Gilberto Silva
Encyclopedia
Gilberto Aparecido da Silva, (ʒiɫˈbeʁtu ˈsiɫvɐ; born 7 October 1976) commonly known as Gilberto Silva, is a Brazilian footballer
. He currently plays for Grêmio.
Gilberto was raised in a poor family and as a child he balanced playing football with various labour jobs. He began his football career in 1997 with América Mineiro
, where good form earned him a move to Atlético Mineiro
in 2000. He became a star player for Atlético, playing for three years in the Brazilian
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
. He came to particular prominence when he helped the Brazilian national team
win the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, playing in all seven of Brazil's matches.
In August 2002, for a fee of £4.5 million, he joined Arsenal, with whom he won the 2004 FA Premier League
as an 'Invincible', and two FA Cup
trophies. In his first five seasons with the club, he played 208 games and scored 23 goals. On 19 August 2006 he scored Arsenal's first competitive goal at the newly built Emirates Stadium
. He was made vice-captain of Arsenal in 2006. He has also scored Arsenal's fastest ever goal coming in at just 20 seconds in a game against PSV in the champions league. During his time with the Gunners, Gilberto developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe. In 2007, he was selected as Brazil captain for the Copa América
tournament, which Brazil went on to win.
with his father (a blacksmith
), his mother (a housewife
) and three sisters. His family lived in a small house which his father built, in the district of Usina Luciânia. Despite financial hardship, causing his sisters and him to share a single room, he had a relatively carefree childhood: he describes it as "[a time when] I had no responsibility in my life, I played football on the street with cousins and friends, and we never had any contact with drugs or violence".
In 1988 (aged 12), he got the chance to break out of poverty by playing football, joining América Mineiro as a youth player. It was during these years at América Mineiro that Gilberto was taught defensive discipline by playing as a central defender. When not playing football, Gilberto was taught furniture-making skills by his father, which he would come to use in the following years. In 1991, Gilberto's father retired leaving the 15-year-old to provide financially for his whole family, a task made more difficult by his mother's ill-health.
Because of the low wage at América Mineiro, he was forced to quit football to take various jobs as a labourer, a carpenter, and a worker in a sweet factory. It looked as if this would be the end of his childhood dream. As a factory-worker Gilberto earned the equivalent of about £50 a month by 2002 rates. After three years of working in a factory, the 18-year-old decided to try his luck at football again by enrolling in the local club's youth academy. His time in the academy did not last long due to the worsening situation at home as a result of his mother's ill health; he returned to work in the sweet factory with little hope of resurrecting his football career.
division, and consequently gain promotion to Série A
.
During Gilberto's third season at América Mineiro, with the team back to Série B after relegation in Série A in 1999, he played 20 games and scored one goal, helping the club to finish runners-up in the league. In 2000, aged 24, he joined rival club Atlético Mineiro. In his first season for the club, he fractured his right tibia
and, as a result, missed a number of games. In his second season, he was moved by the manager Carlos Alberto Parreira
from central defence to a defensive midfield role where he flourished. He scored three goals in the 2001 season and became a revelation in Brazilian club football.
again." As a result, and led the chase to sign him. In August, while still under contract to Atlético Mineiro, Gilberto joined Arsenal on their pre-season tour of Austria
; while he had not yet signed for Arsenal the deal looked set to go ahead. However, complications arose when a transfer embargo was placed on Atlético Mineiro due to unpaid wages to some players at the club, including Gilberto. There was also an issue of obtaining a UK work permit
for Gilberto. Despite the complications, Gilberto ended a summer of speculation and joined Arsenal on 7 August 2002 for a fee of £4.5 million. Upon signing Gilberto, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger
said, "What I like was the fact that he kept things simple. He can play all across the midfield but the holding role just in front of the defence is what he does best."
When Gilberto moved to England and began training with Arsenal, he bought a house in St Albans
, South Hertfordshire
. Having been used to life in small Brazilian towns, he initially struggled to adapt to the new way of life in London. However, on the pitch, he settled in very quickly. On 11 August 2002 he made his Arsenal debut as a substitute against in the second half of the FA Community Shield
game in which he scored the winning goal. As the 2002–03 Premiership season began, Gilberto faced stiff competition for a place in midfield from compatriot Edu. After two substitute appearances, Gilberto finally broke into the starting eleven on 27 August, helping Arsenal to a 5–2 win against . Gilberto's good form continued as he set a new record for the fastest goal scored in the UEFA Champions League
, scoring after 20.07 seconds against PSV on 25 September 2002. However, his legal problems continued, since his transfer to England still was not fully resolved. As a result Gilberto instructed his lawyers to start legal proceedings against Atlético Mineiro for unpaid wages in November 2002. For the second half of the 2002–03 season, he remained a regular starter in the Arsenal side. Even though he suffered a lapse in form towards the end of the season, he won an FA Cup
winner's medal, playing in the final at the Millennium Stadium
as Arsenal beat 1–0.
2003–04 was an even better season for Gilberto, as he was instrumental in helping Arsenal win the FA Premier League
title whilst going the entire season unbeaten. He played in 32 of Arsenal's 38 unbeaten Premiership games during the season. His next season started equally impressively, as he scored the first goal in Arsenal's 3–1 FA Community Shield win over at the Millennium Stadium. During the opening games of the season, he started to experience severe pain in his back, and after a match at Bolton on 27 September 2004, a scan revealed he had fractured his back. At first it was reported that he would be out of action for a month. Later reports suggested the injury could be season-threatening.
Gilberto's doctor ordered him to wear a back brace for three months to aid the healing of the fractured bone. Gilberto returned to his native Brazil for the duration of his rehabilitation. During his time there, he doubted whether he would ever be able to play football again, due to speculation that his injury could threaten his career. Despite his concerns, his long rehabilitation time paid off as he made a full recovery. He made his footballing comeback in Arsenal's 4–1 victory over on 22 April 2005. During the whole 2004–05 season, Gilberto was injured for 7 months and played only 17 games. His absence, combined with Arsenal's slump in form at the time, led to much discussion regarding the importance of Gilberto to the Arsenal team; some suggesting that Arsenal struggled without him. Gilberto's difficult 2004–05 season ended in consolation as Arsenal finished runners-up in the Premiership and won the FA Cup against Manchester United on penalties
.
