Geovanni
Encyclopedia
Geovanni Deiberson Maurício Gómez (born 11 January 1980 in Acaiaca
Acaiaca
Acaiaca is a city in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. In 2004 its population was estimated to be 4,043. It is the birth place of Geovanni, the attacking midfield football player formerly of Barcelona, Benfica and Manchester City.-See also:...

), known simply as Geovanni, is a Brazilian footballer
Football in Brazil
Football is the most popular sport in Brazil. The Brazilian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup tournament a record 5 times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002, and is the only team to succeed in qualifying for every World Cup competition ever held. It is among the favourites to win...

 who currently plays for 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...

. He is mostly used as an attacking midfielder, but is also able to play on both wings and up front.

Early career

When Geovanni emerged from the youth set-up at Cruzeiro most Brazilian critics were intrigued by his talents and believed he could become a great player at the highest level. When Geovanni was 18 he enjoyed a successful loan spell at America
América Futebol Clube (MG)
América Futebol Clube is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on April 30, 1912....

, scoring one goal in 15 games at the right wing position. He instantly commanded a first team place at the Brazilian team. Once his loan spell had finished he immediately found his way into the first team of Cruzeiro and was a fan favourite at the Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country...

 club.

Barcelona

Geovanni was purchased by Barcelona for €20 million in summer 2001, signing a four-year deal, despite reported interest from Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

 and Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...

. Geovanni scored his first goal for Barcelona against Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...

. Geovanni made 21 La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

 appearances scoring 1 goal, mostly as a substitute. In his second season, he fell out with coach Carles Rexach and was not featured in Barcelona's starting 11 for the majority of the season and only played 5 league matches. Geovanni was then loaned out to Portuguese giants Benfica the following season. Geovanni had a very impressive loan spell there and was sold to Benfica later on that year. Geovanni finished his Barcelona career with 41 games scoring 2 goals.

Benfica

In 2003 Geovanni agreed on terms with Benfica and was signed for €15 million agreeing to a four-year deal, after an impressive spell with Benfica on loan from Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

. Geovanni scored his first goal for Benfica against Braga scoring a free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...

. Geovanni was a mainstay in the Benfica starting line-up and was hugely involved in winning 3 trophies for Benfica, 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...

, Portuguese League
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...

 and Portuguese Supercup. In 2004 and 2005, he was named "Benfica Player of the Year".

Despite having a successful career at Benfica, Geovanni cancelled his contract after having family troubles and returned to Brazil. Before leaving Benfica in 2006, Geovanni stated to the Portugesse press, "It has been a dream to play for Benfica and I hope to end my career here". Geovanni ended his career at Benfica with 114 appearances scoring 18 goals. Geovanni occasionally attends Benfica home matches in his free time.

Return to Brazil

In 2006 Geovanni rejoined Cruzeiro, signing a one-year deal. He was greeted at the airport by over 1,000 fans. Geovanni made his debut scoring twice against Botafogo
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas , also known as Botafogo and familiarly as Estrela Solitária, is a Brazilian sports club based in Botafogo, neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, best known for its football team. They play in the Campeonato Carioca, Rio de Janeiro's state league, and the Campeonato...

. After a year in Brazil dealing with his family troubles, Geovanni was certain he was returning to Europe. In his second spell with Cruzeiro, Geovanni played 19 games scoring 2 goals.

Manchester City

After a short trial at Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

 in July 2007 he decided to join Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

 on a one-year deal on 17 July 2007. On 11 August Geovanni scored on his debut for City in a 2–0 victory over West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

. Soon after, he played as a starter and scored the only goal in City's 1–0 win over local rivals Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 to continue Manchester City's 100% start to the season with three wins in a row, their best start to a Premier League campaign, until the 2011-12 season. Geovanni's also scored against Wigan Athletic on 1 December 2007. On 3 July 2008, Geovanni was released by Manchester City. Geovanni played 19 league games and scored 3 goals.

Hull City

On 4 July 2008 it was announced that Geovanni would be joining Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

 subject to passing a medical. The deal was confirmed the following day. He scored Hull's first ever Premier League goal on his debut against Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

 on 16 August and was voted Man of the Match. Hull went on to win the game 2–1 after Caleb Folan
Caleb Folan
Caleb Colman Folan is an Irish footballer who plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer as a striker. He qualifies to play for the Republic of Ireland through his grandfather, who was from Inis Mór, and his grandmother, from Galway.-Early career:Born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, Folan started...

 scored the winning goal.

