Giovane Élber facts for kids
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Élber in 2022
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Élber de Souza | ||
| Date of birth | 23 July 1972 | ||
| Place of birth | Londrina, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1989–1990 | Londrina | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1990–1994 | AC Milan | 0 | (0) |
| 1990–1994 | → Grasshoppers (loan) | 78 | (55) |
| 1994–1997 | VfB Stuttgart | 87 | (41) |
| 1997–2003 | Bayern Munich | 169 | (92) |
| 2003–2005 | Lyon | 30 | (11) |
| 2005–2006 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 4 | (0) |
| 2006 | Cruzeiro | ||
| Total | 389 | (205) | |
| International career | |||
| 1998–2001 | Brazil | 15 | (7) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Élber de Souza (born on July 23, 1972), known as Giovane Élber, is a Brazilian former footballer. He was a fantastic striker who scored many goals.
Élber spent most of his career playing in Germany. He was especially famous for his time at Bayern Munich. He scored a total of 133 goals in 260 matches in the German Bundesliga league for three different clubs.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Giovane Élber started his football journey in Londrina, Brazil. He was a young talent from the Londrina youth team.
Early Days in Europe
AC Milan Experience
When he was 18, Élber joined AC Milan in Italy in 1990. He didn't play much during his year with the team.
Shining at Grasshoppers
After AC Milan, Élber moved to Switzerland to play for Grasshoppers. He first joined them on a loan. He quickly showed how good he was at scoring goals. In a 1992–93 UEFA Cup game, he helped his team win against Sporting CP. He scored two goals in that important match.
Success in Germany
Joining VfB Stuttgart
After scoring over 50 goals for Grasshoppers, Élber moved to Germany in 1994. He signed with VfB Stuttgart. He scored in his very first Bundesliga game, helping Stuttgart win 2–1 against Hamburger SV. In his first season, he scored eight goals. This was the only time in seven years that he scored less than ten goals in a season.
In the 1996–97 season, Élber scored 20 goals for Stuttgart. Seventeen of these were in the league. He also scored three goals in the German Cup, including both goals in the final against Energie Cottbus, which Stuttgart won 2–0. At Stuttgart, he was part of a famous attacking trio called the magic triangle. He played alongside Krassimir Balakov and Fredi Bobic.
Becoming a Star at Bayern Munich
The next summer, Élber joined Bayern Munich, another top German team. He was almost always the top scorer for Bayern during his time there. He helped the club win four league titles. He also played a key role in winning the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League. He scored in both semi-final games against Real Madrid.
Élber also helped Bayern win the 2001 Intercontinental Cup. In the 2002–03 season, he was the top scorer in the Bundesliga with 21 goals. Bayern Munich won both the league and the cup that year.
In the Intercontinental Cup final in Tokyo, Bayern Munich played against Boca Juniors. The game went into extra time. Samuel Kuffour scored the winning goal for Bayern. Élber later said that he had committed a foul just before that goal, which the referee didn't see.
Moving to France and Return to Brazil
Time at Lyon
In 2003, Élber, then 31, moved to France to play for Lyon. He replaced his fellow Brazilian player, Sonny Anderson. In the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League, he scored against his old club, Bayern Munich, helping Lyon win 2–1 in Germany. He also scored in a 2–2 draw against Porto in the quarter-finals. Lyon was eventually knocked out of the competition.
He helped Lyon win their third straight Ligue 1 title. However, he then suffered a serious leg injury. This injury kept him from playing for over a year.
Brief Spell at Borussia Mönchengladbach
Élber returned to professional football in Germany in January 2005. He joined Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Finishing Career at Cruzeiro
In January 2006, Élber went back to Brazil after almost 15 years away. He finished his playing career at Cruzeiro. He announced his retirement on September 9, 2006, three months before the end of the season. This decision was due to injuries and the sad loss of his father.
International Career
Élber played for the Brazilian under-20 team at the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship. He scored four goals in six matches. The team lost to Portugal in a penalty shootout.
He also played for the senior Brazil national team. In 1998, he scored six goals in six games. However, he only played nine more games for Brazil in the next three years. This was because there was a lot of competition for places in the team.
Life After Football
After retiring from playing, Élber returned to Bayern Munich. He started working as a scout for the club. His job was to find young talented players in Brazil. As of 2025, he is an ambassador for Bayern Munich.
Élber also works as a football expert for the German TV station Das Erste. He gave his analysis during the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Personal Details
He is usually called Giovane Élber. This name is a German version of his Italian nickname, il giovane Élber, which means "the young Élber".
Honours and Awards
Élber won many trophies and awards during his career:
- Grasshoppers
* Swiss Cup: 1993–94
- Stuttgart
* DFB-Pokal: 1996–97
- Bayern Munich
* Bundesliga: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03 * DFB-Pokal: 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2002–03 * DFB-Ligapokal: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 * UEFA Champions League: 2000–01 * Intercontinental Cup: 2001
- Lyon
* Ligue 1: 2003–04 * Trophée des Champions: 2004
- Cruzeiro
* Campeonato Mineiro: 2006
- Individual Awards
* FIFA World Youth Championship: Silver Ball 1991 * Swiss League: Top scorer 1993–94 * Swiss League: Best foreign player 1993–94 * kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 1996–97, 1998–99, 2002–03 * Bundesliga Top scorer: 2002-03 (shared with Thomas Christiansen) * Goal of the Year (Germany): 1999 * Bayern Munich All-time XI
See also
In Spanish: Giovane Élber para niños