In June 2005, football agent Jacques Lichtenstein took Atlético Mineiro to court over Gilberto's transfer in 2002. Lichtenstein's lawyer argued that he and his informal partner, Ronny Rosenthal
, never received an allegedly agreed 10% commission from Gilberto's £4.5 million transfer to Arsenal from Atlético Mineiro in July 2002. Arsène Wenger and Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein
both gave evidence in court, saying that Arsenal dealt directly with Atlético Mineiro and that no agent was involved in the deal. The case was conducted before The Hon. Mr Justice Jack, who on 29 June ruled against Lichtenstein, and ordered the claimants pay Atletico Minéiro £94,000 in legal costs. A year later, the case could have caused problems for Arsenal, when former player Ashley Cole
criticised the club for "hypocrisy and double standards" in the way they approached Gilberto.
With legal matters subsided, the 2005–06 season began. Following midfielder and team captain Patrick Vieira
's departure from Arsenal, Gilberto became a senior member of the Arsenal team. Shortly into the season, in September 2005, his desire to see his career out with the club led to Gilberto extending his Arsenal contract to June 2009. A month later this loyalty was repaid when, on 18 October 2005, Gilberto made his first appearance for Arsenal as captain, against Sparta Prague. Although Gilberto had a period of bad form during the winter months of the season, his good defensive performances during the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League (in particular, games against Real Madrid
, Juventus
and Villarreal
) gained him praise. On 17 May 2006 Gilberto played for Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League Final against FC Barcelona
, which Arsenal lost 2–1. During the summer which followed the 2005–06 season, Milan and Lyon
were both rumoured to have expressed an interest in signing Gilberto. Neither clubs followed up with official offers.
Following the departure of defender Sol Campbell
and retirement of striker Dennis Bergkamp
in the summer of 2006, Gilberto was announced as Arsenal's vice-captain for the 2006–07 season. He began the season well, as he scored the first ever goal at the Dutch DSB Stadion in a pre-season friendly match. He then scored Arsenal's first ever goal in a competitive match at the Emirates Stadium
in a 1–1 draw with Aston Villa. His good form continued for Arsenal as he scored several league goals, garnering praise for his performances as stand-in captain while Thierry Henry
was injured. The turn of 2007 saw Gilberto linked to Juventus, a rumour which Arsène Wenger quickly dismissed. Gilberto and his agent (Paulo Villana) also reiterated the player's desire to honour his contract with the Gunners. Meanwhile, Gilberto's good form carried through to the second half of the season. Even though Arsenal only managed to finish fourth in the league, he ended the season as Arsenal's second highest scorer with ten Premiership goals. The explanation for his unusually high tally is the fact that Henry suffered two lengthy injury spells, in which Gilberto stepped up as captain to take penalties. Gilberto's goal scoring record combined with his own good form in midfield and his leadership of Wenger's youthful squad led some Arsenal fans and football pundits to label Gilberto as Arsenal's best player of the season, and one of the best in the Premiership.
The buildup of the 2007–08 season saw Arsenal captain Thierry Henry leave the club to join Barcelona. This coupled with the fact that Gilberto was Arsenal's vice-captain during the 2006–07 season led many people to assume that Gilberto would take over Henry's role. However, to the surprise of Gilberto, William Gallas was given the captain's armband instead. In August, after returning to Arsenal's pre-season training late due to his involvement in the Copa America tournament (and thus missing the start of the season), Gilberto then lost his place in the first team to in-form midfielder Mathieu Flamini
. This reignited speculation linking Gilberto to Italy due to rumours that he was unhappy being on the bench at Arsenal. However, reports that he was being snubbed at the club were dismissed by Wenger, who insisted that Gilberto would remain at Arsenal to fight for his place. Despite this, in October 2007, rumours in the press reemerged that Gilberto was angry at Wenger for being asked to play in defence in a Carling Cup game against , and had resultantly refused to play. Gilberto ended up playing the game in midfield though, with he and Wenger both denying rumours of a rift with each other. Gilberto subsequently commented that while he was not happy being a substitute, he would remain professional and fight for his place at the club. Also in October, Gilberto ceded the Brazilian captaincy to Lúcio
upon his compatriot's return from injury. Though rumours persisted which suggested that Gilberto would leave Arsenal in the January 2008 transfer window, he ended up remaining with the club.
Through the winter months of the 2007–08 season, Gilberto started a limited number of games for The Gunners, though he kept his place in the Brazil team, starting several games for A Seleção. After becoming more and more frustrated with not playing regularly, Gilberto admitted in February 2008 that he had been made to feel "totally useless" by Wenger. Despite this, he declined to make a decision on his future; something which prompted Wenger to promise talks with Gilberto. Amidst Gilberto's frustration at Arsenal, he targeted playing in Brazil's Olympic bid in Beijing
during August 2008; a competition which he had never played in. Off the pitch, Gilberto was reported to have passed his UK Citizenship test, and that he would subsequently apply for a British passport. April saw Gilberto's season take a turn for the better; making 5 starts – a substantial portion of his seasonal total of 12 – even managing to score a goal. The goal came against Reading on 19 April, and despite its deflective nature leading to some classing it as a possible own goal, the Premier League's Dubious Goals Panel eventually credited the goal to Gilberto. However, Gilberto's return to favour did not stop Arsenal's 2007–08 season ending trophyless. The club subsequently faced the possibility of several players leaving; among those rumoured to leave was Flamini, the player who had kept Gilberto out of the first team. The Frenchman ended up moving to Milan on 6 May, and a subsequent gap was left in the Arsenal midfield. Gilberto became less likely to leave the club during Summer 2008 as a result, and Wenger remarked that he wanted to keep Gilberto; Gilberto saying he wanted to stay and possibly even renew his contract at Arsenal. Gilberto finished the 2007–08 season with 36 appearances for Arsenal, albeit only 12 of these being Premiership starts. Following Brazil's summer international games, he was seriously linked with a move to Greek club . The speculation concluded when Gilberto agreed terms with the Athenian side on 17 July 2008, for an undisclosed fee.
