Nelson de Jesus Silva
Encyclopedia
Nélson de Jesus Silva better known simply as Dida (ˈdʒidɐ), is a Brazilian former footballer who played as goalkeeper. He first rose to prominence in Brazilian club football in the 1990s with Vitória
, Cruzeiro EC
and SC Corinthians
, where he gained a reputation as a penalty
-saving specialist. However, Dida is probably best remembered for his successful and often tumultuous ten-year stint with Italian
Serie A
club A.C. Milan
from 2000 to 2010. During his tenure with the Rossoneri, he became equally known for mistakes as well as excellent gameplay, from a notorious error during a UEFA Champions League
match against Leeds United in September 2000, to suffering a lengthy decline in form after being hit with a lit flare
in a Champions League quarter-final match against crosstown rival Inter Milan
in April 2005, and being assaulted by an opposing fan during an October 2007 match with Celtic
.
One of only two goalkeepers in Milan history to make over 200 Serie A appearances, Dida won the Champions League twice in 2003 and 2007, with the former coming after he saved three penalties in a shoot-out against Juventus F.C.
He is also the first two-time winner of the FIFA Club World Cup
, the inaugural winner of the FIFPro
Goalkeeper of the Year award, and a five-time nominee of the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper
award. In 2003, Dida became the first Brazilian keeper to be shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or, with a second nomination in 2005.
On the international level, Dida earned 91 caps in eleven years for the Brazilian national team
, including the most appearances in FIFA Confederations Cup
history (22). He notably broke a color barrier by becoming the first Afro-Brazilian
goalkeeper to start for the Seleção since Moacyr Barbosa in the 1950 FIFA World Cup
following his international debut in July 1995. Dida won the 2002 World Cup
with Brazil without playing a game, and was the starter in 2006
, conceding only twice in five matches. He retired from international play after Brazil were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
, Bahia
, Dida was raised in the smaller northern state of Alagoas
. His footballing role models were goalkeepers Valdir Peres
and Rinat Dasayev, whom he watched on television during the 1982 World Cup
. A Flamengo
fan, he helped form an amateur team called Flamenguinho ("Little Flamengo") at thirteen, which was composed of other boys from his neighborhood. His professional club career began in 1990 with Alagoas team Cruzeiro de Arapiraca
(not to be confused with Cruzeiro EC
). Two years later, he signed with hometown club Vitória
and won the Bahia state championship in his first season. In 1993, Dida made 24 starts for Vitória after winning the Under-21 FIFA World Youth Championship as Brazil's first-choice.
Dida was acquired by Cruzeiro EC in 1994, where, in a span of five seasons, he won three Minas Gerais
state titles, the 1996 Copa do Brasil
, and the 1997 Copa Libertadores, along with a pair of Placar
Bola de Prata awards as the top goalkeeper in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
. But with this success soon came a desire to ply his trade in Europe, and in January 1999, he decided to leave Cruzeiro in order to sign with A.C. Milan.
club FC Lugano to keep in game shape. But when the issue was finally resolved and Dida formally joined the Rossoneri, he was third on coach Alberto Zaccheroni's depth chart behind Christian Abbiati
and Sebastiano Rossi
, and Milan therefore loaned Dida to SC Corinthians in an attempt to get him some regular playing time.
His reputation as a penalty saver first came to the fore after he saved two spot kicks – both taken by Raí
– in Corinthians' 3–2 victory over intrastate rivals São Paulo FC in the 1999 Campeonato Brasileiro
semifinal resulted in the headline "Dida is God" from sports publication Lance!
. In the inaugural FIFA World Club Championship (today the FIFA Club World Cup) in 2000, Dida saved a Nicolas Anelka
penalty in a 2–2 draw with Real Madrid
, and in the final against Vasco da Gama
, Corinthians won the title in a 4–3 penalty shoot-out after Edmundo
's shot went wide.
Milan recalled Dida for the 2000–01 season, and he leapfrogged past Rossi into the starting eleven since Abbiati was away with Italy at the 2000 Summer Olympics
. A 4–1 Champions League group stage win over Beşiktaş
on 13 September 2000 marked his official debut for the club, but on 19 September, in the 89th minute against Leeds United
at a rain-soaked Elland Road
, he accidentally dropped a Lee Bowyer
shot into his own goal, causing Milan to lose the match 1–0. His explanation afterward was that since the ball was slippery from the rain, he attempted to absorb the force of the shot then catch hold of it, but it dropped into a puddle and bounced into goal. Despite keeping a clean sheet in Milan's 2–0 win over FC Barcelona
one week later, he was promptly benched following Abbiati's return. He made his first and only Serie A start that season as well, a 2–0 November loss to Parma
in which Patrick Mboma scored both goals.
Meanwhile, Dida was among nearly a dozen Serie A players who were implicated in a scandal involving fraudulent European passport
s. In October 2000, it was reported that he had registered in Italy as an EU player with a Portuguese
passport, which was discovered to be false following a routine check by Milan, who then promptly re-registered him as a non-EU player. UEFA declined to take any action and instead handed the case over to FIGC, who fined Milan £314,000, and banned Dida from the league for one year, in addition to a FIFA
-imposed year-long suspension from national team play. On 3 April 2003, following a court appearance in Milan
, he was given a seven-month suspended prison sentence. Milan sent Dida back to Corinthians for 2001–02 following the passport flap, then recalled him for the next season, which he began on the bench until Abbiati limped off with a hip injury at halftime of a Champions League qualifying stage match against FC Slovan Liberec
on 14 August 2002. Dida took his place for the second half and turned in a solid performance that would result in a new first-choice keeper for Milan.
at Old Trafford
against league rivals Juventus
, which had ended goalless after extra time. He saved penalties from David Trezeguet
, Marcelo Zalayeta
, and Paolo Montero
as Milan won the shoot-out 3–2, and the ensuing praise poured in from his home country in addition to the Italian media; he was labeled "Saint Dida" by the Brazilian press, while Folha de São Paulo chipped in with the headline "Dida pushes Milan to the top of Europe." In 2003, he became the first Brazilian keeper to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or, which was won by Juventus rival Pavel Nedvěd
.
Dida was nominated for the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year
award after conceding only 20 goals in 32 appearances during Milan's 2003–04 Scudetto-winning season. Though Milan were eliminated in the quarterfinals, one highlight of their 2003–04 Champions League run was during a group stage match against AFC Ajax on 16 September 2003, in which Dida blocked a Rafael van der Vaart
point blank-range shot with less than a minute remaining in extra time to preserve Milan's 1–0 victory.
