Deco Biography

Deco isn't necessarily one of these players, what he stands out with is his huge passing ability, his vision on the field and his decisiveness. Oftentimes, Deco is the kind of player you don't really see on the pitch, but without whom his team would be utterly inefficient. For this reason, and more, I bring you the Deco biography.

Deco Biography – Brazil Period and the Start of a European Career - Born in Brazil, Deco played for a second division club, Corinthians Alagoano, that didn't show promise for being a good launch pad for a talented soccer player.

For this reason, when Benfica offered him a deal at age 19, Deco was quick to accept, as Benfica is one of the most important teams in Portugal, he was moving to a country that spoke roughly the same language and he had the prospects of starting a European career, which is the dream of many Brazilian players.

After a short loan spell at FC Alverca, where he played regularly, Benfica's manager, Graeme Souness did not want him back at the team for the next season, as he thought of Deco as a footballer he could not use in his team. Therefore, Benfica sold him to Salgueiros, a smaller team from Porto, where he played 12 games, before catching the eyes of bigwigs FC Porto.

Deco Biography – FC Porto - Being considered a short footballer, Deco needed a period of accommodation with his new team, but after being given the chance to play, he grasped it and held on to it.

In his role as a playmaker, he could express his talent in passing and creating chances for his team mates, although for a number 10, he was considered rather defensive (usually, number 10 playmakers are offensive midfielders). His wonderful passes earned him the nickname "El Magico" from the FC Porto fans.

Under the whip of Jose Mourinho, Deco was set to lead his team in the new 2003-2004 season, a season in which fans fully expected FC Porto to come home with the league title, a title they haven't won in several years at that time.

A trophy-hungry team, lead by a magical passer in the field and a talented coach on the bench, FC Porto did more than just bring the title back to Porto, as they had a tremendous run in the UEFA Champions League, eventually winning it against equally surprising finalists AS Monaco, in a match that ended 3-0 for the Portuguese side, with Deco scoring the second goal and being named Man of the Match.

The success in the champions league triggered a rain of contracts for Deco from several important European clubs and he eventually settled in for FC Barcelona.

Deco Biography – FC Barcelona - The fans received Deco's transfer to Barcelona with a raised eyebrow, as their team's midfield was already covered by talented players such as Ronaldinho, Xavi or Andres Iniesta. Still, coach Frank Rijkaard managed to find a position in the first squad for Deco, playing him as a pure central midfielder with both defensive and playmaking chores.

Deco's tactical prowess, his defensive abilities and his passing mastery, coped with the value of the Barcelona squad triggered what was expected as a European domination from the Spanish side, which won the league title in two consecutive years (2004-2005 and 2005-2006) and the UEFA Champions League in 2005-2006 (which brought Deco into the exclusive club of players winning the Champions League with two different teams).

Although he is often linked to a move from Barcelona (especially to Chelsea, where he would team up again with his former FC Porto coach, Jose Mourinho), Deco stated that he has no intention of leaving Barcelona and its wonderful fans, at least not in the near future.