Juninho Pernambucano facts for kids
Juninho in 2014
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 30 January 1975 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Recife, Brazil | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Sport Recife | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Sport Recife | 24 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–2001 | Vasco da Gama | 121 | (27) | |||||||||||||
| 2001–2009 | Lyon | 248 | (75) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Al-Gharafa | 40 | (15) | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Vasco da Gama | 50 | (11) | |||||||||||||
| 2013 | New York Red Bulls | 13 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2013 | Vasco da Gama | 21 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 517 | (133) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2006 | Brazil | 40 | (6) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Júnior (born January 30, 1975), known as Juninho Pernambucano or just Juninho, is a famous Brazilian former football player. He was also a sporting director for the French club Lyon. Juninho is known as one of the best free-kick takers of all time. He even holds the record for the most goals scored from free kicks! He was especially famous for a special way of kicking the ball called the knuckleball.
Juninho started his football journey in 1993 with a Brazilian club called Sport do Recife. After two years, he joined Vasco da Gama, where he played over 100 matches and won six championships. In 2001, he moved to France to play for Lyon. He stayed there for eight years, helping them win seven league titles in a row! He scored 100 goals for Lyon in 343 games. After Lyon, Juninho played in Qatar for Al-Gharafa and in the United States for New York Red Bulls. He also returned to Vasco da Gama twice before he retired in 2013.
Juninho also played for the Brazilian national team. He played 40 games and scored six goals between 1999 and 2006. He was part of the team that won the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. After the 2006 World Cup, he stopped playing for his country. After retiring from playing, Juninho worked as a football commentator in Brazil.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Sport Recife
Juninho was born in Recife, Brazil. He began his professional football career at Sport Recife. He quickly became a rising star and helped his club win two regional titles. Juninho shared that he started practicing free kicks when he was just 13 years old. This is when he began to develop his famous knuckleball technique. He learned by watching other great players and perfected his skill when he moved to France.
Success with Vasco da Gama
In 1995, Juninho joined Vasco da Gama. He won many trophies with them, including the Brazilian Championship in 1997 and 2000. He also won the Copa Libertadores in 1998 and the Copa Mercosur in 2000. Fans loved him and called him Reizinho de São Januário (The Little King of São Januário) because of his amazing play at their home stadium. He played 295 games for Vasco between 1995 and 2001.
Becoming a Legend at Lyon
In 2001, Juninho moved to France to play for Lyon. Before he arrived, Lyon had never won the French championship. But with Juninho, they won seven league titles in a row! He became famous for his powerful and accurate free kicks. Many people thought he was the best free-kick taker in the world. He was also a great passer, helping his teammates score many goals. His leadership skills were so good that his coach made him team captain.
Juninho scored 100 goals for Lyon. An amazing 44 of these goals came from free kicks! He even scored his 100th goal in his very last game for Lyon. He also scored many goals in the Champions League, becoming Lyon's top scorer in that competition with 18 goals. He helped Lyon reach the quarter-finals three times. In May 2009, Juninho decided to leave Lyon, even though he still had a year left on his contract.
Adventures in Qatar and USA
On June 17, 2009, Juninho signed a two-year contract with the Qatari club Al-Gharafa. In his first season, he was the team captain and led them to win their seventh league title. They also won two other cups, completing a "treble" (winning three major trophies in one season). He was named Player of the Year by the Qatar Football Association. Juninho played 66 games for Al-Gharafa and scored 25 goals.
In 2012, Juninho joined the Major League Soccer team New York Red Bulls in the United States. He played 13 games for them and provided four assists.
Returning Home to Vasco da Gama and Retirement
Juninho returned to his beloved club Vasco da Gama in April 2011. He scored a free-kick goal in his very first game back! He continued to score many more free kicks and became a key player for the team again. He played his 350th game for Vasco in July 2012.
He returned to Vasco for a third time in July 2013. In his third time with the club, he scored and assisted in his first game back, helping Vasco win 3-1 against their rivals. He played 16 games in this period, scoring 2 goals and making 7 assists.
Juninho officially retired from professional football on February 2, 2014. During his time at Vasco da Gama, he won six titles, including the Brazilian Championship and the Copa Libertadores. He played a total of 393 games for the club and scored 76 goals. After retiring, he worked as a football commentator.
International Career
Juninho played for the Brazilian national team. On one incredible day, September 7, 1999, he played two top-level matches in two different countries! He played for Brazil against Argentina and then, despite a delayed flight, made it to Uruguay to play for Vasco against Nacional.
He was part of the Brazil squad that won the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. He scored a fantastic free kick against Greece in that tournament. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Juninho scored a knuckleball goal against Japan in a group stage match. After Brazil lost in the quarter-finals of that tournament, he decided to retire from international football to let younger players have a chance.
Director Career
In May 2019, Juninho became the director of football for his old club Lyon. This meant he was in charge of the club's football operations, like choosing coaches and players.
Style of Play
Juninho was known as "one of the world's most feared strikers of a static ball" because of his incredible free kicks. He was often called the greatest free-kick taker ever. His special technique for long-range free kicks was the "knuckleball". When he kicked the ball this way, it would spin very little, making it wobble and move unpredictably in the air. This made it very hard for goalkeepers to save! He first showed off this skill with a goal against Bayern Munich in 2003, which surprised even one of the world's best goalkeepers at the time.
