Rafael (footballer, born March 1982)

Rafael de Andrade Bittencourt Pinheiro (born 3 March 1982)[3] simply known as Rafael, is a Brazilian retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper.[4] He also holds an Italian passport.[5]

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Bittencourt and the second or paternal family name is Pinheiro.
Rafael
Personal information
Full name Rafael de Andrade Bittencourt Pinheiro
Date of birth (1982-03-03) 3 March 1982[1]
Place of birth São Paulo, Brazil
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1995 Nacional-SP
1996 Corinthians
1997–2000 Juventus-SP[2]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2005 Santos 6 (0)
2005–2007 São Bento 23 (0)
2007–2016 Verona 282 (0)
2016–2020 Cagliari 38 (0)
2020–2021 Spezia 3 (0)
Total 352 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Biography

Early career

He left Brazil for Italy after playing 17 (out of 19) matches in 2007 Campeonato Paulista for Esporte Clube São Bento, ahead of Maurício Assoline. He was an understudy of Júlio Sérgio and Fábio Costa at Santos FC.

Verona

In Verona, after missing only three games (of a possible 136) in four seasons of Lega Pro, the third highest football league in Italy, Rafael played a crucial role in helping his team reach the 2010–11 Lega Pro Division One playoffs and win them, to return to Serie B after a four-year absence.[6] Two seasons later, the Brazilian goalkeeper and his teammates of Verona reach the second place and were promoted to Serie A, with Rafael that impose itself as the best goalkeeper in the junior category (only 29 goals conceded in 40 games).[7]

Rafael was successively confirmed as first choice keeper for the club's Serie A comeback season in 2013, despite the signing of Bulgarian international Nikolay Mihaylov, playing 37 games out of 38 during the full championship.[1]

Cagliari

In 2016 he was sold to Cagliari, with Marco Fossati moved to opposite direction.[8] Cagliari also loaned out its backup goalkeeper Simone Colombi in the same week.

Spezia

On 17 September 2020, Rafael joined Spezia on a free transfer.[9]

Career statistics
As of 3 September 2021
Team Season Domestic
League		 Domestic
Cup		 European
Competition1		 Other
Tournaments2		 Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Santos 2001 0−00−0––0−0
2002 0−00−0––0−0
2003 8−80−0––8−8
2004 0−00−0––0−0
2005 0−00−0––0−0
Total8-800000-08-8
São Bento 2006 0−00−0––0−0
2007 0−00−0––0−0
Total0-000000-00-0
Hellas Verona 2007–08 34−411−1–2−137−43
2008–09 34−322−3––36−35
2009–10 31−184−5–4−339−26
2010–11 34−302−2–4−240−34
2011–12 40−393−7–2−345−49
2012–13 40−294−6––44−35
2013–14 37−631−0––38−63
2014–15 20−352−6––22−41
2015–16 12−181−1––13−19
Total282-30520-310012-9314-345
Cagliari 2015–16 1−100––1−1
2016–17 21−321−3––22−35
2017–18 10−1100––10−11
2018–19 001−1––1−1
2019–20 6−111−0––7−11
Total38-553-4000041-59
Spezia 2020–21 3−500––3−5
Career total 331-27323-350012-9366-417

1European competitions include the UEFA Champions League.
2Other tournaments include the Supercoppa Italiana and Serie B relegation play–offs.

References
  1. "Scheda anagrafica di De Andrade Bittencou Rafael Pinheiro" (in Italian). AIC Football. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  2. "Muralha brasileira na Itália: Sem sofrer gols fora de casa há quase um ano, Rafael, do Verona, é o goleiro menos vazado do calcio na temporada". Esporte Site (in Portuguese). 3 March 2010. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  3. In this name, Andrade Bittencourt Pinheiro is the surname. According to Portuguese customs, the last one, Pinheiro usually his paternal surname but sometimes "Bittencourt–Pinheiro" is also possible. Moreover, the first surname Andrade may be his paternal surname, in although it is rare in Portuguese culture. However the first surname Andrade, is his paternal surname is common in Spanish name. When lack of information, he may refer as "Mr. Pinheiro" or "Rafael" in although other possibility existed.
  4. "Carriera di Rafael De Andrade Bittencourt Pinheiro". Tutto Calciatori. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
  5. "L'entusiasmo dei nuovi, Rafael e Iovine". Hellas Verona FC (in Italian). 21 July 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  6. "Rafael De Andrade Bittencourt Pinheiro". Hellas Verona F.C. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
  7. [Serie B 2012–2013 http://www.gazzetta.it/speciali/risultati_classifiche/2013/calcio/serieb/classifiche.shtml#]
  8. "Ufficiale: Fossati al Verona, Rafael al Cagliari / VIDEO" (in Italian). Hellas Verona F.C. 8 July 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  9. "L'esperienza di Rafael per la porta delle Aquile" (in Italian). Spezia Calcio. 17 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.


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