On 12 April 2005, with Milan leading 1–0 in the second leg of the Champions League
quarterfinal derby
against crosstown rival Internazionale
, a second-half Esteban Cambiasso
goal was nullified by referee Markus Merk
, due to the fact that he had just whistled Inter forward Julio Cruz
for a foul on Dida in the six-yard box. Bottles and various debris were subsequently thrown by Inter ultras onto the pitch, and the projectiles soon escalated to lit flares. As Dida attempted to clear bottles from his penalty area in order to take a goal kick, a flare hurled from the upper deck struck him on his right shoulder, and Merk halted the match in the 74th minute. After a thirty-minute delay in which firefighters were called in to remove the burning flares from the pitch, the match was restarted. Dida, however, was unable to continue, and was substituted by Abbiati. Less than a minute later, Merk permanently abandoned the match after more flares and debris rained down. The match was awarded as a 3–0 victory, totaling a 5–0 aggregate, to Milan. Dida suffered bruising and first-degree burns to his shoulder, but did not miss any game time, as he was back between the posts for Milan's Serie A match on 17 April against Siena
. Meanwhile, Inter were fined just over €200,000 – the largest fine ever imposed by UEFA – and were ordered to play their first four 2005–06 Champions League home matches behind closed doors as punishment.
Dida's form began to decline thereafter, as he struggled in the semifinals against PSV Eindhoven and in the 2005 CL final
loss to Liverpool
, in which Milan blew a 3–0 halftime lead in a span of six minutes early in the second half and the match ended 3–3 after extra time. Dida was only able to save John Arne Riise
's penalty as Liverpool triumphed 3–2 in the ensuing shoot-out. He had set a CL record for consecutive clean sheets with seven, which was surpassed by Arsenal
's Jens Lehmann
(ten) the next season.
Dida's rough patch continued as he slogged through a mistake-riddled 2005–06 season, leading to Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira
declaring that his starting position for the upcoming World Cup was not secure. Though Milan's drive to return to the 2006 Champions League Final
fell short after a 1–0 semifinal aggregate loss to Barcelona, that series began a revival of his form with stops against Ronaldinho
, Samuel Eto'o
and Henrik Larsson
over the course of both legs.
Dida got off to a strong start in 2006–07; following a strike by Lazio's Stephen Makinwa
in Milan's 2–1 season-opener victory on 10 September, he did not allow a Serie A goal for the next 446 minutes of play, and he conceded only two goals in five of Milan's six Champions League
group stage matches. He made his 200th appearance for Milan in a 1–0 defeat of Ascoli Calcio on 20 September, and on 28 January 2007, he played his 150th career Serie A match in a 1–0 win over Parma. On 10 March, Dida also signed a three-year contract extension that kept him at Milan until June 2010.
However, 2006–07 represented the first injury-plagued season of his career, and he missed eleven Serie A matches due to knee and shoulder problems; he had missed ten league games in the previous three seasons combined. His play had consequently suffered again by the start of 2007 and he was racked with inconsistency throughout the second half of the season. Dida was heavily criticized after conceding twice from Daniel van Buyten in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Bayern Munich
, which ended in a 2–2 tie. He then turned in a man-of-the-match performance in the second leg as Milan shut out Bayern 2–0 and advanced to the semifinals against Manchester United, where he again received criticism after blunders on Cristiano Ronaldo
and Wayne Rooney
goals in Milan's 3–2 loss. Once again, Dida bounced back in the second leg, keeping another clean sheet in Milan's 3–0 second leg victory. He maintained his second-leg form into the CL final rematch with Liverpool on 23 May, where he exorcised his Istanbul ghosts with three saves from Jermaine Pennant
, Steven Gerrard
, and Peter Crouch
as Milan won 2–1 and raised its seventh Champions League trophy.
On 3 October 2007, during Milan's CL group stage match against Celtic F.C.
in Glasgow, Celtic striker Scott McDonald
scored the match-winner in the 90th minute to seal a 2–1 victory. As McDonald and his teammates celebrated near the corner flag, 27-year-old Celtic fan Robert McHendry entered the pitch and tapped Dida on the shoulder as he ran past the Milan penalty area. Dida attempted to give chase but after a few steps he suddenly collapsed to the ground, holding the side of his face; he was stretchered off the pitch and substituted. Although McHendry later turned himself in to police and was given a lifetime ban from Celtic Park
, Dida was charged by UEFA with breaching rules upholding "loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship," as it was deemed that his injury was feigned. He was consequently punished with a two-match suspension, which Milan promptly appealed. Dida never publicly commented on the incident or its consequences to the media, but prior to Milan's first home game since the Celtic match, against Empoli on 21 October, he offered a gesture of apology to the fans by pausing to bow to each section of the crowd during warmups, and received a round of applause in response. The next day, UEFA reduced his ban to one match, and he sat out Milan's 4–1 victory over FC Shakhtar Donetsk
on 24 October.
On 19 November, Dida joined teammates Cafu
, Kaká
, Ronaldo
and Paolo Maldini
for the fifth annual Match Against Poverty in Málaga
, Spain, but he missed Milan's group stage rematch against Celtic on 4 December due to illness. That same month, he became the first two-time winner of the FIFA Club World Cup
after Milan defeated Boca Juniors. With his participation, he had also set a Club World Cup record with six appearances, a mark that lasted until the next year when Al-Ahly
players Wael Gomaa
and Mohamed Aboutrika both earned their seventh caps in a 1–0 loss to Adelaide United
on 18 December 2008.
Ongoing injury problems and sustained poor form limited Dida to just thirteen league matches in 2007–08. The death knell of his campaign came in the first derby of the year against Internazionale on 23 December, in which he inexplicably dived in the opposite direction of an Esteban Cambiasso goal that gave the Nerazzurri a 2–1 victory. The error earned him a hailstorm of criticism from the fans and media, and Cambiasso commented to reporters after the match, "'I am not going to make jokes about Dida. We are professionals. It happened that he made a mistake. These things are part of football." His last game was in a 5–2 defeat of Napoli
on 13 January 2008, after which he aggravated a knee injury during a training session and was dropped for the next match by Ancelotti in favor of Željko Kalac
, whose own solid form (which included a gamewinning save in a 1–0 win over Fiorentina on 2 February) kept Dida benched for the remainder of the season. His appearance in the Goal4Africa charity match on 12 July marked his first on-pitch action in six months.
thrashing by Chelsea
had demoted him to third choice. He made a career-low total of ten league appearances, though six of them ended in clean sheets.
Dida was unable to compete for the 2009–10 starting spot after missing the entire preseason due to injury, and therefore was benched in favor of Marco Storari
, who was serving a second stint with Milan following a loan spell with Fiorentina. However, he would again make his seasonal league debut as an injury substitute, this time on 18 October 2009 in a 2–1 home win over Roma, after Storari was a late scratch due to suffering a thigh strain from a botched attempt of René Higuita
's famed scorpion kick at the end of Milan's last training session before the game. On 21 October, after catching an Esteban Granero
shot during his first Champions League appearance of the season against Real Madrid
, Dida hurried to move the ball upfield without having complete control of it, causing him to accidentally bounce it off his knee, and Raúl
immediately pounced on the loose ball and put it into an empty net. His mistake ultimately did not prove costly as Madrid keeper Iker Casillas
erred himself on two goals that allowed Milan to take the lead and win 3–2. However, on the back of strong league performances thereafter, such as a point-blank stoppage-time save from a Pablo Granoche
header in a 2–1 victory over Chievo Verona
on 25 October, and a man-of-the-match effort three days later in a 2–2 draw with Napoli that included double and triple saves minutes apart from each other, Dida remained in the starting lineup despite Storari's full recovery and his own excellent form prior to his injury. Storari was consequently loaned to Sampdoria
on 15 January.
