Stélvio (footballer)

Stélvio Rosa da Cruz (born 24 January 1989), known simply as Stélvio, is an Angolan professional footballer who plays for Luxembourg club FC Mondercange as a defensive midfielder.

Stélvio
Personal information
Full name Stélvio Rosa da Cruz[1]
Date of birth (1989-01-24) 24 January 1989[1]
Place of birth Luanda, Angola[1]
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Mondercange
Number 22
Youth career
2000–2007 Braga
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2011 Braga 19 (0)
2009–2010 → União Leiria (loan) 2 (0)
2010 → 1º Agosto (loan)
2011 → Libolo (loan)
2012 Caála
2012–2013 Alki Larnaca 11 (0)
2013–2019 Dudelange 104 (13)
2019–2020 Virton 24 (7)
2020 RWDM 2 (0)
2021–2022 Jeunesse Esch 39 (2)
2022– Mondercange 24 (0)
International career
2007–2009 Portugal U21 11 (0)
2009–2019 Angola 11 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 October 2023

Club career

Stélvio was born in Luanda. A product of S.C. Braga's youth academy, he made his Portuguese Primeira Liga debut on 11 November 2007, coming on as a 60th-minute substitute in a 3–0 home win against Sporting CP.[2]

On 4 July 2009, after two seasons in the first team with intermittent use, Stélvio was loaned to U.D. Leiria (recently returned to the top division) in a season-long loan. However, in late January 2010, he moved to his homeland and signed for C.D. Primeiro de Agosto, also on loan.[3]

Stélvio was released by Braga on 31 August 2011.[4] He then joined C.R. Caála, returning to the Angolan Girabola.[5]

In July 2019, after six years in the Luxembourg National Division at the service of F91 Dudelange where he won several team honours,[6][7] the 30-year-old Stélvio moved to Belgium with R.E. Virton on a one-year contract.[8]

International career

Stélvio represented Portugal at under-21 level.[9] He switched allegiance to his native Angola in 2009, being part of the squad that appeared in the following year's Africa Cup of Nations.[10]

In October 2018, after an absence of eight years, Stélvio was recalled to the national team ahead of a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Mauritania.[11] He was selected for the squad that reached the finals in Egypt by manager Srđan Vasiljević.[12]

References
  1. "Stélvio" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  2. Sporting sofre derrota em Braga (Sporting suffer defeat in Braga); Açoriano Oriental, 11 November 2007 (in Portuguese)
  3. Hugo Gomes deixa União de Leiria para jogar no Azerbaijão (Hugo Gomes leaves União de Leiria to play in Azerbaijan); Região de Leiria, 21 January 2010 (in Portuguese)
  4. Stélvio acerta a rescisão (Stélvio agrees to termination); A Bola, 31 August 2011 (in Portuguese)
  5. Stélvio e Garcia os destaques do novo plantel do Recreativo da Caála (Stélvio and Garcia highlights of the new Recreativo da Caála squad); Angola Press News Agency, 23 January 2012 (in Portuguese)
  6. Stélvio anda pelo Luxemburgo... a marcar (Stélvio is in Luxembourg... scoring); O Jogo, 29 November 2015 (in Portuguese)
  7. Stelvio Cruz: «Mon rôle au F91 est fini» (Stelvio Cruz: "My role at F91 has ended"); Le Quotidien, 29 May 2019 (in French)
  8. Un international angolais débarque à Virton (Angolan international touches land at Virton); L'Avenir, 2 July 2019 (in French)
  9. Sub-21 perdem particular com Ucrânia (Under-21s lose friendly with Ukraine); Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, 14 October 2008 (in Portuguese)
  10. Manucho named in Angola squad; BBC Sport, 30 December 2009
  11. Futebol: Stélvio regressa aos Palancas Negras (Football: Stélvio returns to Sable Antelopes); Angola Press News Agency, 5 October 2018 (in Portuguese)
  12. Palancas Negras aumentam confiança de Srdjan Vasiljevic (Sable Antelopes increase Srdjan Vasiljevic's confidence); Jornal de Angola, 11 June 2019 (in Portuguese)
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