Rafael Schmitz

Rafael Schmitz (born 17 December 1980) is a retired Brazilian footballer. Born in Blumenau, Schmitz was a commanding central defender who was good in the air but also very agile and had good passing ability.

Rafael Schmitz
Personal information
Full name Rafael Schmitz[1]
Date of birth (1980-12-17) December 17, 1980
Place of birth Blumenau, Brazil
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
1990–1993 BEC
1994 Atlético-PR
1995–1997 Tupi-SC
1997–1999 Santos[3]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2001 Malutrom
2001–2008 Lille 99 (2)
2004 → Krylya Sovetov Samara (loan) 9 (0)
2007–2008 → Birmingham City (loan) 15 (0)
2008–2012 Valenciennes 46 (2)
2012–2013 Atlético Paranaense 2 (0)
2018 Metropolitano 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 January 2019

Career

Schmitz started his professional career at Malutrom, winning the 2000 Brazilian 3rd division. In 2001, he joined Lille OSC, where he spent six seasons and for whom he played 99 Ligue 1 games and appeared in the Champions League and UEFA Cup.[2] He joined Birmingham City on loan for the 2007–08 season on July 6, 2007.[4] He made his Birmingham debut as a very late substitute on September 15, 2007 against Bolton Wanderers, and his first start on October 20, 2007 against Manchester City in place of the injured Johan Djourou.[5][6] He returned to Lille following Birmingham's relegation at the end of the season.[7]

On June 23, 2008, Schmitz signed a three-year contract with Valenciennes, where he played for four years before returning to Brazil and signing for Atlético Paranaense.[8] After being overlooked at the club, he was about to sign for ABC on September, only for his club to decide against the deal in the last minute after Atlético needed defensive cover due to an injury suffered by Naldo. However, he only played two matches for Atlético Paranaense and left the club in 2013.[9]

In 2018, Schmitz decided to return to professional football and trained with Metropolitano, a club based in his hometown.[10] On 11 May 2018, he signed for the club to play the 2018 Campeonato Catarinense Série B.[11] After achieving promotion to 2019 Campeonato Catarinense, he left the club.[12]

Honours

Lille

Notes
  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-01-22. Retrieved 2019-01-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Rafael Schmitz". L'Équipe. Retrieved 2008-06-26.
  3. Profile
  4. "Birmingham seal Schmitz loan deal". BBC Sport. 2007-07-06. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  5. "Birmingham 1-0 Bolton". BBC. 15 September 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  6. "Man City 1-0 Birmingham". BBC. 20 October 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  7. "Nafti signs new Birmingham deal". BBC. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  8. "Rafael : "Grandir avec Valenciennes"" (in French). Valenciennes FC. 2008-06-23. Archived from the original on 2008-06-26. Retrieved 2008-06-26.
  9. "Rafael Schmitz vai à Justiça contra o Furacão | de Letra". 27 February 2013.
  10. "Metropolitano volta a flertar com o zagueiro Rafael Schmitz, ex-Lille".
  11. "Rafael Schmitz e Douglas Silva acertam com o Verdão para a Série B | Clube Atlético Metropolitano". 14 September 2023.
  12. "Título do Metropolitano aumenta pressão no BEC". September 2018.
  13. "Leiria 0-2 Lille (Aggregate: 0 - 2)". uefa.com. Archived from the original on 2004-10-11. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
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