Juliano Belletti
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Juliano Haus Belletti (born June 20, 1976 in Cascavel, Brazil), often known as Belletti, is a Brazilian-Italian football player who currently plays for FC Barcelona of the Spanish La Liga. His natural position is right back, although he has played as a central defender in the past.
He started his career playing for Cruzeiro in 1993. In 1995 he moved to São Paulo, where he earned a solid spot in the starting lineup. In 1999 he played for Atlético where he was vice-champion of the Brazilian League. He participated in the fastest goal ever in a Brazilian's League Final. Rumors linked him with a move to La Liga side Valencia CF in 2001, but the move fell apart at the last minute. In 2002 he finally moved to Europe, having caught the attention of fellow La Liga side Villarreal CF. Several other clubs expressed interest in signing him, and in 2004, he signed for La Liga powerhouses FC Barcelona. He has become the first-choice right back for Barcelona and a key player in the squad.
Belletti holds an Italian passport, allowing him to bypass the non-EU player restrictions in La Liga. He has been capped for the Brazilian national team, but he is currently second-choice to the three-time World Cup finalist Cafu.
On May 17th, in the Stade de France, Paris, Belletti's club Barcelona played English club Arsenal in the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final. Oleguer was preferred to start rather than Belletti, and he had to make do with a place on the substitute bench. But when manager Frank Rijkaard brought him on for Oleguer, he did not disappoint, linking up with fellow substitute, Henrik Larsson, and scored the winning goal, his 1st for Barcelona, ultimately winning them the 2006 UEFA Champions League crown.
Clubs
- Cruzeiro 1993-1995
- São Paulo 1995-2002
- Atletico MG 1999-1999
- Villarreal CF 2002-2004
- FC Barcelona 2004-current
Career Stats
Cruzeiro 52/3
Sao Paulo 214/19
Atlético Mineiro
Villareal 67/3
Barcelona 73/1
Brazil 29/0
| FC Barcelona - Current Squad |
|---|
| 1 Víctor Valdés | 2 Belletti | 3 Motta | 4 Márquez | 5 Puyol | 6 Xavi | 7 Gudjohnsen | 8 Giuly | 9 Eto'o | 10 Ronaldinho | 12 Gio | 14 Ezquerro | 15 Edmílson | 16 Sylvinho | 17 van Bommel | 19 Messi | 20 Deco | 23 Oleguer | 24 Iniesta | 25 Jorquera |
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