On 27 September he scored his second Premier League goal for City with a 30-yard equalizer against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

. Hull would go on to score again and record their first ever away win over Arsenal (as well as only Arsenal's second loss at the Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...

), defeating the London club 2–1. This goal won Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...

's Goal of the Month competition for September. The following weekend, Geovanni scored a 30 yard free kick in a 1–0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

 at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....

. Geovanni's next goal came two weeks later when Hull beat West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

 3–0 to give the team four consecutive wins in a row. The midfielder scored with a diving header which came from a cross by Marlon King
Marlon King
Marlon Francis King is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Birmingham City. After starting his career in non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet, he played for Barnet, Gillingham, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest before moving to Watford in 2005...

. On 1 November he scored a penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...

 against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 in a seven-goal thriller which Hull lost 4–3. He also scored in the 2–2 home draw against former club Manchester City on 16 November.

He finished the season as Hull's top goalscorer as they narrowly avoided relegation. He signed a new two-year contract with Hull in September 2009, which would expire in June 2011.

Geovanni started well in the 2009–10 season for Hull City scoring four goals in just seven games, including strikes against Southend, Wolves, Liverpool and Wigan. In the match against Burnley at Turfmoor on 31 October 2009 a Geovanni free kick was spilt by Brian Jensen into the net but was disallowed due to pushing in the wall, and then later in the match he was sent off for a second yellow card for dissent. He agreed to cancel his contract with Hull on 5 July 2010.

San Jose Earthquakes

On 16 August 2010, Geovanni agreed to terms with the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....

 of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...

, becoming the club's first designated player. On 20 August 2010 it was announce that Geovanni
Geovanni
Geovanni Deiberson Maurício Gómez , known simply as Geovanni, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for Vitória...

 will wear the number 77 shirt and make his debut against the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...

 on 21 August 2010 in the California Clasico
California Clasico
The California Clasico is a soccer rivalry between two Major League Soccer teams, the Los Angeles Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes, which existed from 1996 to 2005 and was resumed in 2008. This rivalry originated from the historical Northern California vs...

. On 5 September 2010, Geovanni made his first start for the Earthquakes and notched a goal and an assist in a 2–1 away win against the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...

. Geovanni's option on his contract was not picked up by the club at the end of the 2010 season.
Later in 2010 he was heavily linked with his old friend Phil Brown, the recently appointed Preston North End manager.

Vitória

On 30 January 2011 he was announced as the new player of Vitória. On 27 February, he scored twice in a 2–0 win against Bahia de Feira. Two weeks later, he netted a goal and delivered an assist in a 4–2 win against Juazeiro.

International career

Geovanni's first and only international appearance for Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...

's was in a 1–0 defeat to Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...

 in the 2001 Copa América. Geovanni has also represented Brazil
Brazil Olympic football team
Brazil Olympic football team represents Brazil in international football competitions in Olympic Games. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except three overage players. The team is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation...

 in the 2000 Olympic football tournament
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...

.

Honours

Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...

  • Copa do Brasil
    Copa do Brasil
    The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...

    : 2000


Benfica
  • Portuguese Liga
    Portuguese Liga
    The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...

    : 2004–05
  • Taça de Portugal
    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...

    : 2004
  • Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2005

Club career

As of 14 May 2010
|-
|1997|||Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...

||rowspan="4"|Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

||7||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||7||0
|-
|1998|||América-MG
América Futebol Clube (MG)
América Futebol Clube is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on April 30, 1912....

||15||1||2||0||colspan="2"|-||17||1
|-
|1999||rowspan="2"|Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...

||17||2||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||17||2
|-
|2000
Copa João Havelange
Copa João Havelange was the 30th season of the Campeonato Brasileiro, the top-level of professional football in Brazil. Due to legal complications, the championship was organized by Clube dos 13 instead of CBF, and was contested by 116 teams divided in modules, equivalent to their division -...

||22||9||11||5||colspan="2"|-||33||14

|-
|2001–02||rowspan="2"|Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

||rowspan="2"|La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

||21||1||colspan="2"|-||10||0||31||1
|-
|2002–03||5||0||colspan="2"|-||5||1||10||1

|-
|2002–03||rowspan="4"|Benfica||rowspan="4"|Portuguese Liga
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...