During his first season at Panathinaikos, Gilberto helped the side reach the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. He managed to win both the 2009–2010 Greek Championship and Cup with Panathinaikos, being the starting holding midfielder and producing numerous solid displays. In Gilberto's final home game for Panathinaikos, on 23 May 2011, he scored the wining goal in a 1–0 victory over PAOK F.C., for the Greek UEFA Champions League playoffs. 2 days later, he played his final game for the team, winning 2–0 against AEK Athens.
On 23 May 2011, Gilberto ended his 11-year career in Europe by signing an 18-month deal with Brazilian giants Grêmio
, of Porto Alegre
.
In the past, Gilberto has hinted that he may one day return to Brazil to play for Atlético Mineiro. After his football career finishes, he has said that he would like to, "Live in a small farm and ride a horse and have all of my family next to me."
for the 2002 World Cup qualification games. He made his international debut against Chile
on 7 October, coming on as a substitute. On 7 November, he made his debut in the starting line-up of the national team against Bolivia
. His international career continued to flourish in early 2002: he scored twice against Bolivia and once against Iceland. In 2002, he was a surprise inclusion in the Brazil squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
in South Korea and Japan. He was expected to play a bit part in the tournament. However, defensive midfielder and Brazilian team captain Emerson
was injured in training just before the first World Cup game. In light of the setback, coach Scolari called upon Gilberto to fill the gap which Emerson left. Gilberto ended up playing in every minute of every match of the tournament, which Brazil went on to win. In the words of Veja magazine
, Gilberto "carried the piano for Ronaldo
and Rivaldo
to play their tunes on". He was not without attacking use either, setting up Ronaldo's semi-final goal to put Brazil through to the final. It was Gilberto's performance in this tournament which led to him being classed as one of the top defensive midfielders in the world.
On 22 June 2005, Gilberto played in Brazil's 1–1 draw against Japan
, in his only game of the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
. His absence as a first team regular could be explained by his lack of games, and thus match fitness, for Arsenal during the season leading up to the tournament. Gilberto's appearance in the tournament gained him a winners medal, as Brazil went on to win the competition. On the back of his good Champions League form, Gilberto was selected for the Brazil national football team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
. Gilberto was substituted on in two games, and started twice due to another injury to Emerson. Brazil were beaten 1–0 by France
in the quarter final. Following Brazil's World Cup disappointment, midfielder Juninho
called for the older members of the Brazil squad (including Gilberto) to retire from international football. On the back of Gilberto's childhood idol Dunga
being appointed Brazil coach, Gilberto did not take Juninho's advice, and subsequently continued his international career.
On 1 June 2007, Gilberto captained Brazil for the first full England international at the new Wembley Stadium
. Having had a seemingly good headed goal disallowed after 20 minutes, he set up Brazil's only goal as the game ended 1–1. During the summer of 2007 Gilberto played in the Copa America tournament, in which he was chosen to captain Brazil in the absence of Lúcio. They went on to beat Argentina 3–0 in the final, though he missed the final game through suspension. Following the end of the 2007-08 Premiership season, Gilberto was called up to the Brazil national team for World Cup qualifiers during the summer as well as a tour of the United States.
for Brazil and Kolo Touré
for Arsenal, who are both known for their attacking runs forward with the ball. Gilberto's style of defending is unlike that of normal midfield enforcers. Whereas some midfielders such as Robbie Savage
and Roy Keane
are very strong in the challenge, Gilberto is more passive when he defends. Rather than tackle a player, he is more likely to shadow him, thus pushing him back. As a result, he has an unusually clean record for a defensive midfielder: he has twice gone 45 games or more without receiving a single booking
during his Arsenal career. This mentality earns him both praise and criticism.
Gilberto is good at helping to defend against opponents who play a long ball game because he often man marks the opposition's attacking target-man. This cuts off the opposition's supply to the strikers, and thus forces the long-ball team to play through the midfield, something to which long-ball teams are not particularly suited.
Despite Gilberto's high pass completion rate, his passing has been described as erratic in the past. A possible explanation for this, is Gilberto's short passing range. He is more likely to offload the ball frequently to midfield players close around him (such as Cesc Fàbregas
), thus easily gaining a high pass completion rate. These short-range passes often go unnoticed, while relatively infrequent long-range incomplete passes often receive negative attention, although not enough to significantly lower his overall pass completion rate.
According to ProZone (a data analysis system used by football managers) figures cited by The Sunday Times
in January 2007, Gilberto was, together with Paul Scholes
of Manchester United and Frank Lampard
of , one of the few midfielders in England to attain "the elite Champions League level" of performance.
Gilberto is known for his gentlemanly sportsmanship and cool, unfluttered temperament on the pitch. He rarely, if ever, gets into on-field confrontations, and is usually seen as a peacemaker during any bust-up. Off pitch, he has been described as polite, conscientious and soft-spoken by interviewers.
He is a patron of The Street League, a UK based charity which organises football matches for homeless people, refugee
s and asylum seekers. In June 2003, Gilberto travelled to Brazil
on tour with 17 Street League players. The tour included a visit to his home town Lagoa da Prata and games against local shanty town
teams at the Maracanã stadium
.
Gilberto is a keen musician. In his spare time, he plays the mandolin
and the guitar. When he first moved to England he took up mandolin lessons and played publicly at his local pub in St Albans. He later started learning the guitar instead. Like many Brazilian footballers he plays samba music with his teammates in the Seleção (the Brazilian national team) when they are relaxing in between international matches.
He has a Giant Anteater
named after him at London Zoo
. Gilberto is an adoptee of the animal, which he received from a London Zoo competition winner. The footballer described the South American animal as "my slightly more hairy brother!"
(Statistics correct as of 17 October 2011)
(Statistics correct as of 2 July 2010)
(Brackets indicate appearances in non-FIFA
matches, and do not count towards total)
:
Atlético-MG
:
Arsenal
Panathinaikos
International
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...
