Kaká (footballer, born 1981)

Brazilian footballer

This article is about the Brazilian footballer born in 1981. For the Brazilian football attacking midfielder born in 1982, see Kaká.

Kaká

Kaká in 2009

Personal information
Full name|  Claudiano Bezerra da Silva[1]
Date of birth|  (1981-05-16) 16 May 1981 (age 43)[1]
Place of birth|  São José do Belmonte, Brazil[1]
Height|  1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s)|  Centre-back
Senior career*
Years|  Team|  Apps|  (Gls)
2002–2006|  União Bandeirante|  |
2003|  → São Caetano (loan)|  0|  (0)
2003|  → Ituiutaba (loan)|  |
2004–2005|  → Luverdense (loan)|  |
2006|  → Jaciara (loan)|  |
2006–2008|  Académica|  52|  (1)
2008–2012|  Hertha BSC|  15|  (0)
2010|  → Omonia (loan)|  8|  (0)
2011|  → Braga (loan)|  12|  (0)
2011–2012|  → APOEL (loan)|  20|  (0)
2012–2013|  Videoton|  8|  (0)
2013|  → Deportivo La Coruña (loan)|  6|  (0)
2013–2014|  Deportivo La Coruña|  11|  (0)
2014–2015|  APOEL|  26|  (3)
2015–2017|  Tondela|  45|  (3)
2017–2018|  Varzim|  6|  (0)
2018–2020|  Anadia|  41|  (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 January 2020

Claudiano Bezerra da Silva (born 16 May 1981), known as Kaká (Portuguese pronunciation: [kaˈka] ⓘ), is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.

## Club career

[edit]

Kaká was born in São José do Belmonte, Pernambuco. Until 2006 he was on contract to União Bandeirante Futebol Clube, also being loaned to several modest Brazilian clubs. For 2006–07 he made the move to Europe, joining Portuguese side Académica de Coimbra and being an undisputed starter in his second season in the Primeira Liga (all 30 games played, 2,700 minutes of action), as they finished in 12th position.[2]

In May 2008, Kaká signed with Bundesliga's Hertha BSC for €1.9 million.[3] He made his debut in the competition on 17 August, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 away win against Eintracht Frankfurt,[4] and finished his debut campaign with 12 matches. After only appearing twice for the Berlin-based team in the first half of 2009–10 – the season eventually ended in relegation – he was loaned to AC Omonia in Cyprus on 31 January 2010,[5] helping it win the First Division title for the first time in seven years.[6]

Kaká continued to be rarely played at Hertha after his return and, in another winter transfer window move, returned to Portugal and joined S.C. Braga, yet on loan.[7] With the Minho club he established himself as a regular, finishing the 2010–11 season with 20 competitive appearances, including eight in the team's UEFA Europa League run to the final, with the player taking the field in the decisive game against FC Porto (1–0 loss).[8]

At the end of the season, Kaká returned to Hertha.[9] On the last day of the 2011 summer transfer window he was once again loaned, this time to Cypriot champions and UEFA Champions League contenders APOEL FC.[10] Kaká made his debut in the Champions League on 19 October 2011 in a 1–1 draw with Porto at the Estádio do Dragão.[11] He added a further three appearances in the competition as they eventually became the first Cypriot club to reach both the knockout stages and the quarter-finals for the first time ever.[12]

On 28 August 2012, Kaká signed with Hungarian side Videoton FC.[13] In late January of the following year he moved to La Liga, loaned to Deportivo de La Coruña,[14] and the move was made permanent in July.[15]

Kaká signed an 18-month contract with APOEL on 29 January 2014, returning to his former club after one and a half years.[16] He made his debut on 9 February, coming on as an 84th-minute substitute in a 2–1 league home victory over Apollon Limassol,[17] and scored his first goal one week later in his team's 3–1 defeat of Alki Larnaca FC.[18]

On 17 May 2014, in the league title decider between AEL Limassol and APOEL, Kaká suffered a head injury when he was hit by a firecracker launched by the opposition's fans;[19] the match was abandoned in the 51st minute when the score was still at 0–0, and replayed 15 days later. He eventually helped his team to the national championship,[20] adding the domestic cup.[21]

Kaká returned to Portugal in its top tier in the 2015 off-season, joining newly promoted C.D. Tondela.[22]

## Club statistics

[edit]

As of 9 October 2015[23][24]
Club  | Season  | League  | Cup  | League Cup  | Continental  | Other  | Total

