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Zé Maria
Personal information
Full name José Marcelo Ferreira
Date of birth (1973-07-25) 25 July 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth Oeiras (PI - Brazil)
Height 1.74 m
Playing position Right back
Right midfielder
Club information
Current club Parma (technical collaborator)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991–1995 Portuguesa 28 (2)
1993 → Sergipe (loan) 38 (5)
1994 Ponte Preta (loan) 22 (0)
1996 Flamengo 14 (1)
1996–1998 Parma 45 (2)
1998–2004 Perugia 144 (16)
1999 Vasco Gama (loan) 34 (4)
1999 Palmeiras (loan) 15 (1)
2000 Cruzeiro (loan) 29 (2)
2004–2006 Inter Milan 29 (1)
2006–2007 Levante 14 (0)
2008 Portuguesa 5 (1)
2008–2009 Città Castello
Total 416 (35)
National team
1996–2001 Brazil 25 (0)
Teams managed
2010 Group Castello
2010 Catanzaro
2015 Ceahlăul
2016–2017 Gor Mahia
2017–2018 Tirana
2019 Portuguesa
2022– Parma (technical collaborator)
Honours
Representing  Brazil
Men's Olympic Games
Bronze 1996 Atlanta Team Competition
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

José Marcelo Ferreira (born 25 July 1973), commonly known as Zé Maria, is a retired Brazilian football player turned coach. He is currently working for Parma as a technical collaborator within the club's youth system.

Known for his pin-point crosses, he could play either as a right back or right midfielder, and played the vast majority of his professional career, other than in his country, in Italy's Serie A, where he represented three teams, mainly Perugia.

Club career

Born in Oeiras, Piauí, Zé Maria started his professional career with Portuguesa in 1991, being loaned two times during his contract with the club. In 1995, he was selected in the Bola de Prata Brazilian League team of the year. This led to him being signed by Flamengo in 1996.

In the summer, Zé Maria moved to Italy after signing with Serie A club Parma, playing regularly for two seasons. Subsequently, he remained in Italy, joining Perugia.

With the Umbrians Zé Maria had a shaky start, being loaned three times back to Brazil, during which time he won the Copa Libertadores with Palmeiras, and the Copa do Brasil with Cruzeiro. Eventually, he established himself in the Perugia starting line-up, helping his team finish 10th in his third full season whilst contributing with six goals. Via the UEFA Intertoto Cup he and the side reached the third round of the subsequent UEFA Cup, but also suffered domestic relegation.

After two seasons with giants Inter – playing rather regularly in his first but making only eight appearances (mostly as a substitute) in his second (with Inter winning the Scudetto courtesy of the Calciopoli affair), 49 official ones overall – Zé Maria was released and joined La Liga club Levante UD on a free transfer: starting the season as first-choice right-back the 33-year-old lost the position and finished with 14 league appearances, with the Valencians barely avoiding relegation.

Released again, Zé Maria entailed unsuccessful negotiations with several teams, reportedly Sheffield United and Queens Park Rangers in England, thus returning to Brazil and Portuguesa in January 2008. In August, after having rescinded his contract, he surprisingly accepted an offer from A.S.D. Città di Castello, in the Italian Eccellenza (amateur championships).

Zé Maria settled in Italy after his retirement from football, at the age of 36. He subsequently founded a football school in Perugia.

International career

Zé Maria gained 25 caps for Brazil over a period of five years. He was not selected for any FIFA World Cup but did participate in two FIFA Confederations Cups, including the original in Saudi Arabia which the national team won, and one Copa América (also ended in win, in Bolivia).

In 1996 Zé Maria helped the Olympic team win bronze at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, appearing in all six matches.

Managerial career

Beginnings

On 15 March 2010 Zé Maria took his first head coaching job, accepting Serie D club S.S.D. Group Città di Castello's offer. He was then appointed manager of fourth division team F.C. Catanzaro for the 2010–11 campaign, being however removed from his post after a few months.

Tirana

On 16 June 2017, Tirana announced the signing of Zé Maria on a one-year contract. He lost his first match in charge later on 29 June, a 2–0 away loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv at Netanya Stadium in the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round. Tirana was knocked out from the competition after losing the second leg.

Zé Maria won his first silverware with the club later on 6 September, the 2017 Albanian Supercup, with Tirana defeating Kukësi thanks to an Erion Hoxhallari late winner. By doing so, Tirana become the first ever Albanian First Division club to win the supercup. Tirana begun the championship by recording a 1–0 home win versus Iliria Fushë-Krujë. They successfully eliminated Besa Kavajë 4–1 on aggregate in the 2017–18 Albanian Cup first round. Tirana ended September by winning all the matches, and did so also in November, taking the lead of Group B. During his time, Zé Maria also guided Tirana to the biggest win of the season, 6–0 versus Shkumbini Peqin.

Tirana finished the year in the first place, conceding only one defeat, the one versus Bylis Ballsh. Zé Maria called the defeat "a shame". The team also eliminated Vllaznia Shkodër in the second round of Albanian Cup. In January 2018, Tirana brought Kenneth Muguna, Mohammed Musa and Samson Iliasu at the request of Zé Maria. In February 2018, Tirana was eliminated by Kukësi in the quarter-final of Albanian Cup.

Tirana continued their winning streak, eventually finished top of Group B to qualify to promotion play-off. Later on 14 April, the team mathematically achieved promotion to top flight next season by winning 3–2 at home against Pogradeci. On 16 May, Tirana was named Albanian First Division champions after beating 2–0 the Group A winners Kastrioti Krujë. Later on 2 June, Zé Maria agreed a contract extension with the club until June 2020.

Later years

On 5 October 2022, Parma announced to have hired Zé Maria as a technical collaborator for the youth team.

Managerial record

Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
Gor Mahia F.C. Jan 2016 Jun 2017 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&-0 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&-0 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&-0 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&-0 !
Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
Tirana 17 June 2017 12 October 2018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&046.&&&&&046 &&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&065.22000065.22

Honours

Player

Flamengo
  • Campeonato Carioca: 1996
Palmeiras
Cruzeiro
Perugia
  • UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2003
Inter Milan
Brazil

Managerial

Tirana
  • Albanian Supercup: 2017
  • Albanian First Division: 2017–18

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Zé María para niños

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