||17||3||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||17||3
|-
|2003–04||20||5||colspan="2"|-||8||1||28||6
|-
|2004–05||30||6||colspan="2"|-||7||0||37||6
|-
|2005–06||24||2||colspan="2"|-||8||1||32||3

|-
|2006||rowspan="2"|Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...

||rowspan="2"|Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

||12||2||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||12||2
|-
|2007||2||0||5||0||colspan="2"|-||7||0

|-
|2007–08|||Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

||rowspan="3"|Premier League||19||3||41||01||colspan="2"|-||20||3
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="2"|Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

||34||8||3||0||colspan="2"|-||37||8
|-
|2009–10||26||3||22||22||colspan="2"|-||28||5
75||14||18||5||colspan="2"|-||93||19
26||1||colspan="2"|-||15||1||41||2
91||16||colspan="2"|-||23||2||114||18
79||14||9||2||colspan="2"|-||68||16
271||45||27||7||38||3||336||55
Geovanni Deiberson Maurício Gómez (born 11 January 1980 in Acaiaca
Acaiaca
Acaiaca is a city in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. In 2004 its population was estimated to be 4,043. It is the birth place of Geovanni, the attacking midfield football player formerly of Barcelona, Benfica and Manchester City.-See also:...

), known simply as Geovanni, is a Brazilian footballer
Football in Brazil
Football is the most popular sport in Brazil. The Brazilian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup tournament a record 5 times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002, and is the only team to succeed in qualifying for every World Cup competition ever held. It is among the favourites to win...

 who currently plays for 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...

. He is mostly used as an attacking midfielder, but is also able to play on both wings and up front.

Early career

When Geovanni emerged from the youth set-up at Cruzeiro most Brazilian critics were intrigued by his talents and believed he could become a great player at the highest level. When Geovanni was 18 he enjoyed a successful loan spell at America
América Futebol Clube (MG)
América Futebol Clube is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on April 30, 1912....

, scoring one goal in 15 games at the right wing position. He instantly commanded a first team place at the Brazilian team. Once his loan spell had finished he immediately found his way into the first team of Cruzeiro and was a fan favourite at the Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country...

 club.

Barcelona

Geovanni was purchased by Barcelona for €20 million in summer 2001, signing a four-year deal, despite reported interest from Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

 and Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...

. Geovanni scored his first goal for Barcelona against Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...

. Geovanni made 21 La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

 appearances scoring 1 goal, mostly as a substitute. In his second season, he fell out with coach Carles Rexach and was not featured in Barcelona's starting 11 for the majority of the season and only played 5 league matches. Geovanni was then loaned out to Portuguese giants Benfica the following season. Geovanni had a very impressive loan spell there and was sold to Benfica later on that year. Geovanni finished his Barcelona career with 41 games scoring 2 goals.

Benfica

In 2003 Geovanni agreed on terms with Benfica and was signed for €15 million agreeing to a four-year deal, after an impressive spell with Benfica on loan from Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

. Geovanni scored his first goal for Benfica against Braga scoring a free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...

. Geovanni was a mainstay in the Benfica starting line-up and was hugely involved in winning 3 trophies for Benfica, 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...

, Portuguese League
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...

 and Portuguese Supercup. In 2004 and 2005, he was named "Benfica Player of the Year".

Despite having a successful career at Benfica, Geovanni cancelled his contract after having family troubles and returned to Brazil. Before leaving Benfica in 2006, Geovanni stated to the Portugesse press, "It has been a dream to play for Benfica and I hope to end my career here". Geovanni ended his career at Benfica with 114 appearances scoring 18 goals. Geovanni occasionally attends Benfica home matches in his free time.

Return to Brazil

In 2006 Geovanni rejoined Cruzeiro, signing a one-year deal. He was greeted at the airport by over 1,000 fans. Geovanni made his debut scoring twice against Botafogo
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas , also known as Botafogo and familiarly as Estrela Solitária, is a Brazilian sports club based in Botafogo, neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, best known for its football team. They play in the Campeonato Carioca, Rio de Janeiro's state league, and the Campeonato...

. After a year in Brazil dealing with his family troubles, Geovanni was certain he was returning to Europe. In his second spell with Cruzeiro, Geovanni played 19 games scoring 2 goals.

