Vandinho (footballer, born 1978)

Vanderson Válter de Almeida (born 15 January 1978), known as Vandinho, is a Brazilian former footballer who played as a central midfielder.

For other people named Vandinho, see Vandinho (disambiguation).
Vandinho
Personal information
Full name Vanderson Válter de Almeida
Date of birth (1978-01-15) 15 January 1978
Place of birth Cuiabá, Brazil
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998 Internacional
1999 Pelotas
2000 Guarani
2000 Santa Cruz 14 (1)
2001 Criciúma
2002 Grêmio Inhumense
2002–2004 Rio Ave 53 (4)
2004–2011 Braga 158 (8)
2011 Sharjah 6 (0)
2012 Paraná 11 (0)
2013 Santo Ângelo
2013 Cuiabá 15 (0)
2014 Grêmio Anápolis 9 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He spent most of his professional career in Portugal, amassing Primeira Liga totals of 182 matches and nine goals over eight seasons.

Club career

Vandinho was born in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso. After an unsuccessful spell at Sport Club Internacional, he played mainly with modest clubs in his country: Grêmio Esportivo Brasil, Guarani Futebol Clube, Santa Cruz Futebol Clube, Criciúma Esporte Clube and Grêmio Esportivo Inhumense, moving in 2002–03 to Portugal with Rio Ave F.C. and helping the Vila do Conde team return to the Primeira Liga in his first season.

For the 2004–05 campaign, Vandinho joined S.C. Braga, being an ever-present midfield unit as the Minho side achieved two consecutive fourth-league places from 2005 to 2007. During his second year he contributed 31 matches and three goals, including in both fixtures against former team Rio Ave (2–1 away, 5–0 at home).[1][2]

In February 2010, as he continued to be first choice and Braga led the league, Vandinho received a three-month ban for his actions in a scuffle during a 2–0 home win over S.L. Benfica late in the previous year. That effectively ended his season,[3][4] as they were eventually surpassed in the table by the opponents in that game.[5]

Vandinho helped Braga reach the final of the UEFA Europa League in 2010–11, scoring through a header in the semi-finals' first leg, a 2–1 away loss against Benfica (2–2 aggregate victory).[6] In late August 2011, after nearly one full decade in the same country, the 33-year-old joined Sharjah FC in the United Arab Emirates, for an undisclosed fee.[7]

References
  1. Liga: Benfica quebra jejum, Co Adriaanse e Peseiro contestados (League: Benfica break fast, Co Adriaanse and Peseiro contested); Jornalismo Porto Net, 17 October 2005 (in Portuguese)
  2. Futebol: Sporting de Braga reassume terceiro lugar com «chapa» cinco (Futebol: Sporting de Braga back in third place with "fiver"); Angola Press News Agency, 28 February 2006 (in Portuguese)
  3. Vandinho só pode jogar na última jornada (Vandinho can only play in last round); Record, 2 February 2010 (in Portuguese)
  4. Vandinho fora por três meses (Vandinho three months out); Correio da Manhã, 3 February 2010 (in Portuguese)
  5. Vandinho: «Não é por um jogador que o Sp. Braga perde ou ganha» (Vandinho: "Sp. Braga do not lose or win because of one player"); Mais Futebol, 9 May 2010 (in Portuguese)
  6. Oscar Cardozo gives Benfica slim Europa League advantage over Braga; The Guardian, 29 April 2011
  7. Al Sharjah: Vandinho às ordens de Azenha (Al Sharjah: Vandinho at Azenha's service); Mais Futebol, 21 August 2011 (in Portuguese)
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