Cup: Runner-up 2001–02
• DFB-Pokal: Runner-up 2007–08
• DFB-Ligapokal: Runner-up 2003

See also

In Spanish: Dedê para niños