Fábio Aurélio facts for kids
Aurélio in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Fábio Aurélio Rodrigues | ||
| Date of birth | 24 September 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | São Carlos, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left back, left winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2000 | São Paulo | 54 | (3) |
| 2000–2006 | Valencia | 96 | (11) |
| 2006–2012 | Liverpool | 87 | (3) |
| 2012–2013 | Grêmio | 5 | (0) |
| Total | 242 | (17) | |
| International career | |||
| 1999–2000 | Brazil U-23 | 13 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Fábio Aurélio Rodrigues, born on September 24, 1979, is a former professional football player from Brazil. He played for famous clubs like São Paulo, Valencia, and Liverpool. Fábio was a versatile player, often playing as a left back or a left winger. He also represented Brazil in youth teams and at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
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About Fábio Aurélio
Fábio Aurélio was born in São Carlos, Brazil. His parents are Mario and Neide. He has dual citizenship, meaning he is a citizen of both Brazil and Italy. Fábio has one sister who is married to another Brazilian footballer, Edu. Fábio married his wife Elaine in January 2000. They have two children: a son named Fábio, born in December 2001, and a daughter named Victoria, born in 2006.
Fábio's Club Journey
Fábio Aurélio played for several big football clubs during his career. Let's look at his journey through the teams.
Starting at São Paulo
Fábio Aurélio started his football journey at the São Paulo academy. He made his first appearance for the senior team in 1997 when he was just 17 years old. During his time at São Paulo, he played more than 50 games. He also played for Brazil's national teams for players under 17 and under 20. He was part of the São Paulo teams that finished second in the Campeonato Paulista in 1996 and 1997. They won the championship in 1998 and 2000.
Moving to Valencia
After the 2000 Olympics, Aurélio moved to Spain to join Valencia. He signed a six-year contract with the club. In the 2001–02 season, he won his first major trophy. He helped Rafael Benítez's team win their first La Liga championship in 31 years. The next year, Aurélio became known as one of the best left-backs in the league. He scored eight league goals and ten goals in all competitions.
The 2003–04 season was another great year for Valencia. They won both the domestic La Liga championship and the 2003–04 UEFA Cup. They beat Marseille 2–0 in the final of the UEFA Cup. However, Aurélio missed most of this season because of a broken leg. He only played in two games.
Playing for Liverpool
In July 2006, Fábio Aurélio left Valencia and joined the English Premier League team Liverpool. He joined them on a free transfer, which meant Liverpool didn't have to pay a transfer fee. He was the first Brazilian player to sign for Liverpool. Fábio said that rejoining his former manager, Rafael Benítez, was a big reason for his decision. He told the Liverpool Echo:
"I am going to a new club in which the trainer knows me, to see if I can conquer the objectives I have set myself. The most important moments I had in my career were the titles [with Valencia] and that was with Benítez. He trusted me and he continues to trust me and that is what I value more."
Liverpool confirmed his transfer on July 5.
Aurélio played his first game for Liverpool on August 13. It was in the FA Community Shield match, which Liverpool won against Chelsea. He played an important role in Liverpool's team during his first season. He notably provided two assists in a 4–1 win against Arsenal on March 31, 2007. However, Aurélio soon got injured. He hurt his achilles tendon on April 3 in a UEFA Champions League game against PSV. He missed the rest of Liverpool's 2006–07 season. He only played 25 games in his first year. He returned to play the next season on September 18. He came on as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against Porto in the Champions League.
Aurélio scored his first goal for Liverpool on March 2, 2008. It was in a Premier League match against Bolton Wanderers. The final score was 3–1, with Aurélio scoring Liverpool's third goal. He scored again on February 7, 2009, against Portsmouth. His free-kick helped Liverpool come back to win 3–2. His next goal was the third in a 4–1 victory over their rivals Manchester United in March 2009.
Aurélio became Liverpool's main left-back, but injuries continued to bother him. In a 1–1 draw with Chelsea in a Champions League semi-final, Aurélio tore a muscle. This injury meant he couldn't play for the rest of the season. In the summer of 2009, while recovering, he got injured again playing beach football with his children. He returned to play a month into the new season.
On May 25, 2010, Rafael Benítez confirmed that Aurélio would leave Liverpool. He had turned down a new contract offer. However, after a change of manager, Aurélio re-signed for Liverpool on August 1, 2010. He signed a two-year deal. He played his first game in his second spell for the club the day after re-signing. He came on as a substitute and even wore the captain's armband for a short time. The new Liverpool manager, Roy Hodgson, was very happy to re-sign Aurélio. He said, "I was quite surprised when I found out he was fully fit and hadn't been offered a new contract, so I think it was a bit of an obvious thing to do. I said, 'Rather than move to another Barclays Premier League club, why don't you stay with us?'" Aurélio chose to wear the number 6 shirt instead of his old number 12. He wore number 6 when he played in Brazil.
In the 2010–11 season, three of his first four games were in the UEFA Europa League. He then got another Achilles injury. He came back as a substitute against West Ham United on November 20, 2010. Liverpool won that match 3–0. Aurélio played in Liverpool's FA Cup third round match on January 9, 2011. They lost 1–0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford. This was Kenny Dalglish's first match back as Liverpool's manager. On April 11, 2011, Aurélio returned from injury to play in Liverpool's 3–0 home win over Manchester City. On April 17, 2011, he started at left back against Arsenal. He got a hamstring injury and was replaced by a young player, Jack Robinson. Aurélio started Liverpool's last game of the 2010–11 season. He also started Liverpool's final pre-season game against his former club Valencia at Anfield. Liverpool won 2–0. He started his first game of the 2011–12 season in a 5–1 win against League One team Oldham Athletic in an FA Cup game. He played 70 minutes before being replaced. He also made a substitute appearance for Liverpool against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
On May 12, 2012, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish announced that Aurélio's contract was ending. He would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the 2011–12 season after six seasons with the club.
Returning to Brazil with Grêmio
On May 24, 2012, Aurélio returned to Brazil. He signed for Grêmio on a free transfer. This move was at the request of manager Vanderlei Luxemburgo. However, his time at Grêmio was difficult because of a serious knee injury. He tore a cruciate ligament, which made him miss eight months of football. He only played five games before announcing his retirement on April 4, 2014. After he retired, he said that the club chairman, Fabio Koff, had forced him out after Luxemburgo was fired. Both Koff and the club director, Rui Costa, denied these claims. They said he simply couldn't play anymore.
Playing for Brazil
Fábio Aurélio played for Brazil's national youth teams. He represented them at the under-17 and under-20 levels. He also played for the Brazil Olympic team at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
In June 2003, Aurélio was called to play for the Brazil senior team. This was for the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. However, he had to withdraw because of an injury. He was replaced by another player, Gilberto.
In October 2009, Aurélio got another chance to play for Brazil. This was for friendly matches against England and Oman. But he couldn't make his full debut because of another injury.
Fábio Aurélio's Trophies
Fábio Aurélio won several important trophies during his football career.
Valencia
- La Liga: 2001–02, 2003–04
- UEFA Cup: 2003–04
- UEFA Super Cup: 2004
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2000–2001
Liverpool
- League Cup: 2011–12
- FA Community Shield: 2006
See also
In Spanish: Fábio Aurélio para niños