Manchester City

After a short trial at Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

 in July 2007 he decided to join Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

 on a one-year deal on 17 July 2007. On 11 August Geovanni scored on his debut for City in a 2–0 victory over West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

. Soon after, he played as a starter and scored the only goal in City's 1–0 win over local rivals Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 to continue Manchester City's 100% start to the season with three wins in a row, their best start to a Premier League campaign, until the 2011-12 season. Geovanni's also scored against Wigan Athletic on 1 December 2007. On 3 July 2008, Geovanni was released by Manchester City. Geovanni played 19 league games and scored 3 goals.

Hull City

On 4 July 2008 it was announced that Geovanni would be joining Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

 subject to passing a medical. The deal was confirmed the following day. He scored Hull's first ever Premier League goal on his debut against Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

 on 16 August and was voted Man of the Match. Hull went on to win the game 2–1 after Caleb Folan
Caleb Folan
Caleb Colman Folan is an Irish footballer who plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer as a striker. He qualifies to play for the Republic of Ireland through his grandfather, who was from Inis Mór, and his grandmother, from Galway.-Early career:Born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, Folan started...

 scored the winning goal.

On 27 September he scored his second Premier League goal for City with a 30-yard equalizer against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

. Hull would go on to score again and record their first ever away win over Arsenal (as well as only Arsenal's second loss at the Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...

), defeating the London club 2–1. This goal won Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...

's Goal of the Month competition for September. The following weekend, Geovanni scored a 30 yard free kick in a 1–0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

 at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....

. Geovanni's next goal came two weeks later when Hull beat West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

 3–0 to give the team four consecutive wins in a row. The midfielder scored with a diving header which came from a cross by Marlon King
Marlon King
Marlon Francis King is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Birmingham City. After starting his career in non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet, he played for Barnet, Gillingham, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest before moving to Watford in 2005...

. On 1 November he scored a penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...

 against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 in a seven-goal thriller which Hull lost 4–3. He also scored in the 2–2 home draw against former club Manchester City on 16 November.

He finished the season as Hull's top goalscorer as they narrowly avoided relegation. He signed a new two-year contract with Hull in September 2009, which would expire in June 2011.

Geovanni started well in the 2009–10 season for Hull City scoring four goals in just seven games, including strikes against Southend, Wolves, Liverpool and Wigan. In the match against Burnley at Turfmoor on 31 October 2009 a Geovanni free kick was spilt by Brian Jensen into the net but was disallowed due to pushing in the wall, and then later in the match he was sent off for a second yellow card for dissent. He agreed to cancel his contract with Hull on 5 July 2010.

San Jose Earthquakes

On 16 August 2010, Geovanni agreed to terms with the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....

 of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...

, becoming the club's first designated player. On 20 August 2010 it was announce that Geovanni
Geovanni
Geovanni Deiberson Maurício Gómez , known simply as Geovanni, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for Vitória...

 will wear the number 77 shirt and make his debut against the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...

 on 21 August 2010 in the California Clasico
California Clasico
The California Clasico is a soccer rivalry between two Major League Soccer teams, the Los Angeles Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes, which existed from 1996 to 2005 and was resumed in 2008. This rivalry originated from the historical Northern California vs...

. On 5 September 2010, Geovanni made his first start for the Earthquakes and notched a goal and an assist in a 2–1 away win against the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...

. Geovanni's option on his contract was not picked up by the club at the end of the 2010 season.
Later in 2010 he was heavily linked with his old friend Phil Brown, the recently appointed Preston North End manager.

Vitória

On 30 January 2011 he was announced as the new player of Vitória. On 27 February, he scored twice in a 2–0 win against Bahia de Feira. Two weeks later, he netted a goal and delivered an assist in a 4–2 win against Juazeiro.

International career

Geovanni's first and only international appearance for Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...

's was in a 1–0 defeat to Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...

 in the 2001 Copa América. Geovanni has also represented Brazil
Brazil Olympic football team
Brazil Olympic football team represents Brazil in international football competitions in Olympic Games. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except three overage players. The team is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation...

 in the 2000 Olympic football tournament
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...

.

Honours

Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...

  • Copa do Brasil
    Copa do Brasil
    The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...

    : 2000


Benfica
  • Portuguese Liga
    Portuguese Liga
    The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...

    : 2004–05
  • Taça de Portugal
    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...