However, after Abbiati was cleared to resume playing, he and Dida were juggled in and out of the starting lineup by coach Leonardo
, who was consequently unable to establish a clear favorite for the No.1 jersey due to both keepers alternating high runs of form. On 31 January, Dida missed Milan's 1–1 draw with Livorno after suffering a back strain during pregame warmups, and despite his recovery had been demoted to backup following Abbiati's heroics in a 2–0 win over AS Bari on 21 February, though Leonardo denied reports that Dida had been outright dropped as a starter. "Nelson has had a great season, and now he's available and a resource. Abbiati's selection is not a given, because I've learned this year that nothing is a given." Milan vice president Adriano Galliani
insisted that a "duel" between the keepers did not exist, and that it was Leonardo's choice whom to play. He was substituted by Abbiati in the 88th minute on his last match of 2009–10 season. His contract with Milan expired on 30 June 2010, which made him a free agent.
(101), and Gilmar (94). The only Brazilian keeper to be known by a nickname, he made his Canarinho debut at the 1993 Under-21 FIFA World Youth Championship
, where Brazil won the championship for a third time. His first cap for the Seleção came in a 1–0 defeat of Ecuador
on 7 July 1995.
Dida was the starting keeper for Brazil at the 1996 Summer Olympics
, but an error-laden campaign – which included a penalty-area collision involving Dida and teammate Aldair – resulted in defeats to Nigeria and Japan and left them with the bronze medal. He did his part in Brazil's 1999 Copa América
victory by conceding only twice in six matches, in addition to saving a Roberto Ayala
penalty that preserved a 2–1 win over arch rivals Argentina
in the quarterfinals.
Dida played four out of five matches in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup (Marcos
made one appearance due to squad rotation), conceding four goals and ranking second in total saves behind Mexico's Oswaldo Sánchez
. One memorable moment of the competition was during Brazil's 1–0 group-stage loss to Mexico
, when he saved a Jared Borgetti
spot kick that had to be retaken twice due to repeated player encroachment into the penalty area, which also marked the only penalty save of the competition.
Overall, Dida is the most successful player in the history of the Confederations Cup. In addition to being a two-time winner in 1997 and 2005, he is the competition's all-time leader in caps (22) as well as the only player to participate in five consecutive tournaments (1997 to 2005).
in France, Zagallo lured 1994 World Cup
hero Taffarel out of international retirement and back into the No.1 jersey, while Dida was called up as the third-choice keeper behind Taffarel and Carlos Germano
. Despite his run of good form with Corinthians at the time of the 2002 World Cup
in Korea and Japan, Luiz Felipe Scolari
, who had replaced Wanderley Luxemburgo as coach following Brazil's lackluster qualification, named Marcos his number one. Dida and third-choice keeper Rogério Ceni
never played a minute in Brazil's winning campaign.
Despite never playing a match during his brief tenure at Lugano, Dida received a warm reception from the local supporters during Brazil's training sessions in Weggis
, Switzerland prior to the start of the 2006 World Cup
. Following fourteen straight matches on the bench in the past two World Cups, he was chosen as the starting keeper by coach Carlos Alberto Parreira
for the finals, which in turn made him the first black keeper to start for Brazil in a World Cup final since Barbosa in 1950
, for which he was hailed by Brazilian sports daily Globo Esporte as Dida, o homem que quebrou o tabu ("Dida, the man who broke the taboo"). He conceded only two goals in five matches as Brazil defeated Croatia
, Australia, Japan, and Ghana
before being eliminated by France
in the quarterfinals, a match which saw the Verdeamarela manage only one shot on goal in the entire contest. Due to his consistent play in goal, Dida was one of few players to avoid the wrath of the Brazilian media and fans after the team's elimination.
In addition to his historical World Cup start, he became the first Seleção goalie to wear the captain's armband since Émerson Leão
in the 1978 World Cup
, when incumbent skipper Cafu
was rested for Brazil's 4–1 win over Japan on 22 June, a match in which Dida was substituted by Ceni late in the second half as part of Parreira's plan to play mainly reserves.
Brazil's defeat by France ultimately became Dida's swan song. On 1 October 2006, new Brazil coach Dunga
announced during a television interview, "Dida told me that the Seleção is no longer a priority in his career." Despite his World Cup heroics, he has not been called up for national team play since the July 2006 inception of Dunga, who had eschewed many of the veterans in favor of a predominantly younger squad for Brazil's post-World Cup matches. He faced a total of eight penalties in his international career, saving six of them.
>
1995
3
0
1996
6
0
1997
6
0
1998
0
0
1999
17
0
2000
10
0
2001
6
0
2002
5
0
2003
11
0
2004
9
0
2005
12
0
2006
6
0
Total
91
0
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...
, Cruzeiro EC
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...
and SC Corinthians
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league...
, where he gained a reputation as a penalty
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...
-saving specialist. However, Dida is probably best remembered for his successful and often tumultuous ten-year stint with Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
from 2000 to 2010. During his tenure with the Rossoneri, he became equally known for mistakes as well as excellent gameplay, from a notorious error during a 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...
match against Leeds United in September 2000, to suffering a lengthy decline in form after being hit with a lit flare
Flare (pyrotechnic)
A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for signalling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications...
in a Champions League quarter-final match against crosstown rival Inter Milan
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
in April 2005, and being assaulted by an opposing fan during an October 2007 match with Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
.
One of only two goalkeepers in Milan history to make over 200 Serie A appearances, Dida won the Champions League twice in 2003 and 2007, with the former coming after he saved three penalties in a shoot-out against Juventus F.C.
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...
He is also the first two-time winner of the FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
, the inaugural winner of the FIFPro
FIFPro
The Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels , usually known by the abbreviation FIFPro, is a worldwide representative organization for professional football players. At the moment there are 43 national players associations who are members of FIFPro...
Goalkeeper of the Year award, and a five-time nominee of the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper
IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper
The IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper is a football award given annually since 1987 to the most outstanding goalkeeper as voted by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics . The votes, in 1996, were cast by IFFHS's editorial staff as well as experts from 89 countries spanning six...
award. In 2003, Dida became the first Brazilian keeper to be shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or, with a second nomination in 2005.
On the international level, Dida earned 91 caps in eleven years for 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...
, including the most appearances in FIFA Confederations Cup
FIFA Confederations Cup
The 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...
history (22). He notably broke a color barrier by becoming the first Afro-Brazilian
Afro-Brazilian
In Brazil, the term "preto" is one of the five categories used by the Brazilian Census, along with "branco" , "pardo" , "amarelo" and "indígena"...
goalkeeper to start for the Seleção since Moacyr Barbosa in the 1950 FIFA World Cup
1950 FIFA World Cup
The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
following his international debut in July 1995. Dida won the 2002 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...
with Brazil without playing a game, and was the starter in 2006
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...
