LEONARDO
AC Milan & Brazil
Full Name: Leonardo Nascimento de Aruajo
Date of Birth: September 5, 1969
Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height: 177 cm
Weight: 73 kg
Previous Clubs: Flamengo (Brazil), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Valencia (Spain), Kashima Antlers (Japan), Paris Saint Germain (France)
The Brazilian national team's most articulate player, he once stunned Brazilian journalists by giving them a lecture on the role of the sports media in society when asked a simple question about Brazil's performances. A globetrotter who speaks fluent English, French, Spanish and Italian -- he admits that his Japanese is only basic -- Leonardo has already travelled the world in his varied career. Leonardo first plied his trade at left back for Flamengo as a 17-year-old. "At 17 when you're offered a place in the first team you'll play anywhere," he recalls.
Leonardo's early years were spent with Flamengo (1987-90), where he stayed until joining Sao Paolo for two seasons (1990 and 1991). After winning the Brazilian league title, his first taste of European soccer came at Valencia (1991-93), but he returned to Sao Paolo for another year, and he established his presence with AC Milan by beating them in the Intercontinental Cup at Tokyo in December 1993.
Leonardo made his international debut in 1989 but it was not until after Brazil won the 1994 World Cup in the United States that he got a chance to switch to his now preferred slot as an attacking midfielder, in a playmaker role behind the strikers. "I told the coach (Mario Zagallo) that I wanted to play in midfield and as a former player he understood and gave me a chance," says Leonardo. He was particularly keen to make an impact at France '98 after missing the 1994 final because of a four-match suspension, the heaviest penalty ever handed out at a finals, for elbowing Tab Ramos in the head during a second-round. "I had very mixed emotions," he says. "I was thrilled we won the championship but being left out put a bit of a dampener on it."
He then spent two seasons in Japan where he played for Kashima Antlers and had a free-roving role in the midfield. "That was a fantastic experience, participating in a lot of different things in only the second year of professionalism there". However, his desire to secure a berth in Brazil's 1998 World Cup side remained an overriding priority and when an offer from Paris St Germain came with four months still left on his contract with Kashima, he left having put them on course for the title.
At PSG, Leonardo linked up with his former Sao Paulo team mate Rai and Brazil's former captain Ricardo. "They came for me and I saw it as a challenge to play in Europe again," he says. Leonardo then moved to Milan in September '97, the Italian club paying Paris St. Germain 16 billion lira ($9.5 million) for Leonardo, who will earn two million dollars net a season until 2000.
There was no hiding his delight at joining one of the top club sides in the world. "Don't ask me if I'm happy or if I'm satisfied," he says. "I really think that even a child could understand that today is one of the most important days of my life. When you talk about fast-food, the first thing that comes to peoples' mind is McDonald's.
When they talk about football, they think of AC Milan," he said. "To be a truly great player, a footballer has to spend at least a year of his career at AC Milan: Marco Simone said so in an interview and I agree with him. It's been one of my dreams for a long time to play for Milan, because I've always followed Italian football and because Milan have been the best team in the world over the past 10 years." Not surprisingly, he has had little trouble fitting in with life in the Italian Serie A. "I know a lot of different cultures and I know how to adapt. I know that football is very important to people here (in Italy) -- just like it is in Brazil."