    : 2004
  • Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2005

Club career

As of 14 May 2010
|-
|1997|||Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...

||rowspan="4"|Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

||7||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||7||0
|-
|1998|||América-MG
América Futebol Clube (MG)
América Futebol Clube is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on April 30, 1912....

||15||1||2||0||colspan="2"|-||17||1
|-
|1999||rowspan="2"|Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...

||17||2||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||17||2
|-
|2000
Copa João Havelange
Copa João Havelange was the 30th season of the Campeonato Brasileiro, the top-level of professional football in Brazil. Due to legal complications, the championship was organized by Clube dos 13 instead of CBF, and was contested by 116 teams divided in modules, equivalent to their division -...

||22||9||11||5||colspan="2"|-||33||14

|-
|2001–02||rowspan="2"|Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

||rowspan="2"|La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

||21||1||colspan="2"|-||10||0||31||1
|-
|2002–03||5||0||colspan="2"|-||5||1||10||1

|-
|2002–03||rowspan="4"|Benfica||rowspan="4"|Portuguese Liga
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...

||17||3||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||17||3
|-
|2003–04||20||5||colspan="2"|-||8||1||28||6
|-
|2004–05||30||6||colspan="2"|-||7||0||37||6
|-
|2005–06||24||2||colspan="2"|-||8||1||32||3

|-
|2006||rowspan="2"|Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...

||rowspan="2"|Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

||12||2||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||12||2
|-
|2007||2||0||5||0||colspan="2"|-||7||0

|-
|2007–08|||Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

||rowspan="3"|Premier League||19||3||41||01||colspan="2"|-||20||3
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="2"|Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

||34||8||3||0||colspan="2"|-||37||8
|-
|2009–10||26||3||22||22||colspan="2"|-||28||5
75||14||18||5||colspan="2"|-||93||19
26||1||colspan="2"|-||15||1||41||2
91||16||colspan="2"|-||23||2||114||18
79||14||9||2||colspan="2"|-||68||16
271||45||27||7||38||3||336||55
Geovanni Deiberson Maurício Gómez (born 11 January 1980 in Acaiaca
Acaiaca
Acaiaca is a city in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. In 2004 its population was estimated to be 4,043. It is the birth place of Geovanni, the attacking midfield football player formerly of Barcelona, Benfica and Manchester City.-See also:...

), known simply as Geovanni, is a Brazilian footballer
Football in Brazil
Football is the most popular sport in Brazil. The Brazilian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup tournament a record 5 times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002, and is the only team to succeed in qualifying for every World Cup competition ever held. It is among the favourites to win...

 who currently plays for 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...

. He is mostly used as an attacking midfielder, but is also able to play on both wings and up front.

Early career

When Geovanni emerged from the youth set-up at Cruzeiro most Brazilian critics were intrigued by his talents and believed he could become a great player at the highest level. When Geovanni was 18 he enjoyed a successful loan spell at America
América Futebol Clube (MG)
América Futebol Clube is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on April 30, 1912....

, scoring one goal in 15 games at the right wing position. He instantly commanded a first team place at the Brazilian team. Once his loan spell had finished he immediately found his way into the first team of Cruzeiro and was a fan favourite at the Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country...

 club.

Barcelona

Geovanni was purchased by Barcelona for €20 million in summer 2001, signing a four-year deal, despite reported interest from Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

 and Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...

. Geovanni scored his first goal for Barcelona against Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...

. Geovanni made 21 La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

 appearances scoring 1 goal, mostly as a substitute. In his second season, he fell out with coach Carles Rexach and was not featured in Barcelona's starting 11 for the majority of the season and only played 5 league matches. Geovanni was then loaned out to Portuguese giants Benfica the following season. Geovanni had a very impressive loan spell there and was sold to Benfica later on that year. Geovanni finished his Barcelona career with 41 games scoring 2 goals.

Benfica

In 2003 Geovanni agreed on terms with Benfica and was signed for €15 million agreeing to a four-year deal, after an impressive spell with Benfica on loan from Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

. Geovanni scored his first goal for Benfica against Braga scoring a free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...

. Geovanni was a mainstay in the Benfica starting line-up and was hugely involved in winning 3 trophies for Benfica, 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...

, Portuguese League
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...

 and Portuguese Supercup. In 2004 and 2005, he was named "Benfica Player of the Year".

Despite having a successful career at Benfica, Geovanni cancelled his contract after having family troubles and returned to Brazil. Before leaving Benfica in 2006, Geovanni stated to the Portugesse press, "It has been a dream to play for Benfica and I hope to end my career here". Geovanni ended his career at Benfica with 114 appearances scoring 18 goals. Geovanni occasionally attends Benfica home matches in his free time.

