Viola (footballer) facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paulo Sérgio Rosa | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 1 January 1969 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | São Paulo, Brazil | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Taboão da Serra | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1988–1995 | Corinthians | 144 | (49) | |||||||||||||
| 1990 | → São José (loan) | 10 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1991 | → Olímpia (loan) | 15 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Valencia | 30 | (10) | |||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Palmeiras | 36 | (14) | |||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Santos | 28 | (20) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Vasco da Gama | 31 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| 2001 | Santos | 24 | (12) | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Gaziantepspor | 46 | (18) | |||||||||||||
| 2004 | Guarani | 25 | (10) | |||||||||||||
| 2005 | Bahia | 8 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2006 | Juventus (SP) | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2007 | Uberlândia | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | Duque de Caxias | 1 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | Angra dos Reis | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2009 | Resende | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2010 | Brusque | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Brazil | 8 | (2) | |||||||||||||
|
Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 January 2008 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 January 2008 |
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Paulo Sérgio Rosa, known to many as Viola, is a Brazilian former footballer. He was a forward, meaning he played at the front of the team to score goals. Viola was born on January 1, 1969. He got his famous nickname, Viola, when he was young. It was a reference to the brand of his very first football boots!
Contents
Viola's Exciting Football Journey
Viola was known for his strong personality on the field. He also had many great performances for the different teams he played for. His career was very long and full of exciting moments.
Early Days at Corinthians
Viola's first big moment came in only his second match. This was the final game of the 1988 Campeonato Paulista, a big championship in São Paulo, Brazil. His team, Corinthians, was playing against Guarani. Many thought Guarani had the better team.
Viola was chosen to play because the main forward was away. He wasn't having a perfect game, but he scored the winning goal in extra time! He cleverly put his leg in the way of a shot, turning it into a goal that won the championship.
Growing as a Player
Even after becoming a sudden star, Viola didn't always play at his best right away. He was loaned to other teams for a while. By 1992, he had grown stronger and was playing much better.
In 1993, Viola almost scored another winning goal for Corinthians in the Campeonato Paulista. He famously celebrated by imitating a pig. This was a playful way to tease Palmeiras, a rival team whose fans were sometimes called "pigs." Even though Palmeiras won that tournament, Viola kept celebrating his goals in fun ways. This made him even more popular with fans.
Playing for Brazil
Viola's great performances led to him being called up to the Brazil national football team. He played in the 1993 Copa América tournament. Then, he was part of the team for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA.
In the World Cup final, he came on as a substitute in extra time. He brought a lot of energy to the game, which was tied. Brazil went on to win the World Cup that year! Viola also helped Corinthians finish as runner-up in the Brasileirão in 1994.
Moving to Europe and Back
In early 1995, Viola was sold to Valencia in Spain. But he stayed with Corinthians for six more months. During this time, he helped them win the Campeonato Paulista and the Copa do Brasil.
However, Viola didn't quite settle in Spain. Even though he scored a good number of goals, he decided to return to Brazil in mid-1996. He then signed with Palmeiras. After a couple of years, he moved to Santos.
Success with Santos and Vasco
At Santos, Viola started playing very well again. He helped the team reach the semifinals of major championships. He also led them to win the Copa Conmebol title in 1998. That year, he was also the top scorer in the Brazilian league!
His last great moments in his career were with Vasco da Gama in 1999 and 2000. He was a key player when Vasco finished as runner-up in the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship. He also helped them win the 2000 Copa Mercosur and the Brazilian League in 2000.
Later Career and Retirement
After his time at Vasco, Viola returned to Santos in 2001, but it wasn't as successful. He then left Brazil again to play for Gaziantepspor in Turkey. He scored 18 goals in 46 matches there over a year and a half.
By mid-2003, Viola was back in Brazil. He played for many different teams. He also took part in some showbol matches (a type of indoor football) and even appeared on a reality television show in 2010. His last attempt to play professionally was with Taboão da Serra in 2015.
Viola's Trophies and Awards
Viola won many important titles throughout his career:
With Corinthians
- São Paulo State League: 1988, 1995
- Copa do Brasil: 1995
With Santos
- Copa Conmebol: 1998
With Vasco da Gama
- Brazilian League: 2000
- Copa Mercosur: 2000
With Brazil National Team
Individual Awards
- Top scorer in the São Paulo state league: 1993
- Top scorer in the Brazilian league: 1998
- Top scorer in the Copa Conmebol: 1998
See also
In Spanish: Viola (futbolista) para niños