, conceding only twice in five matches. He retired from international play after Brazil were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Early life and club career
Though he was born in IraráIrará
Irará is a city in Bahia, Brazil....
, Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
, Dida was raised in the smaller northern state of Alagoas
Alagoas
Alagoas is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil and is situated in the eastern part of the Northeast Region. It borders: Pernambuco ; Sergipe ; Bahia ; and the Atlantic Ocean . It occupies an area of 27,767 km², being slightly larger than Haiti...
. His footballing role models were goalkeepers Valdir Peres
Valdir Peres
Valdir Peres, real name Valdir Peres de Arruda, , was an association footballer. He played goalkeeper, in particular with São Paulo FC and the Brazilian national team...
and Rinat Dasayev, whom he watched on television during the 1982 World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
. A Flamengo
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo , also known as Flamengo and familiarly as Mengão, is a Brazilian sports club based in the Flamengo bairro, Zona Sul, Rio de Janeiro, best known for its professional football team...
fan, he helped form an amateur team called Flamenguinho ("Little Flamengo") at thirteen, which was composed of other boys from his neighborhood. His professional club career began in 1990 with Alagoas team Cruzeiro de Arapiraca
Arapiraca
Arapiraca is a municipality located in the center of the Brazilian state of Alagoas. It was founded in 1924 and is 135,6 km from the state capital, Maceió. , it has a population of c. 214,000 inhabitants...
(not to be confused with Cruzeiro EC
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...
). Two years later, he signed with hometown club 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...
and won the Bahia state championship in his first season. In 1993, Dida made 24 starts for Vitória after winning the Under-21 FIFA World Youth Championship as Brazil's first-choice.
Dida was acquired by Cruzeiro EC in 1994, where, in a span of five seasons, he won three Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
state titles, the 1996 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...
, and the 1997 Copa Libertadores, along with a pair of Placar
Placar
Placar is a monthly Brazilian sports magazine. Its first edition was issued on March 20, 1970, and since then the it has become the most successful sports publication in Brazil, even though it focuses fully on football . It is published by Grupo Abril....
Bola de Prata awards as the top goalkeeper in the 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...
. But with this success soon came a desire to ply his trade in Europe, and in January 1999, he decided to leave Cruzeiro in order to sign with A.C. Milan.
2000–2002
Dida's request to opt out of the remainder of his contract with Cruzeiro in order to sign with Milan kicked off a dispute with the club that lasted for five months, during which he suited up for SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
club FC Lugano to keep in game shape. But when the issue was finally resolved and Dida formally joined the Rossoneri, he was third on coach Alberto Zaccheroni's depth chart behind Christian Abbiati
Christian Abbiati
Christian Abbiati is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Milan.-Milan:His debut in Serie A came on January 17, 1999 as a 92nd-minute substitute for Sebastiano Rossi...
and Sebastiano Rossi
Sebastiano Rossi
Sebastiano Rossi is a retired Italian footballer who played as a goalkeeper.During a 21-year professional career, he appeared in 346 Serie A games, most notably representing A.C. Milan , with which he won 12 major titles, namely five national championships and the 1994 UEFA Champions...
, and Milan therefore loaned Dida to SC Corinthians in an attempt to get him some regular playing time.
His reputation as a penalty saver first came to the fore after he saved two spot kicks – both taken by Raí
Raí
Raí, full name Raí Souza Vieira de Oliveira is a former Brazilian football midfielder. He was part of the Brazil team which won 1994 FIFA World Cup. He also played for São Paulo FC when he had the most glorious time of his career, and Paris Saint-Germain, two clubs for which he has achieved...
– in Corinthians' 3–2 victory over intrastate rivals São Paulo FC in the 1999 Campeonato Brasileiro
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...
semifinal resulted in the headline "Dida is God" from sports publication Lance!
Lance!
Lance! is one of the most important daily sports newspapers in Brazil, and its first edition was published in 1997. Its headquarters are located in Rio de Janeiro, and they print regional versions for the some of the other Brazilian States....
. In the inaugural FIFA World Club Championship (today the FIFA Club World Cup) in 2000, Dida saved a Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka
Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
penalty in a 2–2 draw with 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...
, and in the final against Vasco da Gama
Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama
Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama |Rowing Club]]), usually known as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, is a famous and traditional Brazilian multisports club from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, founded on August 21, 1898...
, Corinthians won the title in a 4–3 penalty shoot-out after Edmundo
Edmundo
Edmundo Alves de Souza Neto , better known simply as Edmundo, is a retired Brazilian footballer.Edmundo played for Brazil at the 1998 World Cup. For Palmeiras, he won the Campeonato Brasileiro in the beginning of the Nineties. For Vasco da Gama he won 1997's Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, scoring...
's shot went wide.
Milan recalled Dida for the 2000–01 season, and he leapfrogged past Rossi into the starting eleven since Abbiati was away with Italy at the 2000 Summer Olympics
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...
. A 4–1 Champions League group stage win over Beşiktaş
Besiktas J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü , or simply Beşiktaş , is a Turkish sports club. The club's football team is one of the major teams in Turkey. The professional sports club, founded in 1903, is based in the Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey...
on 13 September 2000 marked his official debut for the club, but on 19 September, in the 89th minute against Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
at a rain-soaked Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
, he accidentally dropped a Lee Bowyer
Lee Bowyer
Lee David Bowyer is an English professional footballer born in Canning Town, London, who plays as a midfielder for Ipswich Town of the Football League Championship....
shot into his own goal, causing Milan to lose the match 1–0. His explanation afterward was that since the ball was slippery from the rain, he attempted to absorb the force of the shot then catch hold of it, but it dropped into a puddle and bounced into goal. Despite keeping a clean sheet in Milan's 2–0 win over 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....
one week later, he was promptly benched following Abbiati's return. He made his first and only Serie A start that season as well, a 2–0 November loss to Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
in which Patrick Mboma scored both goals.
Meanwhile, Dida was among nearly a dozen Serie A players who were implicated in a scandal involving fraudulent European passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
s. In October 2000, it was reported that he had registered in Italy as an EU player with a Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
passport, which was discovered to be false following a routine check by Milan, who then promptly re-registered him as a non-EU player. UEFA declined to take any action and instead handed the case over to FIGC, who fined Milan £314,000, and banned Dida from the league for one year, in addition to a 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...
-imposed year-long suspension from national team play. On 3 April 2003, following a court appearance in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, he was given a seven-month suspended prison sentence. Milan sent Dida back to Corinthians for 2001–02 following the passport flap, then recalled him for the next season, which he began on the bench until Abbiati limped off with a hip injury at halftime of a Champions League qualifying stage match against FC Slovan Liberec
FC Slovan Liberec
FC Slovan Liberec is a Czech football club founded in the city of Liberec. The club is one of the most successful in the Czech Republic, having won two league titles and the domestic cup since 1993. Slovan Liberec is also one of the richest clubs in the Czech league...
on 14 August 2002. Dida took his place for the second half and turned in a solid performance that would result in a new first-choice keeper for Milan.