Return to Brazil

In 2006 Geovanni rejoined Cruzeiro, signing a one-year deal. He was greeted at the airport by over 1,000 fans. Geovanni made his debut scoring twice against Botafogo
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas , also known as Botafogo and familiarly as Estrela Solitária, is a Brazilian sports club based in Botafogo, neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, best known for its football team. They play in the Campeonato Carioca, Rio de Janeiro's state league, and the Campeonato...

. After a year in Brazil dealing with his family troubles, Geovanni was certain he was returning to Europe. In his second spell with Cruzeiro, Geovanni played 19 games scoring 2 goals.

Manchester City

After a short trial at Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

 in July 2007 he decided to join Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

 on a one-year deal on 17 July 2007. On 11 August Geovanni scored on his debut for City in a 2–0 victory over West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

. Soon after, he played as a starter and scored the only goal in City's 1–0 win over local rivals Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 to continue Manchester City's 100% start to the season with three wins in a row, their best start to a Premier League campaign, until the 2011-12 season. Geovanni's also scored against Wigan Athletic on 1 December 2007. On 3 July 2008, Geovanni was released by Manchester City. Geovanni played 19 league games and scored 3 goals.

Hull City

On 4 July 2008 it was announced that Geovanni would be joining Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

 subject to passing a medical. The deal was confirmed the following day. He scored Hull's first ever Premier League goal on his debut against Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

 on 16 August and was voted Man of the Match. Hull went on to win the game 2–1 after Caleb Folan
Caleb Folan
Caleb Colman Folan is an Irish footballer who plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer as a striker. He qualifies to play for the Republic of Ireland through his grandfather, who was from Inis Mór, and his grandmother, from Galway.-Early career:Born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, Folan started...

 scored the winning goal.

On 27 September he scored his second Premier League goal for City with a 30-yard equalizer against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

. Hull would go on to score again and record their first ever away win over Arsenal (as well as only Arsenal's second loss at the Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...

), defeating the London club 2–1. This goal won Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...

's Goal of the Month competition for September. The following weekend, Geovanni scored a 30 yard free kick in a 1–0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

 at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....

. Geovanni's next goal came two weeks later when Hull beat West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

 3–0 to give the team four consecutive wins in a row. The midfielder scored with a diving header which came from a cross by Marlon King
Marlon King
Marlon Francis King is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Birmingham City. After starting his career in non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet, he played for Barnet, Gillingham, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest before moving to Watford in 2005...

. On 1 November he scored a penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...

 against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 in a seven-goal thriller which Hull lost 4–3. He also scored in the 2–2 home draw against former club Manchester City on 16 November.

He finished the season as Hull's top goalscorer as they narrowly avoided relegation. He signed a new two-year contract with Hull in September 2009, which would expire in June 2011.

Geovanni started well in the 2009–10 season for Hull City scoring four goals in just seven games, including strikes against Southend, Wolves, Liverpool and Wigan. In the match against Burnley at Turfmoor on 31 October 2009 a Geovanni free kick was spilt by Brian Jensen into the net but was disallowed due to pushing in the wall, and then later in the match he was sent off for a second yellow card for dissent. He agreed to cancel his contract with Hull on 5 July 2010.

San Jose Earthquakes

On 16 August 2010, Geovanni agreed to terms with the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....

 of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...

, becoming the club's first designated player. On 20 August 2010 it was announce that Geovanni
Geovanni
Geovanni Deiberson Maurício Gómez , known simply as Geovanni, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for Vitória...

 will wear the number 77 shirt and make his debut against the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...

 on 21 August 2010 in the California Clasico
California Clasico
The California Clasico is a soccer rivalry between two Major League Soccer teams, the Los Angeles Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes, which existed from 1996 to 2005 and was resumed in 2008. This rivalry originated from the historical Northern California vs...

. On 5 September 2010, Geovanni made his first start for the Earthquakes and notched a goal and an assist in a 2–1 away win against the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...

. Geovanni's option on his contract was not picked up by the club at the end of the 2010 season.
Later in 2010 he was heavily linked with his old friend Phil Brown, the recently appointed Preston North End manager.

Vitória

On 30 January 2011 he was announced as the new player of Vitória. On 27 February, he scored twice in a 2–0 win against Bahia de Feira. Two weeks later, he netted a goal and delivered an assist in a 4–2 win against Juazeiro.