. He currently plays for Grêmio.
Gilberto was raised in a poor family and as a child he balanced playing football with various labour jobs. He began his football career in 1997 with América Mineiro
América Futebol Clube (MG)
América Futebol Clube is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on April 30, 1912....
, where good form earned him a move to Atlético Mineiro
Clube Atlético Mineiro
Clube Atlético Mineiro , are a Brazilian football club based in Belo Horizonte, the oldest in the city. Founded in 1908, they play in the Campeonato Mineiro and Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão. Atlético Mineiro have been Brazilian champions once, state winners a record 40 times and...
in 2000. He became a star player for Atlético, playing for three years in the Brazilian
Brazilian football league system
The Brazilian football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for football clubs in Brazil. It consists of several independent pyramids, which are the national pyramid, and the state pyramids. As those pyramids are independent, clubs usually compete in both pyramids in the same year...
Campeonato Brasileiro 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...
. He came to particular prominence when he helped the Brazilian national team
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...
win the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, playing in all seven of Brazil's matches.
In August 2002, for a fee of £4.5 million, he joined Arsenal, with whom he won the 2004 FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
as an 'Invincible', and two FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
trophies. In his first five seasons with the club, he played 208 games and scored 23 goals. On 19 August 2006 he scored Arsenal's first competitive goal at the newly built 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...
. He was made vice-captain of Arsenal in 2006. He has also scored Arsenal's fastest ever goal coming in at just 20 seconds in a game against PSV in the champions league. During his time with the Gunners, Gilberto developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe. In 2007, he was selected as Brazil captain for the Copa América
Copa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
tournament, which Brazil went on to win.
Early life
As a child, Gilberto lived in the city of Lagoa da PrataLagoa da Prata
Lagoa da Prata is a Brazilian city in the state of Minas Gerais. In 2006, its population was estimated to be 44,628. The city belongs to the mesoregion of Central Mineira and to the microregion of Bom Despacho.-Early history:...
with his father (a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
), his mother (a housewife
Housewife
Housewife is a term used to describe a married woman with household responsibilities who is not employed outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household...
) and three sisters. His family lived in a small house which his father built, in the district of Usina Luciânia. Despite financial hardship, causing his sisters and him to share a single room, he had a relatively carefree childhood: he describes it as "[a time when] I had no responsibility in my life, I played football on the street with cousins and friends, and we never had any contact with drugs or violence".
In 1988 (aged 12), he got the chance to break out of poverty by playing football, joining América Mineiro as a youth player. It was during these years at América Mineiro that Gilberto was taught defensive discipline by playing as a central defender. When not playing football, Gilberto was taught furniture-making skills by his father, which he would come to use in the following years. In 1991, Gilberto's father retired leaving the 15-year-old to provide financially for his whole family, a task made more difficult by his mother's ill-health.
Because of the low wage at América Mineiro, he was forced to quit football to take various jobs as a labourer, a carpenter, and a worker in a sweet factory. It looked as if this would be the end of his childhood dream. As a factory-worker Gilberto earned the equivalent of about £50 a month by 2002 rates. After three years of working in a factory, the 18-year-old decided to try his luck at football again by enrolling in the local club's youth academy. His time in the academy did not last long due to the worsening situation at home as a result of his mother's ill health; he returned to work in the sweet factory with little hope of resurrecting his football career.
Early career
In 1997, Gilberto's friends convinced him to give football another try, which led to him re-signing for América Mineiro on 1 June 1997, this time as a full-time professional. Aged 22, Gilberto played as a central defender for the first team. During his first season for América Mineiro he was regarded as a key player by the club, despite being criticised by some fans for inconsistency. He helped them win the Série BCampeonato Brasileiro Série B
The Série B is the second division of Brazilian football. It is played by 20 teams. However, the competition format has changed almost every year since it first occurred, in 1971. In some years, it was not played altogether...
division, and consequently gain promotion to 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...
.
During Gilberto's third season at América Mineiro, with the team back to Série B after relegation in Série A in 1999, he played 20 games and scored one goal, helping the club to finish runners-up in the league. In 2000, aged 24, he joined rival club Atlético Mineiro. In his first season for the club, he fractured his right tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
and, as a result, missed a number of games. In his second season, he was moved by the manager Carlos Alberto Parreira
Carlos Alberto Parreira
Carlos Alberto Gomes Parreira is a Brazilian former football manager. He managed Brazil to championships at the 1994 World Cup, the 2004 Copa América, and the 2005 Confederations Cup...
from central defence to a defensive midfield role where he flourished. He scored three goals in the 2001 season and became a revelation in Brazilian club football.
Senior career
Gilberto's performance in the 2002 FIFA World Cup caught the attention of many coaches. Gilberto expressed a desire to move to England, saying, "It would be fantastic to play against the likes of David BeckhamDavid Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
again." As a result, and led the chase to sign him. In August, while still under contract to Atlético Mineiro, Gilberto joined Arsenal on their pre-season tour of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
; while he had not yet signed for Arsenal the deal looked set to go ahead. However, complications arose when a transfer embargo was placed on Atlético Mineiro due to unpaid wages to some players at the club, including Gilberto. There was also an issue of obtaining a UK work permit
Work permit
Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment.It is most often used in reference to instances where a person is given permission to work in a country where one does not hold citizenship, but is also used in reference to minors, who in some...
for Gilberto. Despite the complications, Gilberto ended a summer of speculation and joined Arsenal on 7 August 2002 for a fee of £4.5 million. Upon signing Gilberto, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
said, "What I like was the fact that he kept things simple. He can play all across the midfield but the holding role just in front of the defence is what he does best."
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
, South Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. Having been used to life in small Brazilian towns, he initially struggled to adapt to the new way of life in London. However, on the pitch, he settled in very quickly. On 11 August 2002 he made his Arsenal debut as a substitute against in the second half of the FA Community Shield
FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
game in which he scored the winning goal. As the 2002–03 Premiership season began, Gilberto faced stiff competition for a place in midfield from compatriot Edu. After two substitute appearances, Gilberto finally broke into the starting eleven on 27 August, helping Arsenal to a 5–2 win against . Gilberto's good form continued as he set a new record for the fastest goal scored in the 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...
