Playing position Role Footballer Number 3 Height 1.88 m | 1999–2000 Fluminense-BA Weight 79 kg Name Nivaldo Santana Career start 2001 | |
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Full name Nivaldo Batista Santana Date of birth (1980-06-23) 23 June 1980 (age 35) Place of birth Feira de Santana, Brazil Current team Maccabi Yavne F.C. (Defender) | ||
Nivaldo batista santana
Nivaldo Batista Santana (born 23 June 1980), known simply as Nivaldo, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Israeli club Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem F.C. as a central defender.
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Football career
Born in Feira de Santana, Bahia, Nivaldo started playing with modest Brazilian clubs – he did represent Coritiba Foot Ball Club on two different occasions, but appeared rarely – and moved to Portugal with C.F. Os Belenenses in 2007, being an undisputed starter as the Lisbon team finished fifth and qualified for the UEFA Cup, with the defender scoring four goals, partnering future FC Porto and Portugal star Rolando in the heart of the back four.
Nivaldo joined AS Saint-Étienne for a price of €3 million in the 2007 summer, but featured sparingly in his debut season. The following year he was loaned to Qatari side Umm-Salal Sports Club, allegedly against his will.
After being released in June 2009, Nivaldo joined Spanish club Real Valladolid on a one-year contract. He made his La Liga debut on 30 August in a 0–0 draw at UD Almería, being sent off in the 13th minute.
In June 2010, after Valladolid's relegation, Nivaldo changed teams and countries again, signing a two-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. of Israel on a free transfer. On 1 August he netted his first goal, in a Toto Cup win against Maccabi Netanya FC; thirteen days later, however, he was sidelined for two months due to a knee injury, which forced the club to sign Savo Pavićević as a cover.