Derlei
Encyclopedia
Vanderlei Fernandes Silva (born 14 July 1975), aka Derlei, is a retired Brazil
ian-Portuguese
footballer who played as a striker.
He spent most of his 16-year professional career in Portugal
(one full decade), having represented all three most important clubs
in the country, and amassing top division totals of 187 games and 70 goals.
With Porto, Derlei won eight major titles, including two leagues, one
UEFA Champions League
and one
UEFA Cup.
, São Paulo
, Derlei started playing in the lower levels of football in Brazil
, but joined Portugal
's União de Leiria in 1999, going on to achieve 91 top division games with the club, scoring 42 goals. In his last season, as Leiria overachieved for a final 7th place, led by manager José Mourinho
, he netted 21 goals.
Derlei joined F.C. Porto in the summer of 2002, playing an important part in a successful squad that was also managed by Mourinho. He was one of the top scorers in a side that conquered the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League
in consecutive seasons. Derlei scored twice for Porto in the 2003 UEFA Cup final against Celtic FC
, being nicknamed "Ninja" while playing for the northern side. The following campaign, as he was leading the domestic goalscoring chart, he suffered a severe knee injury, which rendered him unavailable for the remainder of the season.
In January 2005, after disciplinary problems related to his lateness in arriving from the winter break, he was sold to FC Dynamo Moscow
for €
7 million, being granted Portuguese
citizenship shortly thereafter. After two years of Russia
n football where he was always one of the top five best goalscorers, Derlei joined S.L. Benfica on loan in January 2007. On 2 February, he played his first league match for the Reds, a 0–0 home draw against match against Boavista FC.
In June 2007, Derlei left Benfica for Lisbon
rivals Sporting Clube de Portugal, signing a contract until 2009, after being freed from his two-year contract with Dynamo Moscow. He was, therefore, one of the few players to have represented the Big Three
of Portugal. He would, however, spend most of 2007–08 on the sidelines, with another serious knee injury.
Derlei made a fantastic comeback to competition when, on 16 April 2008, he entered the field for Leandro Romagnoli
in the 61st minute during the semi-final of the Portuguese Cup
against previous team Benfica, managing to score only 18 minutes later, making it 3–2 to Sporting, in a match which eventually ended with a 5–3 win, as the Lions went on to win the tournament against another former club of the player, Porto.
In his second season, Derlei fought with Hélder Postiga
for a chance to play alongside Liédson
, and scored some goals, including an important one in a 1–0 home triumph over FC Shakhtar Donetsk
, in the Champions League, which sealed Sporting's group stage qualification on 4 November 2008. At the end of the season, he refused to accept the club's offer to renew the link, on the grounds the figures offered were not convincing, thus being made a free agent
.
After some consideration, 34-year old Derlei joined Esporte Clube Vitória
on 27 August 2009, in a one-year deal. He made his club debut on 13 September, in a match against league leader Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
; having taken the pitch in the second half, he scored the 3–2 winner. Shortly after, he switched to modest Madureira Esporte Clube
, returning to a club he had represented more than one decade ago.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian-Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
footballer who played as a striker.
He spent most of his 16-year professional career in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
(one full decade), having represented all three most important clubs
Big Three (Portugal)
The Big Three is the nickname of the three most successful sports clubs in Portugal. The football teams of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Futebol Clube do Porto and Sporting Clube de Portugal have a great rivalry, and are usually the main contenders for the title. They share all but two of the Portuguese...
in the country, and amassing top division totals of 187 games and 70 goals.
With Porto, Derlei won eight major titles, including two leagues, one
2004 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2004 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on 26 May 2004, to decide the winner of the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League...
UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and one
2003 UEFA Cup Final
The 2003 UEFA Cup Final was played on 21 May 2003 between Celtic of Scotland and Porto of Portugal. Porto won the match 3–2 in extra time thanks to a goal from Derlei...
UEFA Cup.
Football career
Born in São Bernardo do CampoSão Bernardo do Campo
São Bernardo do Campo is a municipality in the state of São Paulo, in southern Metropolitan São Paulo and São Paulo microregion. The municipality's total area is 408.45 km ² and a population estimated at 1 July 2009, according to the IBGE, was 810,979 inhabitants, which results in a population...
, São Paulo
São Paulo (state)
São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...
, Derlei started playing in the lower levels of football in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, but joined Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
's União de Leiria in 1999, going on to achieve 91 top division games with the club, scoring 42 goals. In his last season, as Leiria overachieved for a final 7th place, led by manager José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
, he netted 21 goals.
Derlei joined F.C. Porto in the summer of 2002, playing an important part in a successful squad that was also managed by Mourinho. He was one of the top scorers in a side that conquered the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in consecutive seasons. Derlei scored twice for Porto in the 2003 UEFA Cup final against Celtic FC
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, being nicknamed "Ninja" while playing for the northern side. The following campaign, as he was leading the domestic goalscoring chart, he suffered a severe knee injury, which rendered him unavailable for the remainder of the season.
