Maxwell (footballer, born 1981) facts for kids
Maxwell with Paris Saint-Germain in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Maxwell Scherrer Cabelino Andrade | ||
| Date of birth | 27 August 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–2001 | Cruzeiro | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2000–2001 | Cruzeiro | 27 | (2) |
| 2001–2006 | Ajax | 114 | (9) |
| 2006–2009 | Inter Milan | 79 | (2) |
| 2006 | → Empoli (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2009–2012 | Barcelona | 57 | (1) |
| 2012–2017 | Paris Saint-Germain | 145 | (12) |
| Total | 422 | (25) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004 | Brazil U23 | 6 | (1) |
| 2013–2014 | Brazil | 10 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Maxwell Scherrer Cabelino Andrade (born on August 27, 1981), known simply as Maxwell, is a Brazilian former professional footballer. He played as a left-back, which is a defensive position on the side of the field. After he stopped playing, Maxwell started working for Paris Saint-Germain as an assistant sporting director.
Maxwell started his football journey at Cruzeiro in Brazil. He then played for several big European clubs like Ajax, Inter Milan, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain. He won many trophies with each of these teams. When he retired, he was one of the most successful active footballers in Europe, having won 30 official titles! He also played for the Brazilian national team starting in 2013 and even played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Maxwell's Club Career
Starting Out in Football
Maxwell was born in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, a city in Brazil. He began his football career at Cruzeiro. In June 2001, he moved to Europe and signed a five-year contract with AFC Ajax, a famous club in the Netherlands.
Maxwell had his best season with Ajax in 2003–04. He played almost every game for the team, which won the Eredivisie (the top Dutch league) that season. He was even named the Dutch Footballer of the Year! Unfortunately, he got a serious injury in April 2005 and could not play for Ajax again.
Playing for Inter Milan
Because of his injury, Maxwell's contract with Ajax ended early in January 2006. This allowed him to move to Internazionale, a big club in Italy, for free. Because of rules about players from outside the European Union, he first signed with a smaller club called Empoli for a short time. He didn't play any games for Empoli.
In July 2006, Inter Milan officially signed Maxwell to a four-year contract. He quickly impressed everyone in his first season in Serie A, Italy's top league. He even scored an amazing solo goal against Parma, which was voted Inter's best goal of the season by fans.
Maxwell usually played as a left-back. But in the 2007–08 season, he moved further up the field to play as a left midfielder or winger. This worked very well because he was very fast. He won his second league title with Inter that season. In the 2008–09 season, he got another serious injury that kept him out for six weeks. But he came back strong and continued to play well. He scored his second goal for Inter in December against Chievo, helping Inter win 4–2.
Time at Barcelona
On July 15, 2009, Barcelona and Inter Milan agreed on a deal for Maxwell to join the Spanish club. He signed a five-year contract and was introduced as a new Barcelona player two days later. He played his first game for Barcelona in the 2009 Supercopa de España, a Spanish Super Cup match. He played an important role in the second half of that season, helping Barcelona win La Liga, the top Spanish league.
Maxwell also started Barcelona's first game of the 2010–11 season, which was another Super Cup match. He played as an attacking left-winger and helped set up the first goal for his teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović.
Moving to Paris Saint-Germain
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On January 12, 2012, Maxwell signed a three-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France. PSG paid about €3.5 million for him. For the 2013–14 season, he became the main left-back for PSG. In February 2014, he extended his contract with the club until June 2015.
On February 4, 2015, Maxwell scored the only goal in a game against Lille. This win helped PSG reach the final of the Coupe de la Ligue, a French cup competition.
Maxwell's International Career
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Maxwell played for the Brazil under-23 team in January 2004. He was called up for the 2004 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament.
In October 2004, he was first called to play for the senior national team for World Cup qualifying matches. However, he did not play in any of those games.
Maxwell finally played his first full international game for Brazil on August 14, 2013. He came on as a substitute in a friendly match against Switzerland.
On May 7, 2014, Maxwell was chosen by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari to be part of Brazil's 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This World Cup was held in Brazil. He played his only game in the tournament in the third-place play-off match against the Netherlands. Brazil lost 3–0, and Maxwell played the entire game. This was his last international match.
After the World Cup, Maxwell was no longer called up to the national team. He announced his retirement from international football in October 2014.
Life After Playing Football
After Maxwell stopped playing football professionally, he was appointed as an assistant sporting director at Paris Saint-Germain. In this role, he works with the main sporting director to help manage the club's football operations.
Maxwell's Playing Style
Maxwell was known as a smart, reliable, and experienced defender. He was especially good at playing as a left-back. He was very consistent throughout his career and was known for being calm and elegant with the ball. He was good at winning the ball back and rarely lost possession. His skills allowed him to help his teams both in defense and attack.
He was also very effective when moving forward on the field because of his skill and speed. He would often run down the left side to deliver crosses to his teammates or help stretch the opposing team's defense. He could even play in a more advanced role as a left-winger. Off the field, Maxwell was a quiet but highly respected person. His teammates liked him a lot, and he was seen as a key person in the team's locker room. His close friend and former teammate, Zlatan Ibrahimović, described him as "incredibly sensitive" and a "nice guy."
Personal Life
Maxwell is very good friends with Zlatan Ibrahimović, another famous footballer. They were teammates at four different clubs: Ajax, Internazionale, Barcelona, and PSG. Zlatan wrote about Maxwell in his autobiography, I Am Zlatan Ibrahimović. In the book, Zlatan says that Maxwell will be remembered for his calm personality and gentle way of playing football.
Career Statistics Summary
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | |||
| 2013 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 0 | |
Honours and Awards
Maxwell won many trophies and awards during his career:
Ajax
- Eredivisie (Dutch League): 2001–02, 2003–04
- KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup): 2001–02
- Johan Cruyff Shield (Dutch Super Cup): 2002
Inter Milan
- Serie A (Italian League): 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
- Supercoppa Italiana (Italian Super Cup): 2008
Barcelona
- La Liga (Spanish League): 2009–10, 2010–11
- Supercopa de España (Spanish Super Cup): 2009, 2010
- UEFA Champions League (Europe's Top Club Competition): 2010–11
- UEFA Super Cup (European Super Cup): 2009
- FIFA Club World Cup (World Club Cup): 2009, 2011
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1 (French League): 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Coupe de France (French Cup): 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17
- Coupe de la Ligue (French League Cup): 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17
- Trophée des Champions (French Super Cup): 2013, 2015, 2016
Individual Awards
- Ajax Talent of the Year (Marco van Basten Award): 2001–02
- Ajax Player of the Year (Rinus Michels Award): 2003–04
- Dutch Footballer of the Year: 2003–04
- Dutch Golden Shoe: 2003–04
- Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16
See also
In Spanish: Maxwell (futbolista) para niños
