Juliano Belletti facts for kids
Belletti in 2018
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Juliano Haus Belletti | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 20 June 1976 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Cascavel, Brazil | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Right-back | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Barcelona B (head coach) | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1994 | Cruzeiro | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1994–1996 | Cruzeiro | 22 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1996–2002 | São Paulo | 54 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 1999 | → Atlético Mineiro (loan) | 17 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Villarreal | 59 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Barcelona | 71 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | Chelsea | 54 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Fluminense | 9 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 286 | (21) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2005 | Brazil | 23 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | São Paulo U20 | |||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Barcelona U19 | |||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Barcelona B | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Juliano Haus Belletti (born 20 June 1976) is a famous Brazilian football coach and former player. He mostly played as a right-back, which is a defensive position on the right side of the field. Today, he is the head coach for Barcelona Atlètic.
Belletti started his football journey in Brazil with teams like Cruzeiro and São Paulo. He later moved to Europe, playing for big clubs like Villarreal, Barcelona, and Chelsea. One of his most memorable moments was scoring the winning goal for Barcelona in the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final. He also won the Premier League and FA Cup with Chelsea.
He played 23 games for the Brazilian national team and was part of the squad that won the 2002 FIFA World Cup. This is one of the biggest achievements in football!
Contents
Belletti's Early Life and Background
Juliano Belletti was born in Cascavel, Brazil. His family has roots in Italy, and he holds an Italian passport. This connection to Italy allowed him to play in European leagues more easily.
Belletti's Club Football Journey
Starting Out in Brazil
Belletti began his career in 1992 playing for the youth team of Cruzeiro. He made his professional debut in 1994. In 1996, he moved to São Paulo FC, where he became known for playing as a right-back.
In 1999, he played for Atlético Mineiro on loan. He played as an attacking-midfielder and helped the team finish second in the Brazilian League. He even won the "Silver Ball" award, which is given to top players in the Brazilian League. After this, he returned to São Paulo and became a regular player for the Brazilian national team.
Playing in Spain with Villarreal
In June 2002, just before Brazil won the World Cup, Belletti moved to Spain. He joined La Liga club Villarreal. He played his first game for them in July.
Belletti helped Villarreal win the 2003 UEFA Intertoto Cup. This was an important trophy for the club. He also scored two goals in one game against Racing Santander in 2004, showing his attacking skills.
Winning Big with Barcelona
In May 2004, Belletti joined Barcelona for €4 million. He was brought in to play as a right-back.
His most famous moment with Barcelona happened on 17 May 2006. He scored his first and only goal for the club in the 2006 UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal. This goal was the winning goal, making Barcelona champions of Europe! During his third season, he faced some injuries and competition from another player, so he played less. However, he still extended his contract until 2009.
Time at Chelsea in England
On 23 August 2007, Belletti moved to England to play for Chelsea. He signed a three-year deal. He quickly became the starting right-back for the team.
In his first season at Chelsea, Belletti scored two amazing goals from long distance. One was against Wigan Athletic and another against Tottenham Hotspur. In the 2008 UEFA Champions League final against Manchester United, he came on as a substitute and scored in the penalty shootout, even though Chelsea lost the final.
Under a new manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Belletti played in different positions, including in the middle of the field. He scored more impressive long-range goals, like one against Middlesbrough in a 5–0 win. He also scored a late goal to help Chelsea win against Stoke City.
In 2010, Chelsea won the 2009–10 Premier League title, and Belletti was part of the team. A week later, he played in the 2010 FA Cup final where Chelsea won 1–0. On 9 June 2010, Chelsea announced that Belletti's contract would not be renewed. He played 94 games for Chelsea and scored five goals.
Returning to Brazil and Retirement
After leaving Chelsea, Belletti signed a two-year contract with Fluminense in Brazil on 14 July 2010. He helped them win the Brazilian League title.
However, he struggled with injuries and did not play many games. His contract ended in March 2011. He played only nine matches for Fluminense. On 15 June 2011, Belletti signed with Ceará, but just 12 days later, he retired from playing football due to an Achilles tendon injury.
Belletti's International Career for Brazil
Belletti played his first game for the Brazilian national team on 28 March 2001. In July 2001, he played in the 2001 Copa América tournament. He scored his only international goal in a 3–1 win against Paraguay.
He was a key part of the team that won the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea. He played in the semi-final match against Turkey. His international career was sometimes limited because he shared his position with the team's captain, Cafu, who was also a great right-back.
Belletti also played in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. However, he missed the 2005 tournament due to an Achilles tendon injury.
Belletti's Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Belletti started a coaching career. On 4 February 2021, he became an assistant coach at his first club, Cruzeiro.
In 2023, Belletti had his first experience as a head coach with the São Paulo FC under-20 team. He stayed in this role until June 2023. In July 2024, he was announced as the head coach for the Barcelona U19 team. His first season with Barcelona U19 was very successful! His team won the Copa del Rey Juvenil de Fútbol on 16 March 2025. They also won the UEFA Youth League on 28 April 2025, which is a big achievement for a youth team.
On 30 May 2025, Belletti was appointed manager of FC Barcelona Atlètic, which is Barcelona's reserve team.
Belletti's Career Achievements
As a Player
Cruzeiro
- Copa Ouro: 1995
São Paulo
- Campeonato Paulista: 1998, 2000
Villarreal
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2003
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06
- Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006
- UEFA Champions League: 2005–06
Chelsea
- Premier League: 2009–10
- FA Cup: 2008–09, 2009–10
- FA Community Shield: 2009
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2007–08
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2007–08
Fluminense
Brazil
- FIFA World Cup: 2002
As a Manager
Barcelona U19
- Copa del Rey Juvenil de Fútbol: 2025
- UEFA Youth League: 2024–25
See also
In Spanish: Juliano Belletti para niños