In January 2005, after disciplinary problems related to his lateness in arriving from the winter break, he was sold to FC Dynamo Moscow
FC Dynamo Moscow
Dynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow, currently playing in the Russian Premier League. Dynamo's traditional kit colours are blue and white...
for €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
7 million, being granted Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
citizenship shortly thereafter. After two years of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n football where he was always one of the top five best goalscorers, Derlei joined S.L. Benfica on loan in January 2007. On 2 February, he played his first league match for the Reds, a 0–0 home draw against match against Boavista FC.
In June 2007, Derlei left Benfica for Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
rivals Sporting Clube de Portugal, signing a contract until 2009, after being freed from his two-year contract with Dynamo Moscow. He was, therefore, one of the few players to have represented the Big Three
Big Three (Portugal)
The Big Three is the nickname of the three most successful sports clubs in Portugal. The football teams of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Futebol Clube do Porto and Sporting Clube de Portugal have a great rivalry, and are usually the main contenders for the title. They share all but two of the Portuguese...
of Portugal. He would, however, spend most of 2007–08 on the sidelines, with another serious knee injury.
Derlei made a fantastic comeback to competition when, on 16 April 2008, he entered the field for Leandro Romagnoli
Leandro Romagnoli
Leandro Atilio Romagnoli is an Argentine footballer who plays for San Lorenzo de Almagro in the Argentine first division....
in the 61st minute during the semi-final of the Portuguese Cup
Taça de Portugal
The Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is...
against previous team Benfica, managing to score only 18 minutes later, making it 3–2 to Sporting, in a match which eventually ended with a 5–3 win, as the Lions went on to win the tournament against another former club of the player, Porto.
In his second season, Derlei fought with Hélder Postiga
Hélder Postiga
Hélder Manuel Marques Postiga is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Real Zaragoza in Spain, as a striker.After starting professionally at Porto, Postiga went on to have spells in England , France and Greece , before returning to his country with Sporting.A Portuguese international on more than...
for a chance to play alongside Liédson
Liédson
Liédson da Silva Muniz , simply Liédson, is a Brazilian-born Portuguese footballer who plays for Sport Club Corinthians Paulista as a striker....
, and scored some goals, including an important one in a 1–0 home triumph over FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year...
, in the Champions League, which sealed Sporting's group stage qualification on 4 November 2008. At the end of the season, he refused to accept the club's offer to renew the link, on the grounds the figures offered were not convincing, thus being made a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
After some consideration, 34-year old Derlei joined Esporte Clube Vitória
Esporte Clube Vitória
Esporte Clube Vitória, usually known simply as Vitória, is a Brazilian football team from Salvador in Bahia, founded on May 13, 1899.Vitória's home games are played at the club's own stadium . They play in red and black horizontal striped shirts, black shorts and black socks...
on 27 August 2009, in a one-year deal. He made his club debut on 13 September, in a match against league leader Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras is a Brazilian football club from São Paulo. The club was founded on August 26, 1914, as Palestra Italia but changed to the current name on September 14, 1942...
; having taken the pitch in the second half, he scored the 3–2 winner. Shortly after, he switched to modest Madureira Esporte Clube
Madureira Esporte Clube
Madureira Esporte Clube, or Madureira as they are usually called, is a traditional Brazilian football team from Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro state, founded on August 8, 1914.-History:...
, returning to a club he had represented more than one decade ago.
Club statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||||||
| União Leiria | 1999–00 | 26 | 8 | – | – | 26 | 8 | |||||||||
| 2000–01 | 32 | 13 | – | – | 32 | 13 | ||||||||||
| 2001–02 | 33 | 21 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 34 | 21 | ||||||||
| Total | 91 | 42 | 1 | 0 | |– | 92 | 42 | |||||||||
| Porto | 2002–03 | 26 | 7 | 1 | 1 | – | 13 | 12 | 40 | 20 | ||||||
| 2003–04 | 18 | 12 | 1 | 1 | – | 8 | 3 | 27 | 16 | |||||||
| 2004–05 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |||||||
| Total | 57 | 19 | 2 | 2 | Dynamo Moscow FC Dynamo Moscow Dynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow, currently playing in the Russian Premier League. Dynamo's traditional kit colours are blue and white... | 2005 | 18 | 13 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 18 | 13 | ||
| 2006 | 15 | 11 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 15 | 11 | ||||||||
| Total | 33 | 24 | 2 | 0 | |– | 33 | 24 | |||||||||
| Benfica | 2006–07 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 | 0 | 16 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Sporting | 2007–08 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| 2008–09 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 28 | 9 | ||||||
| Total | 24 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 34 | 11 | ||||||
| Career total | 218 | 92 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 37 | 17 | 266 | 114 | ||||||
Honours
- Porto:
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 2003–04 - Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
: 20042004 Intercontinental CupThe 2004 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 12 December 2004 between FC Porto, winners of 2003–04 UEFA Champions League, and Once Caldas, winners of the 2004 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the neutral venue of the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan, in... - UEFA Cup: 2002–03
- Portuguese League: 2002–03, 2003–04
- Portuguese CupTaça de PortugalThe Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is...
: 2002–03 - Portuguese Supercup: 2003, 2004
- UEFA Champions League
- Sporting:
- Portuguese CupTaça de PortugalThe Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is...
: 2007–08 - Portuguese Supercup: 2007, 2008
- Portuguese League Cup: Runner-up 2007–08, 2008–09
- Portuguese Cup