Léo Matos
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leonardo de Matos Cruz | ||
| Date of birth | April 2, 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Niteroi, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Right Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | PAOK | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2003 | Flamengo | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2007 | Marseille | 0 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | → Flamengo (loan) | 8 | (4) |
| 2007 | Tombense-MG | 10 | (5) |
| 2007 | → Paraná (loan) | 19 | (7) |
| 2008 | → Figueirense (loan) | 7 | (5) |
| 2009–2010 | → Vila Nova (GO) (loan) | 22 | (13) |
| 2010–2014 | Chornomorets Odesa | 82 | (29) |
| 2014–2016 | Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk | 51 | (12) |
| 2016– | PAOK | 7 | (1) |
| National team | |||
| 2003 | Brazil U17 | 6 | (3) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 November 2016. | |||
Leonardo de Matos Cruz (born April 2, 1986 in Niteroi), better known as Léo Matos, is a Brazilian-Ukrainian attacking midfielder who plays for PAOK FC in the Greek Superleague.[1]
Career
Starting from the academies of Flamengo and having been for a short time in Marseille, Leo Matos did not find his best in this small passage from Europe and fought exclusively in his homeland until 2010, when he moved to Ukraine. In Chornomorets Odesa, he learned to focus in defence and remain faithful to tactics. The Chornomorets coach Roman Hryhorchuk, with whom he worked with, before moved to Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, was the one who actually helped him to change. "...We watched video every single day, we learned tactics and defense, thinking that in football is not only attack..." has said in an earlier interview.[2] Although he is a full back, he played most of the Chornomorets Odesa matches as a right midfielder, proving he can cover the whole right ring. In summer of 2014, he signed for Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk changing his position to left full back, a quite successful move. He participated in the UEFA Europa League final, where his team lost from Sevilla FC.[3]
On 8 May 2016, the 30 year old Brazilian footballer, solved his contract with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk due to serious economic problems of the club and he joined PAOK. The acquisition of the player is expected to be announced after the end of the Superleague playoffs and until then all formalities (medical examinations, duration of contract etc.) with the player will take place.[4] On 18 August 2016, in his third appearance for PAOK, Leo Matos scored a wonderful goal helping the club to escape with a 3-0 away win against FC Dinamo Tbilisi for the UEFA Europa League playoffs. [5]
International career
There were talks of possible naturalization of him to play for the Ukraine national football team,[6] and eventually succeeded to gain a second citizenship.
Honours
Brazil U-17
FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
- UEFA Europa League (1): runner-up 2014–15
References
- ↑ "Leo Matos signs for PAOK".
- ↑ Το προφίλ του Λέο Μάτος που παίρνει ο ΠΑΟΚ; Retrieved 9 May 2016
- ↑ Leo Matos; Retrieved 8 June 2016
- ↑ Λέο Μάτος ο 1ος του νέου ΠΑΟΚ; Retrieved 6 May 2016
- ↑ "Dinamo Tbilisi - PAOK 0-3".
- ↑ Шаг навстречу. Луис Адриано и еще 8 иностранцев, рассчитывавших на сборную Украины
External links
- Léo Matos at thefinalball.com
