Julio Baptista is a Brazilian footballer who now plays for the American Orlando City. This year he turned 35 years old, so the player’s career is nearing completion. Julio Baptista speaks as an attacking midfielder. However, he can play as a drawn forward and even move to the left flank of the attack.
Carier start
Julio Baptista was born on October 1, 1981 in Brazil, in the city of SĂŁo Paulo. He was fond of football since childhood, so at the first opportunity he went to the academy at the local club of the same name, which is one of the strongest in the country. Until 1999, he studied at the academy, speaking for youth teams, until he was offered a professional contract. Naturally, he agreed and since 2000 began to defend the colors of the club.
In his first season, he spent not so many matches - only 19. But at the same time he marked his first goal for the team. In the following seasons, he already became a base player and spent 103 games for Sao Paulo in total, scoring 18 goals. In 2003, clubs from Europe became interested in his consistently high level of play. In the summer, the football player’s dream came true - the Spanish Sevilla invited him. Julio Baptista cost the club three and a half million euros.
Relocation to Europe
Julio Baptista, whose photographs immediately appeared on the covers of leading sports publications, turned out to be really great talent. In the first season, he became a base player and accumulated 24 goals in 36 matches. The following year, he was noted with 23 more goals, which caused a real stir around his person. And in the summer of 2005, the inevitable happened - the leading European clubs began to turn to Seville, but Real Madrid won the race for Brazilian talent, having paid twenty million euros.
Going to Real Madrid and renting at Arsenal
Unfortunately, this transition was a big mistake, since it was from him that talent began to fall from the pedestal. In Real Madrid, Baptista often went out on the field. He played 45 matches in a season, but scored just 9 goals and disappointed the management. As a result, in 2006, he was sent on loan to the London Arsenal. Then in 35 matches the athlete scored 10 goals.
When Julio returned to Real Madrid, the place at the base he was no longer trusted. But still on the field he went out quite often. In 31 matches, he scored only 4 goals, completely disappointing the leadership of the club in Madrid. As a result, in the summer of 2008, the footballer was sold to the Italian "Roma" for ten million euros.
A new beginning in Roma
Julio Baptista hoped to start a new life in Roma. But there he was disappointed. In the first year, he played 36 matches, scoring 11 goals, in the second - already 25 matches, noting four goals. And in 2010, in general, entered the field only eight times in the first half of the season. As a result, in the winter of 2011, it was sold for two and a half million euros to the Spanish “Malaga”.
The game for the "Malaga"
However, the level of the player was already so low that even in Malaga he did not receive enough playing practice. For two and a half years, the athlete played only 33 matches, scoring 14 goals. When his contract with the club came to an end, the 32-year-old midfielder decided to return to his homeland.
Return to Brazil
In Brazil, the player signed a three-year contract with Cruzeiro. He worked out this contract until the very end. The football player entered the field 36 times, scoring 12 goals. When his contract came to an end, he decided to make some money before the end of his career - he went to the USA, as many football veterans do.
Last Steps at Orlando
Baptista signed a contract with Orlando City until the end of 2016. During this time, he played 24 matches, scoring 6 goals and giving 4 assists. Now his contract is expiring. It is likely that Julio Baptista will complete his professional career in the coming winter.
Personal life
Not so much is known about the football player’s personal life. He met for a long time with a girl named Sylvia Nistal Calvo. In 2010, she married her. Now she is for Julio Baptista - a wife, loving and loved. The couple has no children yet.