, scoring after 20.07 seconds against PSV on 25 September 2002. However, his legal problems continued, since his transfer to England still was not fully resolved. As a result Gilberto instructed his lawyers to start legal proceedings against Atlético Mineiro for unpaid wages in November 2002. For the second half of the 2002–03 season, he remained a regular starter in the Arsenal side. Even though he suffered a lapse in form towards the end of the season, he won an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winner's medal, playing in the final at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
as Arsenal beat 1–0.
2003–04 was an even better season for Gilberto, as he was instrumental in helping Arsenal win the FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
title whilst going the entire season unbeaten. He played in 32 of Arsenal's 38 unbeaten Premiership games during the season. His next season started equally impressively, as he scored the first goal in Arsenal's 3–1 FA Community Shield win over at the Millennium Stadium. During the opening games of the season, he started to experience severe pain in his back, and after a match at Bolton on 27 September 2004, a scan revealed he had fractured his back. At first it was reported that he would be out of action for a month. Later reports suggested the injury could be season-threatening.
Gilberto's doctor ordered him to wear a back brace for three months to aid the healing of the fractured bone. Gilberto returned to his native Brazil for the duration of his rehabilitation. During his time there, he doubted whether he would ever be able to play football again, due to speculation that his injury could threaten his career. Despite his concerns, his long rehabilitation time paid off as he made a full recovery. He made his footballing comeback in Arsenal's 4–1 victory over on 22 April 2005. During the whole 2004–05 season, Gilberto was injured for 7 months and played only 17 games. His absence, combined with Arsenal's slump in form at the time, led to much discussion regarding the importance of Gilberto to the Arsenal team; some suggesting that Arsenal struggled without him. Gilberto's difficult 2004–05 season ended in consolation as Arsenal finished runners-up in the Premiership and won the FA Cup against Manchester United on penalties
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
.
In June 2005, football agent Jacques Lichtenstein took Atlético Mineiro to court over Gilberto's transfer in 2002. Lichtenstein's lawyer argued that he and his informal partner, Ronny Rosenthal
Ronny Rosenthal
Ronny Rosenthal also known by the nickname Rocket Ronny is an Israeli former footballer. After starting his career in the city of his birth with Maccabi Haifa, Rosenthal went on to play in Belgium with Club Brugge and Standard Liège. He moved to Liverpool in 1990 for a fee of £1.1million, becoming...
, never received an allegedly agreed 10% commission from Gilberto's £4.5 million transfer to Arsenal from Atlético Mineiro in July 2002. Arsène Wenger and Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein
David Dein
David Barry Dein is the former vice-chairman of Arsenal Football Club and former vice-chairman of the Football Association. He was also the President of the G-14 group of European football clubs between October 2006 and May 2007 and has sat on various committees within FIFA and UEFA including...
both gave evidence in court, saying that Arsenal dealt directly with Atlético Mineiro and that no agent was involved in the deal. The case was conducted before The Hon. Mr Justice Jack, who on 29 June ruled against Lichtenstein, and ordered the claimants pay Atletico Minéiro £94,000 in legal costs. A year later, the case could have caused problems for Arsenal, when former player Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
criticised the club for "hypocrisy and double standards" in the way they approached Gilberto.
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City....
's departure from Arsenal, Gilberto became a senior member of the Arsenal team. Shortly into the season, in September 2005, his desire to see his career out with the club led to Gilberto extending his Arsenal contract to June 2009. A month later this loyalty was repaid when, on 18 October 2005, Gilberto made his first appearance for Arsenal as captain, against Sparta Prague. Although Gilberto had a period of bad form during the winter months of the season, his good defensive performances during the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League (in particular, games against Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, 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...
and Villarreal
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
) gained him praise. On 17 May 2006 Gilberto played for Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League Final against FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, which Arsenal lost 2–1. During the summer which followed the 2005–06 season, Milan and Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
were both rumoured to have expressed an interest in signing Gilberto. Neither clubs followed up with official offers.
Following the departure of defender Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...
and retirement of striker Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
in the summer of 2006, Gilberto was announced as Arsenal's vice-captain for the 2006–07 season. He began the season well, as he scored the first ever goal at the Dutch DSB Stadion in a pre-season friendly match. He then scored Arsenal's first ever goal in a competitive match 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...
in a 1–1 draw with Aston Villa. His good form continued for Arsenal as he scored several league goals, garnering praise for his performances as stand-in captain while Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
was injured. The turn of 2007 saw Gilberto linked to Juventus, a rumour which Arsène Wenger quickly dismissed. Gilberto and his agent (Paulo Villana) also reiterated the player's desire to honour his contract with the Gunners. Meanwhile, Gilberto's good form carried through to the second half of the season. Even though Arsenal only managed to finish fourth in the league, he ended the season as Arsenal's second highest scorer with ten Premiership goals. The explanation for his unusually high tally is the fact that Henry suffered two lengthy injury spells, in which Gilberto stepped up as captain to take penalties. Gilberto's goal scoring record combined with his own good form in midfield and his leadership of Wenger's youthful squad led some Arsenal fans and football pundits to label Gilberto as Arsenal's best player of the season, and one of the best in the Premiership.
Mathieu Flamini
Mathieu Flamini is a French professional footballer of Italian descent who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Milan..-Marseille:...
. This reignited speculation linking Gilberto to Italy due to rumours that he was unhappy being on the bench at Arsenal. However, reports that he was being snubbed at the club were dismissed by Wenger, who insisted that Gilberto would remain at Arsenal to fight for his place. Despite this, in October 2007, rumours in the press reemerged that Gilberto was angry at Wenger for being asked to play in defence in a Carling Cup game against , and had resultantly refused to play. Gilberto ended up playing the game in midfield though, with he and Wenger both denying rumours of a rift with each other. Gilberto subsequently commented that while he was not happy being a substitute, he would remain professional and fight for his place at the club. Also in October, Gilberto ceded the Brazilian captaincy to Lúcio
Lúcio
Lucimar Ferreira da Silva , commonly known as Lúcio, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian footballer who plays for Italian Serie A club Inter and the Brazil national team. He is a strong defender with good aerial play, who adds presence in the attack.Lúcio began his professional career in 1997, in one...
upon his compatriot's return from injury. Though rumours persisted which suggested that Gilberto would leave Arsenal in the January 2008 transfer window, he ended up remaining with the club.