International career

Geovanni's first and only international appearance for Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...

's was in a 1–0 defeat to Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...

 in the 2001 Copa América. Geovanni has also represented Brazil
Brazil Olympic football team
Brazil Olympic football team represents Brazil in international football competitions in Olympic Games. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except three overage players. The team is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation...

 in the 2000 Olympic football tournament
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...

.

Honours

Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...

  • Copa do Brasil
    Copa do Brasil
    The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...

    : 2000


Benfica
  • Portuguese Liga
    Portuguese Liga
    The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...

    : 2004–05
  • Taça de Portugal
    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...

    : 2004
  • Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2005

Club career

As of 14 May 2010
|-
|1997|||Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...

||rowspan="4"|Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

||7||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||7||0
|-
|1998|||América-MG
América Futebol Clube (MG)
América Futebol Clube is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on April 30, 1912....

||15||1||2||0||colspan="2"|-||17||1
|-
|1999||rowspan="2"|Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...

||17||2||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||17||2
|-
|2000
Copa João Havelange
Copa João Havelange was the 30th season of the Campeonato Brasileiro, the top-level of professional football in Brazil. Due to legal complications, the championship was organized by Clube dos 13 instead of CBF, and was contested by 116 teams divided in modules, equivalent to their division -...

||22||9||11||5||colspan="2"|-||33||14

|-
|2001–02||rowspan="2"|Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

||rowspan="2"|La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

||21||1||colspan="2"|-||10||0||31||1
|-
|2002–03||5||0||colspan="2"|-||5||1||10||1

|-
|2002–03||rowspan="4"|Benfica||rowspan="4"|Portuguese Liga
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...

||17||3||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||17||3
|-
|2003–04||20||5||colspan="2"|-||8||1||28||6
|-
|2004–05||30||6||colspan="2"|-||7||0||37||6
|-
|2005–06||24||2||colspan="2"|-||8||1||32||3

|-
|2006||rowspan="2"|Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...

||rowspan="2"|Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...

||12||2||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||12||2
|-
|2007||2||0||5||0||colspan="2"|-||7||0

|-
|2007–08|||Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

||rowspan="3"|Premier League||19||3||41||01||colspan="2"|-||20||3
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="2"|Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

||34||8||3||0||colspan="2"|-||37||8
|-
|2009–10||26||3||22||22||colspan="2"|-||28||5
75||14||18||5||colspan="2"|-||93||19
26||1||colspan="2"|-||15||1||41||2
91||16||colspan="2"|-||23||2||114||18
79||14||9||2||colspan="2"|-||68||16
271||45||27||7||38||3||336||55

1Including 3 matches in 2007–08 Football League Cup
2Including 1 match and 1 goal in 2009–10 Football League Cup
2009–10 Football League Cup
The 2009–10 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, was the 50th season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs....


International career

International appearances and goals
Team # Date Venue Opponent Result Goal Competition
2000
Brazil U-23
Brazil Olympic football team
Brazil Olympic football team represents Brazil in international football competitions in Olympic Games. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except three overage players. The team is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation...

 
1. 9 August 2000 Ovalle, Chile 5–3 0 Friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...

2. 12 August 2000 Florianópolis
Florianópolis
-Climate:Florianópolis experiences a warm humid subtropical climate, falling just short of a true tropical climate. The seasons of the year are distinct, with a well-defined summer and winter, and characteristic weather for autumn and spring. Frost is infrequent, but occurs occasionally in the winter...

, Brazil
3–0 0 Friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...

7 September 2000 Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...

, Australia
  Brisbane Strikers
Brisbane Strikers
The Brisbane Strikers are an Australian football club from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia who play in the Queensland State League.-National Soccer League:...

 
3–0 0 Unofficial friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...

10 September 2000 Sydney, Australia   Marconi Fairfield  4–0 1 Unofficial friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...

3. 14 September 2000 Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

, Australia
3–1 0 2000 Olympic Games
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...

4. 17 September 2000 Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

, Australia
1–3 0 2000 Olympic Games
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...

5. 20 September 2000 Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

, Australia
1–0 0 2000 Olympic Games
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...

6. 23 September 2000 Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

, Australia
1–2 0 2000 Olympic Games
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...

2001
Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...

 
1. 12 July 2001 Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...

, Colombia
0–1 0 2001 Copa América

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK