Paulinho (footballer, born 1975)

Paulo Benedito Bonifácio Maximiano, known simply as Paulinho, (born 30 December 1975) is a Brazilian footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He spent most of his career in Brazil with short stints in Qatar and Israel.

Paulinho
Personal information
Full name Paulo Benedito Bonifácio Maximiano
Date of birth (1975-12-30) 30 December 1975
Place of birth Monte Carmelo, MG, Brazil[1]
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1993–1995 Botafogo Futebol Clube (SP)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995 Botafogo Futebol Clube (SP)
1996–1997 Patrocinense
1998 Social
1998 Ipatinga
1999–2000 Villa Nova (MG)
2001 Gama 1 (0)
2002 Al-Arabi (Qatar)
2002–2006 Ipatinga
2006–2007 Flamengo 29 (0)
2007–2008 Maccabi Haifa 1 (0)
2008–2010 Ipatinga
2010 → Volta Redonda
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:38, 3 October 2007

Career

Paulinho began his early career with Botafogo (SP), Patrocinense, Social and Ipatinga.

Between 1999 and 2001 Paulinho played at Villa Nova in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.

In 2001, he joined Gama in the Federal District.

Paulinho also had a short spell at international football, playing for Al-Arabi of Qatar. Returning to Brazil, he rejoined Ipatinga.

During his second stint at Ipatinga, Paulinho's career took off. Became a state champion at Jaipur in 2005 and helped the club to reach the semifinals of the 2006 Copa do Brasil.

His form sparked interest from big clubs and, in 2006, he moved to Flamengo. He became a fan favourite at the club due to his combative style of play.

In 2007, he transferred to Israeli club Maccabi Haifa.

While playing for Volta Redonda in the Campeonato Carioca in 2010, Paulinho tested positive for Benzoylecgonine, a metabolised version of cocaine. He was subsequently banned for two years.[2]

Honours

References
  1. "Paulinho". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  2. Marrul, Diego (25 June 2010). "Paulinho pega dois anos de gancho". UOL.com.br (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 19 May 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
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