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals
Académica | 2006–07 | Primeira Liga | 22 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 26 | 0
2007–08 | Primeira Liga  | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 1
Total  | 52 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 58 | 1
Hertha BSC | 2008–09 | Bundesliga | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7[a] | 0 | — | 19 | 0
2009–10 | Bundesliga  | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[a] | 0 | — | 4 | 0
2010–11 | 2\. Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0
Total  | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | — | 24 | 0
Omonia | 2009–10 | Cypriot First Division | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 0
Braga | 2010–11 | Primeira Liga  | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[a] | 0 | — | 20 | 0
APOEL | 2011–12 | Cypriot First Division  | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 4[b] | 0 | — | 25 | 0
Videoton | 2012–13 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | — | 13 | 0
Deportivo | 2012–13 | La Liga | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 0
Deportivo | 2013–14 | Segunda División | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 12 | 0
Total  | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 0
APOEL | 2013–14 | Cypriot First Division  | 6 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 10 | 3
2014–15 | Cypriot First Division  | 20 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 25 | 0
Total  | 26 | 3 | 8 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 3
Tondela | 2015–16 | Primeira Liga  | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 1
Career total  | 164 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 207 | 5

1. ^ a b c d Appearances in UEFA Europa League
2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
3. ^ Appearance in Cypriot Super Cup

## Honours

[edit]

Omonia

* Cypriot First Division: 2009–10[24]

Braga

* UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2010–11[24]

APOEL

* Cypriot First Division: 2013–14, 2014–15[24]
* Cypriot Cup: 2013–14, 2014–15[24]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Kaká" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
2. ^ Frederico, Francisco (27 November 2007). "Académica: Ricardo está em risco para Guimarães" [Académica: Ricardo at risk for Guimarães] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
3. ^ "Kaka vor Wechsel von Coimbra zu Hertha BSC" [Kaka to move from Coimbra to Hertha BSC] (in German). Focus. 15 May 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
4. ^ "Ebert kontert Eintracht aus" [Ebert counters Eintracht] (in German). Kicker. 17 August 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
5. ^ "Zwei Brasilianer verlassen Hertha BSC" [Two Brazilians leave Hertha BSC] (in German). Spox. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
6. ^ "Kaka weg, Bengtsson zögert" [Kaka gone, Bengtsson hesitates]. B.Z. (in German). 15 June 2010. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
7. ^ "Hertha BSC verleiht Kaka an Sporting Braga" [Hertha BSC loan Kaka to Sporting Braga] (in German). Hertha BSC. 27 January 2011. Archived from the original on 30 January 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
8. ^ "Europa League final: Porto 1–0 Braga". BBC Sport. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
9. ^ Bremer, Uwe (20 May 2011). "Ausleihe beendet: Europacup-Held Kaka kehrt zu Hertha zurück" [Loan over: Europacup-hero Kaka returns to Hertha]. Die Welt (in German). Retrieved 22 May 2011.
10. ^ "Kaka wechelt nach Zypern" [Kaka transfers to Cyprus] (in German). Hertha BSC. 31 August 2011. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
11. ^ Brassell, Andy (19 October 2011). "Porto draw keeps APOEL on top". UEFA. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
12. ^ Pimentel, Tiago (16 March 2012). "APOEL é o mais desejado na Champions. E já todos sabem onde é Nicósia" [APOEL are the most wanted in the Champions League. And everybody already knows where Nicosia is]. Público (in Portuguese). Retrieved 8 February 2022.
13. ^ Wéninger, Ákos (28 August 2012). "Kaká a Vidiben folytatja" [Kaká goes to Videoton] (in Hungarian). Videoton FC. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
14. ^ "El Deportivo ficha al central brasileño Kaká" [Deportivo sign Brazilian centre-back Kaká]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 31 January 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
15. ^ "Kaká quiere demostrar en el Deportivo más de lo que rindió en sus cinco meses en A Coruña" [Kaká wants to show at Deportivo more than what he did in five months in A Coruña]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 10 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
16. ^ "Στον Αρχάγγελο ο Claudiano Bezerra Da Silva (Kaka)" [Claudiano Bezerra Da Silva (Kaka) at Archaggelos] (in Greek). APOEL FC. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
17. ^ "APOEL FC 2–1 Apollon Limassol". APOEL FC. 9 February 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
18. ^ "Alki 1–3 APOEL FC". APOEL FC. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
19. ^ "Cypriot title decider abandoned by referee". ESPN. 18 May 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
20. ^ Leonidou, John (31 May 2014). "Sheridan strike hands APOEL Cypriot title". UEFA. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
21. ^ ΕΡΜΗΣ ΑΡΑΔΙΠΠΟΥ 0–2 ΑΠΟΕΛ [Εrmis Αradippou 0–2 ΑPOEL] (in Greek). APOEL FC. 21 May 2014. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
22. ^ "Kaká assina com o CD Tondela" [Kaká signs with CD Tondela] (in Portuguese). CD Tondela. 14 July 2015. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
23. ^ "Kaká". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
24. ^ a b c d e "Kaká". Soccerway. Retrieved 13 January 2015.

## External links

[edit]

* APOEL official profile
* Kaká at ForaDeJogo (archived)
* Kaká at fussballdaten.de (in German)

*[Apps]: League appearances
*[Gls]: League goals