Through the winter months of the 2007–08 season, Gilberto started a limited number of games for The Gunners, though he kept his place in the Brazil team, starting several games for A Seleção. After becoming more and more frustrated with not playing regularly, Gilberto admitted in February 2008 that he had been made to feel "totally useless" by Wenger. Despite this, he declined to make a decision on his future; something which prompted Wenger to promise talks with Gilberto. Amidst Gilberto's frustration at Arsenal, he targeted playing in Brazil's Olympic bid in Beijing
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
during August 2008; a competition which he had never played in. Off the pitch, Gilberto was reported to have passed his UK Citizenship test, and that he would subsequently apply for a British passport. April saw Gilberto's season take a turn for the better; making 5 starts – a substantial portion of his seasonal total of 12 – even managing to score a goal. The goal came against Reading on 19 April, and despite its deflective nature leading to some classing it as a possible own goal, the Premier League's Dubious Goals Panel eventually credited the goal to Gilberto. However, Gilberto's return to favour did not stop Arsenal's 2007–08 season ending trophyless. The club subsequently faced the possibility of several players leaving; among those rumoured to leave was Flamini, the player who had kept Gilberto out of the first team. The Frenchman ended up moving to Milan on 6 May, and a subsequent gap was left in the Arsenal midfield. Gilberto became less likely to leave the club during Summer 2008 as a result, and Wenger remarked that he wanted to keep Gilberto; Gilberto saying he wanted to stay and possibly even renew his contract at Arsenal. Gilberto finished the 2007–08 season with 36 appearances for Arsenal, albeit only 12 of these being Premiership starts. Following Brazil's summer international games, he was seriously linked with a move to Greek club . The speculation concluded when Gilberto agreed terms with the Athenian side on 17 July 2008, for an undisclosed fee.
During his first season at Panathinaikos, Gilberto helped the side reach the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. He managed to win both the 2009–2010 Greek Championship and Cup with Panathinaikos, being the starting holding midfielder and producing numerous solid displays. In Gilberto's final home game for Panathinaikos, on 23 May 2011, he scored the wining goal in a 1–0 victory over PAOK F.C., for the Greek UEFA Champions League playoffs. 2 days later, he played his final game for the team, winning 2–0 against AEK Athens.
On 23 May 2011, Gilberto ended his 11-year career in Europe by signing an 18-month deal with Brazilian giants Grêmio
Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense
Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, commonly known as just Grêmio , is a Brazilian professional association football team based in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul founded by English and German immigrants on September 15, 1903. Major titles captured by Grêmio include one Intercontinental Cup, two Copa...
, of Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
.
In the past, Gilberto has hinted that he may one day return to Brazil to play for Atlético Mineiro. After his football career finishes, he has said that he would like to, "Live in a small farm and ride a horse and have all of my family next to me."
International career
In October 2001, his good performances from that year earned Gilberto a call-up to the Brazilian national team ("A Seleção") by Luiz Felipe ScolariLuiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari , ComIH , also known as Felipão in Brazil and Phil Scolari in the United Kingdom, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager. He is currently the manager of Palmeiras. He served as the manager of the Portuguese national team from July 12, 2003 to June 30, 2008...
for the 2002 World Cup qualification games. He made his international debut against Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
on 7 October, coming on as a substitute. On 7 November, he made his debut in the starting line-up of the national team against Bolivia
Bolivia national football team
The Bolivia national football team is the national team of Bolivia and is controlled by the Federación Boliviana de Fútbol. After playing in the 1930 and 1950 World Cups, they qualified just once—in 1994...
. His international career continued to flourish in early 2002: he scored twice against Bolivia and once against Iceland. In 2002, he was a surprise inclusion in the Brazil squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
in South Korea and Japan. He was expected to play a bit part in the tournament. However, defensive midfielder and Brazilian team captain Emerson
Emerson Ferreira da Rosa
Émerson Ferreira da Rosa , simply known as Emerson, is a retired Brazilian footballer who played as a midfielder. He had 73 caps for Brazil from 1997 to 2006.-Grêmio:...
was injured in training just before the first World Cup game. In light of the setback, coach Scolari called upon Gilberto to fill the gap which Emerson left. Gilberto ended up playing in every minute of every match of the tournament, which Brazil went on to win. In the words of Veja magazine
Veja (magazine)
Veja is a Brazilian weekly newsmagazine published in São Paulo and distributed throughout the country by the media conglomerate Grupo Abril. It is the leading weekly publication in the country, and one of the most influential outlets of the Brazilian press...
, Gilberto "carried the piano for Ronaldo
Ronaldo
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima , commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the...
and Rivaldo
Rivaldo
Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira , commonly known simply as Rivaldo , is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for São Paulo, on loan from Mogi Mirim, as an attacking midfielder and sometimes as a supporting striker.He most notably played five years with Spanish club FC Barcelona, with whom he...
to play their tunes on". He was not without attacking use either, setting up Ronaldo's semi-final goal to put Brazil through to the final. It was Gilberto's performance in this tournament which led to him being classed as one of the top defensive midfielders in the world.
On 22 June 2005, Gilberto played in Brazil's 1–1 draw against Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
, in his only game of the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack...
. His absence as a first team regular could be explained by his lack of games, and thus match fitness, for Arsenal during the season leading up to the tournament. Gilberto's appearance in the tournament gained him a winners medal, as Brazil went on to win the competition. On the back of his good Champions League form, Gilberto was selected for the Brazil national football team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. Gilberto was substituted on in two games, and started twice due to another injury to Emerson. Brazil were beaten 1–0 by France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
in the quarter final. Following Brazil's World Cup disappointment, midfielder Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...
called for the older members of the Brazil squad (including Gilberto) to retire from international football. On the back of Gilberto's childhood idol Dunga
Dunga
Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri , commonly known as Dunga , is a former Brazilian football defensive midfielder and a World Champion for Brazil in the 1994 World Cup...
being appointed Brazil coach, Gilberto did not take Juninho's advice, and subsequently continued his international career.
