Playing position Years Team Weight 79 kg Salary 616,800 EUR (2014) | Number 12 Height 1.87 m Spouse Susana Werner (m. 2002) | |
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Full name Júlio César Soares de Espíndola Date of birth (1979-09-03) 3 September 1979 (age 37) Place of birth Duque de Caxias, Brazil Current team S.L. Benfica (#12 / Goalkeeper) Similar Maicon Sisenando, Susana Werner, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Fred, Luisão Profiles | ||
J lio c sar football goalkeeper born 1979
Júlio César Soares de Espíndola (born 3 September 1979), known as Júlio César ([ˈʒuliu ˈsɛzɐʁ]), is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Portuguese club Benfica.
Contents
- J lio c sar football goalkeeper born 1979
- Early career
- Inter Milan
- Queens Park Rangers
- Toronto FC loan
- Benfica
- International career
- Style of play
- Personal life
- Club
- International
- Individual
- References
Regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation, he spent seven years at Italian club Inter Milan, where he won five Scudetti, the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League and the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup. He was awarded the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year title in both 2009 and 2010, and was nominated for the 2009 Ballon d'Or, where he was voted into 21st place.
Júlio César won 87 international caps for Brazil between 2004 and 2014. He was selected for the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, in addition to two Copa América tournaments.
Early career
Júlio César began his professional career with Clube de Regatas do Flamengo in 1997. In January 2005, he moved to Italian Serie A club Chievo via Inter Milan. Due to Serie A rules that impose a cap on the number of non-EU players clubs can sign from abroad, Júlio César could not join Inter at the time and was subsequently initially registered to Chievo through a deal between the two clubs.
Inter Milan
In July 2005, following the deal between Chievo and Inter Milan, Júlio César officially signed a three-year contract with Inter. The deal cost Inter €2.45 million.
In July 2009, Júlio César was chosen by ESPN Brasil as the best player of the 2008–09 season. He also received the Prêmio Futebol no Mundo (Football in the World Award), designated to the best Brazilian footballer playing outside Brazil in that season.
In November 2009, he signed a contract with Inter which would last until 2014, adding two more years to his contract. His impressive form for Inter earned him praise from former Inter and Italy goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca, who stated his belief that Júlio César was the best goalkeeper in the world. For his performances in the Champions League, he won the award UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year.
Inter ended the 2011–12 season in sixth place, with the team just five goals short of equalling their all-time worst concession in a single Serie A campaign. With some critics believing Júlio César had declined in form since the 2009–10 season, Inter signed Slovenian goalkeeper Samir Handanović from Udinese to take over as first-choice goalkeeper.
On 31 July 2012, Júlio César stated his intention to leave Inter, saying, "They have been seven beautiful and successful years, but, in a few days, my adventure with the Inter shirt will end. I would like to thank all of you fans for the support you have given me and I hope you have a lot more success to enjoy."
Queens Park Rangers
On 29 August 2012, Júlio César confirmed that he had signed for English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers on a four-year contract.
Following QPR's relegation from the Premier League at the end of his debut campaign, Júlio César was frozen out of the team. Despite this, he did not leave the club before the summer transfer window closed. On 4 January 2014, Júlio César started his first game for Rangers against Everton in the third round of the FA Cup, which QPR lost 4–0.
Toronto FC loan
On 7 February 2014, Júlio César confirmed that he had signed a loan for Major League Soccer (MLS) club Toronto FC. The move was made to get some match action for him, prior to representing Brazil in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, as he had been replaced by Robert Green as QPR's first choice goalkeeper. César made his debut with Toronto in their season opener at the Seattle Sounders on 15 March, which ended in a 1–2 away victory with both goals coming from newly acquired Jermain Defoe. During week seven of the season, he was awarded MLS Save of the Week against David Texeira of FC Dallas. He was recalled from loan and returned to QPR on 25 July 2014.
Benfica
On 19 August 2014, Júlio César signed a two-year deal with Portuguese champions Benfica. On 21 September, he debuted for Benfica in a Primeira Liga home win against Moreirense, 3–1. On 26 January 2015, he set the fourth-best record ever at Benfica without conceding a goal in the Portuguese league, at 808 minutes. On 9 May, he set a career record in terms of clean sheets with an average of 59 percent (16 clean sheets in 27 matches), surpassing his previous record of 53 percent at Inter. On 4 July, he won the league's Best Goalkeeper award. On 25 May 2016, he renewed his contract with the club until 2018.
International career
Júlio César was included in Brazil team for the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, but did not play. His first international appearance came during the Copa América in 2004.
Júlio César was included in the squads for the 2006 World Cup, 2009 Confederations Cup, 2010 World Cup.
Júlio César was part of the 23 players called by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari to play in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. He played three matches in Group A and kept two clean sheets. In the semifinal against Uruguay, Júlio César saved a penalty kick taken by Diego Forlán in the 14th minute. Brazil went to win the match by 2–1, and Júlio César was named man of the match.
On 2 June 2014, Júlio César was named in Brazil's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In the team's round of 16 match, Júlio César saved from Mauricio Pinilla and Alexis Sánchez in the penalty shootout against Chile, sending Brazil through to a quarter-final against Colombia. His efforts earned him the Man of the Match award.
Dramatically, he conceded five goals against Germany within the first half in the semi-final, as the Germans went on to win 7–1. After Brazil lost to the Netherlands 0–3 in a third place play-off match, Júlio César admitted this was probably his last World Cup: "To play at the Copa America in 2015, at the age of 35, would be quite complicated. To go there without having the 2018 World Cup in mind would be selfish on my part."
Style of play
One of the best goalkeepers in the world in his prime, Júlio César was known for his athleticism, strength and reflexes, as well as his ability to rush off his line. A left-footed goalkeeper, he is also known for his ball skills and distribution, as well as his penalty stopping.
Personal life
Júlio César, a Roman Catholic, married Brazilian model and actress Susana Werner at the Candelária Church. Together, they have two children: Cauet, born in 2002, and Giulia, born in 2005. They both went to ACS Hillingdon International School. He is sponsored by Asics.