Leonardo (footballer, born 1983) facts for kids
Leonardo
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leonardo de Vitor Santiago | ||
| Date of birth | 9 March 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.73 m | ||
| Playing position | Winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Nova Safra | |||
| 1995–2000 | Feyenoord | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2000–2005 | Feyenoord | 53 | (4) |
| 2006 | NAC Breda | 31 | (10) |
| 2007–2009 | Ajax | 39 | (5) |
| 2009–2012 | NAC Breda | 42 | (6) |
| 2011–2012 | → Red Bull Salzburg (loan) | 30 | (4) |
| 2013–2014 | Ferencváros | 23 | (7) |
| 2014 | 1860 Munich | 8 | (2) |
| 2015–2016 | Newcastle United Jets | 20 | (1) |
| 2017 | FC Eindhoven | 8 | (1) |
| Total | 254 | (40) | |
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Leonardo Vitor Santiago (born on March 9, 1983), known simply as Leonardo, is a former professional footballer from Brazil. He played as a winger or a playmaker. Leonardo also played for the Brazilian U-20 national team.
Contents
Football Journey
Early Days in Brazil
Leonardo began his football journey at the Nova Safra school in Rio de Janeiro. He grew up in the Jacarezinho neighborhood. This area is also where famous footballer Romário started playing.
In 1994, when Leonardo was 11, his amazing football skills were noticed. A documentary called "Solo, de wet van de favela" was made about him and another young player. This film showed how football can help young people escape tough living conditions in the slums.
Playing for Feyenoord
After the documentary, Leonardo moved to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. He joined the youth academy of Feyenoord. He made his first team debut for Feyenoord on August 19, 2000. He was only 17 years old.
However, there was a problem. Rules from FIFA (the world football organization) say that players from outside the European Union must be 18 to transfer internationally. Leonardo had to wait until his 18th birthday to play for Feyenoord's first team again.
He scored his first goal against SC Heerenveen. His second goal was in an away game against their big rivals, Ajax. In his first two seasons, he played 44 matches and scored four goals. He was part of the Feyenoord team that won the 2001–02 UEFA Cup in 2002.
Time at NAC Breda
In January 2006, Leonardo joined NAC Breda. He signed a contract for one and a half years. He helped NAC Breda stay in the top Dutch league, the Eredivisie. He scored 8 goals in 14 matches, becoming the top scorer for his club that season.
Moving to Ajax
In December 2006, Leonardo agreed to a new contract with Ajax. He started playing for Ajax on January 21, 2007. Just six weeks later, he got a serious injury to his right knee. This injury kept him from playing for at least six months.
Return to NAC Breda
Later, in 2011, Leonardo went back to NAC Breda. From there, he was loaned to FC Red Bull Salzburg in Austria.
Playing in Hungary and Germany
In February 2013, Leonardo signed with the Hungarian club Ferencváros. In July 2014, he moved to Germany to play for 1860 Munich. He played regularly at first and scored two goals. However, his contract ended in November 2014 because he wanted to leave.
Adventure in Australia
On August 21, 2015, Leonardo signed with the A-League club Newcastle United Jets FC in Australia. He made his first appearance for the Jets in a pre-season match on September 12, 2015. He came on as a substitute in the second half.
Leonardo made his official A-League debut in the first game of the season. The Jets won that match 2-1.
Final Club: FC Eindhoven
In March 2017, Leonardo joined FC Eindhoven in the Netherlands. This happened after he received a Dutch passport.
Career Stats
| Club | Season | League | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | ||
| Feyenoord | 2000–01 | Eredivisie | 23 | 2 |
| 2001–02 | Eredivisie | 19 | 2 | |
| 2002–03 | Eredivisie | 3 | 0 | |
| 2003–04 | Eredivisie | 3 | 0 | |
| 2004–05 | Eredivisie | 4 | 0 | |
| 2005–06 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 53 | 4 | ||
| NAC Breda | 2005–06 | Eredivisie | 14 | 8 |
| 2006–07 | Eredivisie | 17 | 2 | |
| Total | 31 | 10 | ||
| Ajax | 2006–07 | Eredivisie | 7 | 1 |
| 2007–08 | Eredivisie | 8 | 2 | |
| 2008–09 | Eredivisie | 24 | 2 | |
| Total | 39 | 5 | ||
| NAC Breda | 2009–10 | Eredivisie | 17 | 4 |
| 2010–11 | Eredivisie | 25 | 2 | |
| Total | 42 | 6 | ||
| Red Bull Salzburg (loan) | 2011–12 | Austrian Bundesliga | 30 | 4 |
| Ferencváros | 2012–13 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 9 | 2 |
| 2013–14 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 14 | 5 | |
| Total | 23 | 7 | ||
| 1860 Munich | 2014–15 | 2. Bundesliga | 8 | 2 |
| Newcastle Jets | 2015–16 | A-League | 20 | 1 |
| FC Eindhoven | 2016–17 | Eerste Divisie | 8 | 1 |
| Career total | 254 | 40 | ||
Trophies and Awards
Feyenoord
- UEFA Cup: 2002
Ajax
- Dutch Cup: 2007
- Dutch Super Cup: 2007
Red Bull Salzburg
- Austrian Bundesliga: 2011–12
- Austrian Cup: 2012
Ferencváros
- Hungarian League Cup: 2012–13
See also
In Spanish: Leonardo Santiago para niños