On 1 June 2007, Gilberto captained Brazil for the first full England international at the new Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
. Having had a seemingly good headed goal disallowed after 20 minutes, he set up Brazil's only goal as the game ended 1–1. During the summer of 2007 Gilberto played in the Copa America tournament, in which he was chosen to captain Brazil in the absence of Lúcio. They went on to beat Argentina 3–0 in the final, though he missed the final game through suspension. Following the end of the 2007-08 Premiership season, Gilberto was called up to the Brazil national team for World Cup qualifiers during the summer as well as a tour of the United States.
Style of play
Gilberto is often called "the invisible wall" in Brazil. His play often goes unnoticed as he positions himself between the two centre backs and the rest of midfield, breaking up opposition attacks before they gather momentum. In this role, he is a part of the defensive unit for both club and country. As Arsenal and Brazil are both attack minded teams, he offers cover for attacking wing-backs and other midfielders who have a poor record of dropping back to help the defence. When playing, Gilberto occasionally drops into the centre of defence to cover the central defenders, usually LúcioLúcio
Lucimar Ferreira da Silva , commonly known as Lúcio, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian footballer who plays for Italian Serie A club Inter and the Brazil national team. He is a strong defender with good aerial play, who adds presence in the attack.Lúcio began his professional career in 1997, in one...
for Brazil and Kolo Touré
Kolo Touré
Kolo Habib Touré is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Manchester City and Ivory Coast. Touré is a central defender. He is the elder brother of Manchester City team-mate Yaya Touré and Makasa's Ibrahim Touré.-Arsenal:...
for Arsenal, who are both known for their attacking runs forward with the ball. Gilberto's style of defending is unlike that of normal midfield enforcers. Whereas some midfielders such as Robbie Savage
Robbie Savage
Robert William "Robbie" Savage is a football pundit and former Welsh professional footballer who played predominantly as a midfielder. During his career he captained Derby County, and also played for the Welsh national team. He now presents 606 on BBC Radio Five Live on Sunday evenings alongside...
and Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
are very strong in the challenge, Gilberto is more passive when he defends. Rather than tackle a player, he is more likely to shadow him, thus pushing him back. As a result, he has an unusually clean record for a defensive midfielder: he has twice gone 45 games or more without receiving a single booking
Misconduct (football)
Misconduct in association football is any conduct by a player that is deemed by the referee to warrant a disciplinary sanction in accordance with Law 12 of the Laws of the Game. Misconduct may occur at any time, including when the ball is out of play, during half-time and before and after the...
during his Arsenal career. This mentality earns him both praise and criticism.
Gilberto is good at helping to defend against opponents who play a long ball game because he often man marks the opposition's attacking target-man. This cuts off the opposition's supply to the strikers, and thus forces the long-ball team to play through the midfield, something to which long-ball teams are not particularly suited.
Despite Gilberto's high pass completion rate, his passing has been described as erratic in the past. A possible explanation for this, is Gilberto's short passing range. He is more likely to offload the ball frequently to midfield players close around him (such as Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
), thus easily gaining a high pass completion rate. These short-range passes often go unnoticed, while relatively infrequent long-range incomplete passes often receive negative attention, although not enough to significantly lower his overall pass completion rate.
According to ProZone (a data analysis system used by football managers) figures cited by The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
in January 2007, Gilberto was, together with Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being...
of Manchester United and Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
of , one of the few midfielders in England to attain "the elite Champions League level" of performance.
Outside football
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s and asylum seekers. In June 2003, Gilberto travelled to 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...
on tour with 17 Street League players. The tour included a visit to his home town Lagoa da Prata and games against local shanty town
Shanty town
A shanty town is a slum settlement of impoverished people who live in improvised dwellings made from scrap materials: often plywood, corrugated metal and sheets of plastic...
teams at the Maracanã stadium
Estádio do Maracanã
The Estádio do Maracanã , officially Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Owned by the Rio de Janeiro State Government, it is named after the Maracanã neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro. It was opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup, and in the final...
.
Gilberto is a keen musician. In his spare time, he plays the mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and the guitar. When he first moved to England he took up mandolin lessons and played publicly at his local pub in St Albans. He later started learning the guitar instead. Like many Brazilian footballers he plays samba music with his teammates in the Seleção (the Brazilian national team) when they are relaxing in between international matches.
He has a Giant Anteater
Giant Anteater
The Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, is the largest species of anteater. It is the only species in the genus Myrmecophaga. It is found in Central and South America from Honduras to northern Argentina...
named after him at London Zoo
London Zoo
London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847...
. Gilberto is an adoptee of the animal, which he received from a London Zoo competition winner. The footballer described the South American animal as "my slightly more hairy brother!"