2003–2006
Dida soon wrote his name into Milan history after the 2003 Champions League final2003 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2003 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on 28 May 2003 to decide the winner of the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League. The match was contested by two Italian teams in the shape of Juventus and Milan. The match made history as the...
at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (football)
Old Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 75,811, Old Trafford is the second-largest football stadium in England after Wembley, the third-largest in the United Kingdom and the eleventh-largest in Europe...
against league rivals 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...
, which had ended goalless after extra time. He saved penalties from David Trezeguet
David Trézéguet
David Sergio Trezeguet is a World Cup winning French international footballer who currently is a free agent after being released by Baniyas SC on 21 Nov 2011....
, Marcelo Zalayeta
Marcelo Zalayeta
Marcelo Danubio Zalayeta is an Uruguayan football striker, who currently plays for Peñarol.-Club career:...
, and Paolo Montero
Paolo Montero
Paolo Rónald Montero Iglesias is a former Uruguayan footballer who played as a central defender or left back. He has been described as "skillful on the ball and calm under pressure", and a "wonderfully talented and intelligent footballer"...
as Milan won the shoot-out 3–2, and the ensuing praise poured in from his home country in addition to the Italian media; he was labeled "Saint Dida" by the Brazilian press, while Folha de São Paulo chipped in with the headline "Dida pushes Milan to the top of Europe." In 2003, he became the first Brazilian keeper to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or, which was won by Juventus rival Pavel Nedvěd
Pavel Nedved
Pavel Nedvěd is a retired Czech football midfielder. He is one of the most successful Czech players to emerge from the newly formed Czech Republic, winning numerous accolades with Lazio and Juventus, including the last ever Cup Winners' Cup...
.
Dida was nominated for the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year
Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year
The Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year is a yearly award organized by the Italian Footballers' Association given to the Goalkeeper who has been considered to have performed the best over the previous Serie A season. The award is part of the "Oscar del Calcio" awards event.-Winners:-By club:-By...
award after conceding only 20 goals in 32 appearances during Milan's 2003–04 Scudetto-winning season. Though Milan were eliminated in the quarterfinals, one highlight of their 2003–04 Champions League run was during a group stage match against AFC Ajax on 16 September 2003, in which Dida blocked a Rafael van der Vaart
Rafael van der Vaart
Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Dutch national team. His preferred position is as an attacking midfielder; he can, however, also operate in other positions, such as second striker...
point blank-range shot with less than a minute remaining in extra time to preserve Milan's 1–0 victory.
On 12 April 2005, with Milan leading 1–0 in the second leg of the Champions League
UEFA Champions League 2004-05
The 2004–05 UEFA Champions League was the 50th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, and the 13th since it was rebranded as the UEFA Champions League in 1992. The competition was won by Liverpool, who beat Milan on penalties in the final, having come back from 3–0 down...
quarterfinal derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
against crosstown rival Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, a second-half Esteban Cambiasso
Esteban Cambiasso
Esteban Matías Cambiasso Deleau , nicknamed "Cuchu" , is an Argentine football midfielder who plays for Italian Serie A club Internazionale....
goal was nullified by referee Markus Merk
Markus Merk
Dr. Markus Merk is a former top-level German football referee. He is a six-time winner of the German Referee of the Year Award and the record holder in games refereed in the Bundesliga. In 2005, Merk was awarded the German Bundesverdienstkreuz in recognition of his service to football and his...
, due to the fact that he had just whistled Inter forward Julio Cruz
Julio Ricardo Cruz
Julio Ricardo Cruz is a former Argentine footballer.-Early career:A tall, physical striker at , Cruz started his career with Banfield in 1993. He moved to River Plate in 1996.-Feyenoord:...
for a foul on Dida in the six-yard box. Bottles and various debris were subsequently thrown by Inter ultras onto the pitch, and the projectiles soon escalated to lit flares. As Dida attempted to clear bottles from his penalty area in order to take a goal kick, a flare hurled from the upper deck struck him on his right shoulder, and Merk halted the match in the 74th minute. After a thirty-minute delay in which firefighters were called in to remove the burning flares from the pitch, the match was restarted. Dida, however, was unable to continue, and was substituted by Abbiati. Less than a minute later, Merk permanently abandoned the match after more flares and debris rained down. The match was awarded as a 3–0 victory, totaling a 5–0 aggregate, to Milan. Dida suffered bruising and first-degree burns to his shoulder, but did not miss any game time, as he was back between the posts for Milan's Serie A match on 17 April against Siena
A.C. Siena
Associazione Calcio Siena is an Italian football club based in Siena.The club currently plays in Serie A, having gained promotion from Serie B at the end of the 2010-2011 season....
. Meanwhile, Inter were fined just over €200,000 – the largest fine ever imposed by UEFA – and were ordered to play their first four 2005–06 Champions League home matches behind closed doors as punishment.
Dida's form began to decline thereafter, as he struggled in the semifinals against PSV Eindhoven and in the 2005 CL final
2005 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2005 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Liverpool of England and Milan of Italy at the Atatürk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on 25 May 2005...
loss to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, in which Milan blew a 3–0 halftime lead in a span of six minutes early in the second half and the match ended 3–3 after extra time. Dida was only able to save John Arne Riise
John Arne Riise
John Arne Semundseth Riise is a Norwegian footballer who currently plays as a left wing-back for Fulham and the Norwegian national team. Riise spent seven years playing for Premier League side Liverpool before moving to Roma in 2008...
's penalty as Liverpool triumphed 3–2 in the ensuing shoot-out. He had set a CL record for consecutive clean sheets with seven, which was surpassed by 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...
's Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann
Jens Gerhard Lehmann is a German former football goalkeeper. He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he has been selected for three World Cup squads. He was a member of Arsenal's Invincibles, playing every match of their famous unbeaten title winning...
(ten) the next season.
Dida's rough patch continued as he slogged through a mistake-riddled 2005–06 season, leading to Brazil coach 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...
declaring that his starting position for the upcoming World Cup was not secure. Though Milan's drive to return to the 2006 Champions League Final
2006 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2006 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Barcelona of Spain and Arsenal of England at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, France, on Wednesday, 17...
fell short after a 1–0 semifinal aggregate loss to Barcelona, that series began a revival of his form with stops against Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year...
, Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy...
and Henrik Larsson
Henrik Larsson
Henrik Edward Larsson MBE is a retired Swedish footballer and current manager of Landskrona BoIS.Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. He moved to Helsingborg, where he was one of the key players when they qualified to Allsvenskan 1993. Larsson then moved to Feyenoord for four years before...
over the course of both legs.
