Marcos Senna facts for kids

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Marcos Senna

Senna warming up with Villarreal in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Marcos Antônio Senna da Silva
Date of birth	(1976-07-17) 17 July 1976 (age 49)
Place of birth	São Paulo, Brazil
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Central midfielder
Youth career
1994–1997	Rio Branco-SP
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–1999	Rio Branco-SP	39	(12)
1998	→ América-SP (loan)	4	(0)
1999–2001	Corinthians	43	(1)
2001	Juventude	14	(1)
2002	São Caetano	0	(0)
2002–2013	Villarreal	292	(25)
2013–2015	New York Cosmos	55	(13)
Total		443	(51)
International career
2006–2010	Spain	28	(1)
Medal record Representing  Spain UEFA European Championship Winner 2008 Austria-Switzerland
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Marcos Antônio Senna da Silva (born on July 17, 1976), known simply as Senna, is a retired professional footballer. He played as a central midfielder, a player who helps both attack and defense in the middle of the field. Senna was famous for his amazing passes, powerful long-range shots, and being great at penalty kicks.

He spent most of his career playing for Villarreal in Spain. He played 363 official matches over 11 seasons, with 10 of those in La Liga, Spain's top football league. He scored 33 goals for Villarreal. Senna finished his career with the New York Cosmos in the United States, where he won the Soccer Bowl championship twice.

Even though he was born in Brazil, Senna played for the Spanish national team for four years. He played in the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008. He was a key player when Spain won the Euro 2008 tournament.

Club Career Highlights

Playing for Villarreal

Senna started his football journey in São Paulo, Brazil, with Rio Branco Esporte Clube. Before moving to Spain, he played for several Brazilian clubs. He even won the Club World Cup in 2000 with Corinthians and was a runner-up in the Copa Libertadores in 2002 with São Caetano.

In 2002, Senna joined the Spanish team Villarreal CF. His first two seasons were tough because of a serious knee injury in 2003. However, after he recovered, he became a very important player for the team. He even became the captain and helped Villarreal reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in the 2005–06 season.

In 2006, Senna almost moved to Manchester United in England. Villarreal was ready to sell him, but the deal didn't happen. Senna decided to stay at Villarreal and signed a new contract.

On April 27, 2008, Senna scored an incredible goal against Real Betis from the middle of the field, which he called "the best goal of my life." In that season, he scored three more goals, and Villarreal finished in second place in La Liga, their best finish ever.

After struggling with injuries for almost two seasons, Senna, at 35 years old, became fully fit again for the 2011–12 season. He was the main playmaker for Villarreal. On March 21, 2012, he scored a fantastic free kick goal in the 83rd minute against Real Madrid, making the score 1–1. Sadly, Villarreal was relegated from the top league that season after 12 years.

Moving to New York Cosmos

On June 13, 2013, after helping Villarreal get promoted back to La Liga, Senna signed with the North American Soccer League team New York Cosmos. He played his first game for them on August 3, a 2–1 win against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. He scored his first goal on September 1 in a 1–1 draw.

In his first year with the Cosmos, he was named the league's player of the week twice. He also helped the team win the NASL Fall Championship and the Soccer Bowl. He scored the winning goal in the final championship match against the Atlanta Silverbacks.

On November 13, 2013, Villarreal held a special match to honor Senna. He played for Villarreal in the first half and then for the New York Cosmos in the second half. The crowd gave him a huge round of applause, especially in the 19th minute, which was his jersey number.

Senna scored his first goal of the 2014 season on May 12, 2014, helping the Cosmos win 1–0. He also scored a spectacular free kick goal on August 9. He helped the Cosmos reach the playoffs and was named to the NASL Team of the Week four times.

On June 10, 2015, just before his 39th birthday, Senna announced he would retire from playing at the end of the Fall season. His very last game was the Soccer Bowl on November 15, which his team won 3–2 against Ottawa Fury FC. This was also the last game for his former Spanish national teammate, Raúl.

International Career with Spain

Senna training with the Spanish team at Euro 2008

Senna became a Spanish citizen in early 2006. He was then chosen to play for the Spanish national team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008. His first game for Spain was on March 1, 2006, in a friendly match against Ivory Coast.

In the quarter-finals of Euro 2008, Senna scored the third penalty kick for Spain in a penalty shootout against Italy. Spain won 4–2 and moved on to the semi-finals. He played the entire final match against Germany, which Spain won 1–0. Because of his excellent performance, UEFA included him in their "Team of the Tournament." Many football experts even said Senna was the best player of the tournament.

Senna scored his first goal for Spain on September 10, 2008, in a 4–0 win against Armenia during the 2010 World Cup qualifying games. On May 20, 2010, after a season with some injuries, Senna was not included in Spain's final squad for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Spain went on to win the World Cup that year.

How Senna Played

Senna usually played as a defensive midfielder or a central midfielder. This meant he was good at winning the ball back from opponents and also at starting attacks from deep in the midfield, like a deep-lying playmaker. People often compared his role to a "metodista" in Italian football, meaning he could control the game and help his team defensively.

In 2008, a journalist from The Belfast Telegraph described Senna as someone known for his "passing, disciplined positioning, tackling, and long-range shooting." He was also praised for his friendly personality and strong performances. Senna was also very skilled at taking free kicks and penalty kicks.

His teammates and experts noted that Senna brought "balance" to Spain's midfield during Euro 2008. He did the "dirty work" – helping his team get the ball back and control the middle of the field with his hard work, passing, and ability to find open spaces. Even though he wasn't a big player, his skills fit perfectly with Spain's "tiki-taka" style of play, which focused on short passes and keeping possession.

Senna once said about his style: "My style is simple and direct. I don't like when players try to make easy things complicated. My teammates help me, but the important thing is that our team has a lot of quality, and opponents worry about all our midfielders. This leaves more space for me, and since I'm a good passer, that becomes important for the team." His former coach at New York Cosmos, Giovanni Savarese, also praised Senna's leadership skills.

Personal Life

Senna's younger brother, Márcio, was also a professional footballer. Marcos Assunção, who played for clubs like A.S. Roma and Betis, is his cousin, and they both played as midfielders.

Senna is a Christian. He talked about his faith in a documentary called "The Prize: Chasing the Dream" alongside famous footballer Kaká. He is also a member of an international Christian organization called Athletes in Action.

In 2008, Senna, along with fellow footballers Raúl Albiol and Guillermo Franco, started an organization called Evangélico FC. This group had 140 athletes and 16 coaches and aimed to promote Christian values among young athletes in Spain.

Career Statistics

Club

International Goals

Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Senna goal.

List of international goals scored by Marcos Senna

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	10 September 2008	Carlos Belmonte, Albacete, Spain	Armenia	4–0	4–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification

Awards and Achievements

Team Awards

• São Caetano
  • Copa Libertadores runner-up: 2002
• Corinthians
  • Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1999
  • Campeonato Paulista: 1999, 2001
  • FIFA Club World Cup: 2000
• Villarreal
  • UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2003, 2004
• New York Cosmos
  • North American Soccer League: 2013 Fall Championship, 2015 Spring Championship
  • Soccer Bowl: 2013, 2015
  • North American Supporters' Trophy: 2015
• Spain National Team
  • UEFA European Championship: 2008

Individual Awards

• UEFA European Championship: Team of the tournament 2008
• Don Balón Award – Spanish Player of the Year: 2008
• La Liga Fair Play Award: 2009–10

See also

In Spanish: Marcos Senna para niños

• List of Spain international footballers born outside Spain