Career statistics
| Club | Season | 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... |
— | — | — | — | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | Assists | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| Grêmio Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, commonly known as just Grêmio , is a Brazilian professional association football team based in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul founded by English and German immigrants on September 15, 1903. Major titles captured by Grêmio include one Intercontinental Cup, two Copa... |
2011 2011 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A The 2011 Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A is the 41st season of the Série A, the top-level of professional football in Brazil. It began on May 21 and is scheduled to end on December 4... |
15 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 0 |
| Club | Season | Greek SL | Greek Cup Greek football Cup The Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation.... |
Greek Super Cup Greek Super Cup -Official edition:-External links:*... |
Europe | Others | Total | |||||||
| App | Goals | Assists | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| Panathinaikos Panathinaikos FC Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most... |
2010–11 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1 |
| 2009–10 2009–10 Panathinaikos F.C. season The 2009–10 season was Panathinaikos 51st consecutive season in Super League Greece. The 2009–10 season was very successful for Panathinaikos. At the summer transfer window the club bought Djibril Cissé from Marseille, Kostas Katsouranis from Benfica, Sebastian Leto from Liverpool and various other... |
24 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| 2008–09 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 3 | |
| Subtotal | 78 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 111 | 4 | |
| Club | Season | Premiership FA Premier League The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier... |
FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... |
Europe | Others | Total | |||||||
| App | Goals | Assists | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| 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... |
2007–08 2007-08 in English football The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool... |
17 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 1 |
| 2006–07 2006-07 in English football The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five... |
34 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 11 | |
| 2005–06 2005-06 in English football The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether... |
33 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 4 | |
| 2004–05 2004-05 in English football The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League... |
13 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 1 | |
| 2003–04 2003-04 in English football The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game.... |
32 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 4 | |
| 2002–03 2002-03 in English football The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable... |
35 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 51 | 3 | |
| Subtotal | 164 | 17 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 46 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 237 | 24 | |
| Club | Season | 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... |
— | — | — | — | Total | |||||||
| App | Goals | Assists | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| Atlético Mineiro Clube Atlético Mineiro Clube Atlético Mineiro , are a Brazilian football club based in Belo Horizonte, the oldest in the city. Founded in 1908, they play in the Campeonato Mineiro and Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão. Atlético Mineiro have been Brazilian champions once, state winners a record 40 times and... |
2001 | 24 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | 3 |
| 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 -... |
38 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 38 | 1 | |
| Subtotal | 62 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 62 | 4 | |
| Club | Season | 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... |
— | — | — | — | Total | |||||||
| App | Goals | Assists | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| América Mineiro América Futebol Clube (MG) América Futebol Clube is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on April 30, 1912.... |
1999 | 20 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 1 |
| 1998 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Série B Campeonato Brasileiro Série B The Série B is the second division of Brazilian football. It is played by 20 teams. However, the competition format has changed almost every year since it first occurred, in 1971. In some years, it was not played altogether... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1997 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Grand total | 324 | 25 | 10 | 19 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 73 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 430 | 33 | |
(Statistics correct as of 17 October 2011)
| National team | Season | Capps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
2001–02 | 14 (1) | 3 |
| 2002–03 | 5 (0) | 0 | |
| 2003–04 | 8 (1) | 0 | |
| 2004–05 | 4 (0) | 0 | |
| 2005–06 | 9 (2) | 0 | |
| 2006–07 | 14 (1) | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | 11 (0) | 0 | |
| 2008–09 | 14 (0) | 0 | |
| 2009–10 | 14 (0) | 0 | |
| Total | 93 | 3 |
(Statistics correct as of 2 July 2010)
(Brackets indicate appearances in non-FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
matches, and do not count towards total)
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01. | 31 January 2002 | Estádio Serra Dourada Estádio Serra Dourada The Estádio Serra Dourada is a football stadium inaugurated on March 9, 1975 in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil. It was designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha... , Goiânia Goiânia -Climate:The city has a tropical wet and dry climate with an average temperature of . There's a wet season, from October to April, and a dry one, from May to September. Annual rainfall is around 1,520 mm.... , Brazil |
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... |
|||
| 02. | ||||||
| 03. | 7 March 2002 | Estádio Governador José Fragelli, Cuiabá Cuiabá Under the Koppen climate classification, Cuiaba features a tropical wet and dry climate. Cuiabá is famous for its searing heat, although temperatures in winter can arrive sporadically at 10 degrees, indeed atypical, caused by cold fronts coming from the south, and that may only last one or two... , Brazil |
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... |
Honours
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....
:
- Série BCampeonato Brasileiro Série BThe Série B is the second division of Brazilian football. It is played by 20 teams. However, the competition format has changed almost every year since it first occurred, in 1971. In some years, it was not played altogether...
(1): 1997 - Copa Sul-MinasCopa Sul-MinasCopa Sul-Minas was a Brazilian football competition contested between South region and Minas Gerais state teams.From 2000 to 2002, the Copa Sul-Minas champions granted qualification to the Copa dos Campeões....
(1): 2000
Atlético-MG
Clube Atlético Mineiro
Clube Atlético Mineiro , are a Brazilian football club based in Belo Horizonte, the oldest in the city. Founded in 1908, they play in the Campeonato Mineiro and Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão. Atlético Mineiro have been Brazilian champions once, state winners a record 40 times and...
:
- Minas Gerais State LeagueCampeonato MineiroCampeonato Mineiro is the state football league of the state of Minas Gerais and is controlled by the Minas Gerais Football Federation FMF ....
(1): 2000
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...
- FA Premier League (1): 2003–04
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
(2): 2003, 2005 - FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
(2): 20022002 FA Community ShieldThe 2002 FA Community Shield was a football match played on 11 August 2002 between 2001-02 Double winners Arsenal and 2001-02 Premier League runners-up Liverpool. Arsenal won the game 1–0 in normal time. Gilberto Silva scored the only goal of the game in the 69th minute...
, 20042004 FA Community ShieldThe 2004 FA Community Shield was the 82nd FA Community Shield, a football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions...
Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
- Super League Greece (1): 2010
- Greek Football CupGreek football CupThe Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
(1): 20102009–10 Greek Cup-Calendar:-First round:-Second round:-Third round:-Fourth round:-Fifth round:-Quarter-Finals:------------The match had been interrupted in the 69th minute due to bad condition of grass, that came from continuous raining...
International
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
(1): 20022002 FIFA World CupThe 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... - Copa AméricaCopa AméricaThe Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
(1): 2007 - FIFA Confederations CupFIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
(2): 20052005 FIFA Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack...
, 20092009 FIFA Confederations CupThe 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
External links
- Profile at Arsenal.com
- National team profile at CBFBrazilian Football ConfederationThe Brazilian Football Confederation is the governing body of football in Brazil. It was founded on June 8, 1914, as Confederação Brasileira de Desportos , meaning Brazilian Sports Confederation. Its first president was Álvaro Zamith. It organizes the Brazilian national competitions, like...
homepage - All about Gilberto at sambafoot.com
- Gilberto Silva Website – Unofficial Fan Site
- Gilberto Streetleague Video on Google Video