2006–2008
Stephen Makinwa
Stephen Ayodele Makinwa is a Nigerian football striker, who is currently playing for Lazio. Makinwa also plays for the Nigerian national team...
in Milan's 2–1 season-opener victory on 10 September, he did not allow a Serie A goal for the next 446 minutes of play, and he conceded only two goals in five of Milan's six Champions League
UEFA Champions League 2006-07
The 2006–07 UEFA Champions League was the 15th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since it was rebranded from the European Cup, and the 52nd season overall. The final was contested by Milan and Liverpool on 23 May 2007...
group stage matches. He made his 200th appearance for Milan in a 1–0 defeat of Ascoli Calcio on 20 September, and on 28 January 2007, he played his 150th career Serie A match in a 1–0 win over Parma. On 10 March, Dida also signed a three-year contract extension that kept him at Milan until June 2010.
However, 2006–07 represented the first injury-plagued season of his career, and he missed eleven Serie A matches due to knee and shoulder problems; he had missed ten league games in the previous three seasons combined. His play had consequently suffered again by the start of 2007 and he was racked with inconsistency throughout the second half of the season. Dida was heavily criticized after conceding twice from Daniel van Buyten in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
, which ended in a 2–2 tie. He then turned in a man-of-the-match performance in the second leg as Milan shut out Bayern 2–0 and advanced to the semifinals against Manchester United, where he again received criticism after blunders on Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
and Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
goals in Milan's 3–2 loss. Once again, Dida bounced back in the second leg, keeping another clean sheet in Milan's 3–0 second leg victory. He maintained his second-leg form into the CL final rematch with Liverpool on 23 May, where he exorcised his Istanbul ghosts with three saves from Jermaine Pennant
Jermaine Pennant
Jermaine Lloyd Pennant is a footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League.Born in Nottingham, Pennant played for his local side Notts County as a youngster. He earned promising reviews in the youth team at County and Arsenal signed him in 1999...
, Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
, and Peter Crouch
Peter Crouch
Peter James Crouch is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the England national team.Crouch started his career as a trainee with Tottenham Hotspur...
as Milan won 2–1 and raised its seventh Champions League trophy.
On 3 October 2007, during Milan's CL group stage match against Celtic F.C.
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in Glasgow, Celtic striker Scott McDonald
Scott McDonald
Scott Douglas McDonald is an Australian football player who currently plays as a striker for English Championship side Middlesbrough and the Australian national team. Scott McDonald is of Scottish heritage.-Early career:...
scored the match-winner in the 90th minute to seal a 2–1 victory. As McDonald and his teammates celebrated near the corner flag, 27-year-old Celtic fan Robert McHendry entered the pitch and tapped Dida on the shoulder as he ran past the Milan penalty area. Dida attempted to give chase but after a few steps he suddenly collapsed to the ground, holding the side of his face; he was stretchered off the pitch and substituted. Although McHendry later turned himself in to police and was given a lifetime ban from Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
, Dida was charged by UEFA with breaching rules upholding "loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship," as it was deemed that his injury was feigned. He was consequently punished with a two-match suspension, which Milan promptly appealed. Dida never publicly commented on the incident or its consequences to the media, but prior to Milan's first home game since the Celtic match, against Empoli on 21 October, he offered a gesture of apology to the fans by pausing to bow to each section of the crowd during warmups, and received a round of applause in response. The next day, UEFA reduced his ban to one match, and he sat out Milan's 4–1 victory over FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year...
on 24 October.
On 19 November, Dida joined teammates Cafu
Cafu
Marcos Evangelista de Moraes , better known as Cafu, is a former Brazilian footballer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest right-backs ever. He was given this nickname due to his speed up and down the right flank which was reminiscent of Cafuringa, a Brazilian forward from the 1970s...
, Kaká
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite , commonly known as Kaká , is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club...
, 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 Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini
Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club...
for the fifth annual Match Against Poverty in Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
, Spain, but he missed Milan's group stage rematch against Celtic on 4 December due to illness. That same month, he became the first two-time winner of the FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
after Milan defeated Boca Juniors. With his participation, he had also set a Club World Cup record with six appearances, a mark that lasted until the next year when Al-Ahly
Al-Ahly
Al-Ahly Sports Club , commonly known as simply Al-Ahly, is an Egyptian sporting club. Founded in April 1907, Al-Ahly was named in 2000 by the Confederation of African Football as the "African Club of the Century"...
players Wael Gomaa
Wael Gomaa
Wael Gomaa is an Egyptian footballer. He plays as a defender for Egypt's African Champion Al-Ahly club as well as Egypt's National Football Team-Club career:...
and Mohamed Aboutrika both earned their seventh caps in a 1–0 loss to Adelaide United
Adelaide United FC
Adelaide United Football Club is a professional football club based in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. It currently participates in the A-League as the sole team from the state of South Australia. Adelaide is one of the most successful clubs in the A-League. The club's home ground is...
on 18 December 2008.
Ongoing injury problems and sustained poor form limited Dida to just thirteen league matches in 2007–08. The death knell of his campaign came in the first derby of the year against Internazionale on 23 December, in which he inexplicably dived in the opposite direction of an Esteban Cambiasso goal that gave the Nerazzurri a 2–1 victory. The error earned him a hailstorm of criticism from the fans and media, and Cambiasso commented to reporters after the match, "'I am not going to make jokes about Dida. We are professionals. It happened that he made a mistake. These things are part of football." His last game was in a 5–2 defeat of Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
on 13 January 2008, after which he aggravated a knee injury during a training session and was dropped for the next match by Ancelotti in favor of Željko Kalac
Željko Kalac
Željko Kalac is a retired Australian football goalkeeper. Standing at 2.02m, Kalac is one of the world's tallest professional goalkeepers....
, whose own solid form (which included a gamewinning save in a 1–0 win over Fiorentina on 2 February) kept Dida benched for the remainder of the season. His appearance in the Goal4Africa charity match on 12 July marked his first on-pitch action in six months.
2009–2010
With the return of Abbiati as Milan's first choice for the 2008–09 Serie A season, Dida was the starter for Milan's UEFA Cup campaign, which ended with their elimination by Werder Bremen on 27 February 2009. He made his season Serie A debut on 15 March against Siena after Abbiati was carted off with a serious knee injury in the 13th minute. With Abbiati out for the rest of the year, Ancelotti kept Dida in the starting lineup over Kalac, whose poor outing in a 5–0 Russian Railways CupRussian Railways Cup
Russian Railways Cup is an annual pre-season football tournament, held in Moscow and hosted by FC Lokomotiv Moscow.The first edition of the tournament took place in 2007. Dutch club PSV Eindhoven won the title after beating Real Madrid 2-1 in the final...
thrashing by Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
had demoted him to third choice. He made a career-low total of ten league appearances, though six of them ended in clean sheets.
Dida was unable to compete for the 2009–10 starting spot after missing the entire preseason due to injury, and therefore was benched in favor of Marco Storari
Marco Storari
Marco Storari is an Italian professional footballer who plays for Juventus F.C. as a goalkeeper.After a lengthy spell in Italy's lower leagues, he arrived in Serie A aged 27. Steady performances for Messina prompted his signing by country giants A.C...