Juninho scored many goals from free kicks that were more than 40 yards away! He did this against teams like AC Ajaccio, Barcelona, and Marseille. Even before joining Lyon, he showed his talent at Vasco da Gama. He also scored memorable goals for Brazil, like a curling free kick against Greece in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he scored a long-range knuckleball goal against Japan. Other famous players like Andrea Pirlo and Cristiano Ronaldo have even tried to copy Juninho's free-kick style. It takes a lot of skill to kick a knuckleball accurately. In total, Juninho scored at least 75 goals from direct free kicks during his career!
Juninho was not just a free-kick specialist. He was also a talented right-footed midfielder who could create many scoring chances for his teammates. He had great technical skills, vision, and could pass the ball very well. He was also praised for his strong character, leadership, and hard work. He served as team captain for both Lyon and Al-Gharafa. He was a versatile player, meaning he could play in different positions, usually as an attacking midfielder, but also as a winger or central midfielder.
Personal Life
Juninho is a father and a grandfather. He has also spoken out against racism in his home country.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | State League | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sport Recife | 1993 | Série A | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||||
| 1994 | Série A | 22 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 23 | 5 | |||||
| 1995 | Série A | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 24 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 27 | 5 | |||||
| Vasco da Gama | 1995 | Série A | 21 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | 3 | |||||
| 1996 | Série A | 15 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 47 | 11 | ||
| 1997 | Série A | 18 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | 6 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 50 | 8 | ||
| 1998 | Série A | 18 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 36 | 6 | ||
| 1999 | Série A | 20 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 6 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 52 | 11 | ||
| 2000 | Série A | 28 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | 12 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 61 | 11 | ||
| 2001 | Série A | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 121 | 27 | 14 | 1 | — | 34 | 5 | 67 | 11 | 32 | 7 | 268 | 51 | |||
| Lyon | 2001–02 | Ligue 1 | 29 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | — | 41 | 5 | ||
| 2002–03 | Ligue 1 | 31 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 41 | 13 | ||
| 2003–04 | Ligue 1 | 32 | 10 | 3 | 2 | — | 10 | 5 | — | 1 | 0 | 46 | 17 | |||
| 2004–05 | Ligue 1 | 32 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | — | 1 | 0 | 45 | 16 | ||
| 2005–06 | Ligue 1 | 32 | 9 | 4 | 1 | — | 8 | 4 | — | — | 44 | 14 | ||||
| 2006–07 | Ligue 1 | 31 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | — | 42 | 12 | |||
| 2007–08 | Ligue 1 | 32 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | — | — | 46 | 13 | |||
| 2008–09 | Ligue 1 | 29 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | — | — | 38 | 10 | |||
| Total | 248 | 75 | 19 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 64 | 18 | — | 3 | 0 | 343 | 100 | |||
| Al-Gharafa | 2009–10 | Qatar Stars League | 21 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 6 | 3 | 34 | 10 | ||
| 2010–11 | Qatar Stars League | 19 | 8 | 3 | 1 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 5 | 3 | 32 | 12 | |||
| Total | 40 | 15 | 4 | 1 | — | 11 | 0 | — | 11 | 6 | 66 | 22 | ||||
| Vasco da Gama | 2011 | Série A | 21 | 4 | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | 26 | 5 | ||||
| 2012 | Série A | 29 | 7 | — | — | 7 | 2 | 13 | 4 | — | 49 | 13 | ||||
| Total | 50 | 11 | — | — | 12 | 3 | 13 | 4 | — | 75 | 18 | |||||
| New York Red Bulls | 2013 | MLS | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | ||||
| Vasco da Gama | 2013 | Série A | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 2 | ||||
| Vasco da Gama total | 192 | 40 | 15 | 1 | — | 46 | 8 | 80 | 15 | 32 | 7 | 365 | 71 | |||
| Career total | 517 | 133 | 42 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 121 | 26 | 80 | 15 | 47 | 15 | 816 | 198 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 1999 | 4 | 0 |
| 2000 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 10 | 4 | |
| 2006 | 5 | 2 | |
| Total | 40 | 6 | |
- Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Juninho goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 June 2005 | Zentralstadion, Leipzig, Germany |  Greece |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| 2 | 9 October 2005 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia |  Bolivia |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 12 November 2005 | Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |  United Arab Emirates |
5–0 | 8–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 6–0 | |||||
| 5 | 4 June 2006 | Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland |  New Zealand |
4–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 6 | 22 June 2006 | Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany |  Japan |
2–1 | 4–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup |
Honours
Sport Recife
- Campeonato Pernambucano: 1994
- Copa do Nordeste: 1994
Vasco da Gama
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1997, 2000
- Campeonato Carioca: 1998
- Torneio Rio-São Paulo: 1999
- Copa Libertadores: 1998
- Copa Mercosur: 2000
Lyon
- Ligue 1 (7): 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08
- Coupe de France: 2007–08
- Trophée Des Champions (6) 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Al-Gharafa
- Qatar Stars League: 2009–10
- Qatari Stars Cup: 2009
- Qatar Crown Prince Cup: 2010, 2011
Brazil
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 2005
- Toulon Tournament: 1995
- Lunar New Year Cup: 2005
Individual
- Revista Placar Bola de Prata: 2000
- UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: February 2005, March 2005, October 2006
- UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year: 2005–06
- UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06
- ESM Team of the Year: 2005–06, 2006–07
- Qatar Football Association Player of the Year: 2010