, who was serving a second stint with Milan following a loan spell with Fiorentina. However, he would again make his seasonal league debut as an injury substitute, this time on 18 October 2009 in a 2–1 home win over Roma, after Storari was a late scratch due to suffering a thigh strain from a botched attempt of René Higuita
René Higuita
José René Higuita Zapata is a former Colombian football goalkeeper nicknamed El Loco...
's famed scorpion kick at the end of Milan's last training session before the game. On 21 October, after catching an Esteban Granero
Esteban Granero
Esteban Félix Granero Molina is a Spanish footballer who plays for Real Madrid.A versatile element, known as El Pirata , he can play as an attacking midfielder or behind the strikers...
shot during his first Champions League appearance of the season against Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
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...
, Dida hurried to move the ball upfield without having complete control of it, causing him to accidentally bounce it off his knee, and Raúl
Raúl González
Raúl González Blanco , known simply as Raúl, is a Spanish footballer who plays as a striker. He currently plays for German club Schalke 04....
immediately pounced on the loose ball and put it into an empty net. His mistake ultimately did not prove costly as Madrid keeper Iker Casillas
Íker Casillas
Iker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish football goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, being the captain of both...
erred himself on two goals that allowed Milan to take the lead and win 3–2. However, on the back of strong league performances thereafter, such as a point-blank stoppage-time save from a Pablo Granoche
Pablo Granoche
Pablo Mariano Granoche Louro is an Uruguayan football player, in the role of striker, currently playing for Novara, on loan from Chievo.-Career:...
header in a 2–1 victory over Chievo Verona
A.C. ChievoVerona
Associazione Calcio Chievo Verona is a professional Italian football club named after and based in Chievo, a suburb of 2,800 inhabitants in Verona, Veneto, and owned by Paluani, a cake company and the inspiration for their original name, Paluani Chievo...
on 25 October, and a man-of-the-match effort three days later in a 2–2 draw with Napoli that included double and triple saves minutes apart from each other, Dida remained in the starting lineup despite Storari's full recovery and his own excellent form prior to his injury. Storari was consequently loaned to Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
on 15 January.
However, after Abbiati was cleared to resume playing, he and Dida were juggled in and out of the starting lineup by coach Leonardo
Leonardo Araújo
Leonardo Nascimento de Araújo, known as Leonardo , is a football manager and a former midfielder. He is currently active as director of football of French club Paris Saint-Germain....
, who was consequently unable to establish a clear favorite for the No.1 jersey due to both keepers alternating high runs of form. On 31 January, Dida missed Milan's 1–1 draw with Livorno after suffering a back strain during pregame warmups, and despite his recovery had been demoted to backup following Abbiati's heroics in a 2–0 win over AS Bari on 21 February, though Leonardo denied reports that Dida had been outright dropped as a starter. "Nelson has had a great season, and now he's available and a resource. Abbiati's selection is not a given, because I've learned this year that nothing is a given." Milan vice president Adriano Galliani
Adriano Galliani
Adriano Galliani is an Italian entrepreneur who has been serving as vice-president and C.E.O. of Italian football club Associazione Calcio Milan since 1986. During his tenure as CEO, Milan have won five European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles and eight Serie A titles among other achievements and...
insisted that a "duel" between the keepers did not exist, and that it was Leonardo's choice whom to play. He was substituted by Abbiati in the 88th minute on his last match of 2009–10 season. His contract with Milan expired on 30 June 2010, which made him a free agent.
International career
With 91 appearances in 11 years, Dida is Brazil's third-highest capped goalie, behind Cláudio TaffarelCláudio Taffarel
Cláudio André Mergen Taffarel is a retired Brazilian footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is of German and Italian descent....
(101), and Gilmar (94). The only Brazilian keeper to be known by a nickname, he made his Canarinho debut at the 1993 Under-21 FIFA World Youth Championship
1993 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Australia for second time from 5 to 20 March 1993. The 1993 championship was the 9th contested. The tournament took place in five venues: Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide....
, where Brazil won the championship for a third time. His first cap for the Seleção came in a 1–0 defeat of Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
on 7 July 1995.
Dida was the starting keeper for Brazil at the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, but an error-laden campaign – which included a penalty-area collision involving Dida and teammate Aldair – resulted in defeats to Nigeria and Japan and left them with the bronze medal. He did his part in Brazil's 1999 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...
victory by conceding only twice in six matches, in addition to saving a Roberto Ayala
Roberto Ayala
Roberto Fabián Ayala , nicknamed el Ratón , is a former Argentine football centre back.Regarded as one of the best central defenders of his generation, Ayala captained the Argentine national team for more matches than anyone else...
penalty that preserved a 2–1 win over arch rivals Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
in the quarterfinals.
Dida played four out of five matches in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup (Marcos
Marcos Roberto Silveira Reis
Marcos Roberto Silveira Reis , known simply as Marcos, is a Brazilian World Cup winning footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He plays for Palmeiras, of the Série A, since he started playing professional football in 1992 and has since become one of its greatest idols, being nicknamed "São Marcos"...
made one appearance due to squad rotation), conceding four goals and ranking second in total saves behind Mexico's Oswaldo Sánchez
Oswaldo Sánchez
Oswaldo Javier Sánchez Ibarra is a Mexican footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for Santos Laguna in the Mexican Primera Division, where he is also the team captain. He has 99 caps for Mexico.-Early career:...
. One memorable moment of the competition was during Brazil's 1–0 group-stage loss 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...
, when he saved a Jared Borgetti
Jared Borgetti
Jared Francisco Borgetti Echavarría is a retired Mexican footballer. Borgetti is the all-time leading goal scorer for the Mexican national team, with 46 goals. A prolific goal scorer at both club and national level, Borgetti was renowned for his heading ability...
spot kick that had to be retaken twice due to repeated player encroachment into the penalty area, which also marked the only penalty save of the competition.
Overall, Dida is the most successful player in the history of the Confederations Cup. In addition to being a two-time winner in 1997 and 2005, he is the competition's all-time leader in caps (22) as well as the only player to participate in five consecutive tournaments (1997 to 2005).
FIFA World Cup
For the 1998 World Cup1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
in France, Zagallo lured 1994 World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
hero Taffarel out of international retirement and back into the No.1 jersey, while Dida was called up as the third-choice keeper behind Taffarel and Carlos Germano
Carlos Germano
Carlos Germano Schwambach Neto , better known as Carlos Germano, is a former Brazilian footballer who played goalkeeper.He was a member of the Brazilian squad for France 98 World Cup.-Club career:...
. Despite his run of good form with Corinthians at the time of the 2002 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 Korea and Japan, Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz 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...
, who had replaced Wanderley Luxemburgo as coach following Brazil's lackluster qualification, named Marcos his number one. Dida and third-choice keeper Rogério Ceni
Rogério Ceni
Rogério Ceni is a Brazilian goalkeeper. He has been a member of the Brazilian Série A club São Paulo since September 7, 1990, playing more than 1,000 matches and winning 2 Copa Libertadores trophies and one Club World Championship with them...
never played a minute in Brazil's winning campaign.
Despite never playing a match during his brief tenure at Lugano, Dida received a warm reception from the local supporters during Brazil's training sessions in Weggis
Weggis
Weggis is a municipality in the district of Lucerne in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland.It forms part of the northern shore of Lake Lucerne. The official language is German.-History:In about 800 the monastery of Pfäfers acquired the court of Wattawis...
, Switzerland prior to the start of the 2006 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...
. Following fourteen straight matches on the bench in the past two World Cups, he was chosen as the starting keeper by coach 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...
for the finals, which in turn made him the first black keeper to start for Brazil in a World Cup final since Barbosa in 1950
1950 FIFA World Cup
The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
, for which he was hailed by Brazilian sports daily Globo Esporte as Dida, o homem que quebrou o tabu ("Dida, the man who broke the taboo"). He conceded only two goals in five matches as Brazil defeated Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
, Australia, Japan, and Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
before being eliminated 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 quarterfinals, a match which saw the Verdeamarela manage only one shot on goal in the entire contest. Due to his consistent play in goal, Dida was one of few players to avoid the wrath of the Brazilian media and fans after the team's elimination.
In addition to his historical World Cup start, he became the first Seleção goalie to wear the captain's armband since Émerson Leão
Émerson Leão
Émerson Leão is a Brazilian manager and former football player. He is one of the all-time best Brazilian goalkeepers. A documentary video produced by FIFA, FIFA Fever, called him the third-most impressive defense player of all time. He was born in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo.-Playing career:He was...
in the 1978 World Cup
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
, when incumbent skipper Cafu
Cafu
Marcos Evangelista de Moraes , better known as Cafu, is a former Brazilian footballer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest right-backs ever. He was given this nickname due to his speed up and down the right flank which was reminiscent of Cafuringa, a Brazilian forward from the 1970s...
was rested for Brazil's 4–1 win over Japan on 22 June, a match in which Dida was substituted by Ceni late in the second half as part of Parreira's plan to play mainly reserves.
Brazil's defeat by France ultimately became Dida's swan song. On 1 October 2006, new Brazil coach 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...
announced during a television interview, "Dida told me that the Seleção is no longer a priority in his career." Despite his World Cup heroics, he has not been called up for national team play since the July 2006 inception of Dunga, who had eschewed many of the veterans in favor of a predominantly younger squad for Brazil's post-World Cup matches. He faced a total of eight penalties in his international career, saving six of them.
Club career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Vitória | 1992 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1993 | 24 | 0 | |||||||||
| 24 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 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... |
1993 | 23 | 0 | ||||||||
| 6 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 29 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1995 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |||||
| 31 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1996 | 22 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ? | ? | |||||
| 31 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1997 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 30 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |||||
| 49 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Lugano AC Lugano FC Lugano is a Swiss football club based in Lugano. The club was founded as AC Lugano in 2004 as a result of relegation and financial situation of FC Lugano, which was founded in 1908. In 2008, the club reverted to its original name, FC Lugano. They play at the Stadio Cornaredo... |
1998–99 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Corinthians | 1999 | 25 | 0 | ||||||||
| 25 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||||||
| Milan A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others... |
2000–01 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||||
| 7 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Corinthians | 2001 | 8 | 0 | ||||||||
| 8 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| Milan A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others... |
2002–03 | 30 | 0 | ||||||||
| 14 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 44 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 2003–04 | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 0 | |
| 2004–05 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 0 | |
| 2005–06 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |||||
| 48 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 2006–07 | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |||||
| 41 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 2007–08 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
| 2008–09 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |||||
| 19 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 2009–10 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||||
| 28 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Total for Milan | 206 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 86 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 302 | 0 | |
| Career totals | 383 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 145 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 589 | 0 | |
International career statistics
Cruzeiro
- Supercopa MastersSupercopa MastersThe Supercopa Masters, also known as Copa Master de Supercopa, was a football tournament for clubs that had previously won the Supercopa Sudamericana. It was only played in 1992 and 1995.-1992 Supercopa Masters:...
: 1994 - Copa OroCopa OroThe Copa de Oro , or Copa de Oro Nicolás Leoz, was a football club competition contested annually by the winners of the Copa Libertadores de América, the Supercopa Sudamericana, the Copa CONMEBOL, and the Supercopa Masters...
: 1995 - Copa do BrasilCopa do BrasilThe 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...
: 1996 - Copa LibertadoresCopa Libertadores de AméricaThe Copa Santander Libertadores de América , known simply as the Copa Libertadores and originally known as the Copa Campeones de América , is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960...
: 1997 - Campeonato MineiroCampeonato MineiroCampeonato Mineiro is the state football league of the state of Minas Gerais and is controlled by the Minas Gerais Football Federation FMF ....
: 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998 - Recopa SudamericanaRecopa SudamericanaThe Recopa Sudamericana is an annual football match-up between the reigning champions of the previous year's Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana, South America's premier club competitions....
: 1998
Corinthians
- Campeonato BrasileiroCampeonato Brasileiro Série AThe 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...
: 1999 - Campeonato PaulistaCampeonato PaulistaThe Campeonato Paulista de Futebol Profissional da Primeira Divisão - Série A1, simply known as the Campeonato Paulista, is the top-flight professional football league in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The league is contested between 20 clubs and typically lasts from January to April...
: 1999 - FIFA Club World Championship: 2000
- Torneio Rio-São PauloTorneio Rio-São PauloTorneio Rio – São Paulo was a traditional Brazilian football competition contested between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro teams until from 1935 until 2002....
: 2002 - Copa do BrasilCopa do BrasilThe 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...
: 2002
Milan
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
: 2003–04 - Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
: 2003 - Italian Super Cup2004 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 2004 Supercoppa Italiana was a match contested by the 2003-04 winners Milan and the 2003-04 Coppa Italia winners Lazio.The match result was a 3-0 victory for Milan after a hat-trick by Andriy Shevchenko.-Match details:-References:...
: 2004 - UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 2002–03, 2006–07 - UEFA Super Cup: 2003, 2007
- FIFA Club World Championship: 2007
International
- FIFA World Youth Championship: 1993
- 1996 Summer OlympicsFootball at the 1996 Summer OlympicsThe association football competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held in Birmingham, Alabama; Washington, D.C; Orlando, Florida; Miami, Florida; and Athens, Georgia....
– Bronze medal - 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...
: 1999 - 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...
: 2002 - 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...
: 1997, 2005
Individual
- Revista PlacarPlacarPlacar is a monthly Brazilian sports magazine. Its first edition was issued on March 20, 1970, and since then the it has become the most successful sports publication in Brazil, even though it focuses fully on football . It is published by Grupo Abril....
Bola de Prata: 1993 (Vitória), 1996, 1998 (Cruzeiro), 1999 (Corinthians) - FIFPro Goalkeeper of the YearFIFProThe Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels , usually known by the abbreviation FIFPro, is a worldwide representative organization for professional football players. At the moment there are 43 national players associations who are members of FIFPro...
: 2005 - IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper Silver Ball: 2005
External links
- News archive and profile – Sky Sports