Julio César de León
Encyclopedia
Julio César de León Dailey is a Honduran
footballer who plays for Shandong Luneng Taishan in the Chinese Super League
. He is known for being a free-kick specialist and he is an important key for the Honduras National Football Team
.
of Tegucigalpa
, scoring his first National Soccer League goal. His last goal in the Honduran National League was playing for Olimpia
on 26 May 2001 against Club Broncos of Choluteca
.
Earning a good reputation in Honduras, de León moved to Mexico
's First Division, where he played for Atletico Celaya
.
After the season was over, Atletico Celaya did not renew de León's contract, so he returned to Honduras
and became part of Olimpia
of Tegucigalpa
.
Once Julio César finished his one year contract with Olimpia
, he left for Uruguay
where he played for Deportivo Maldonado
.
of Serie B
in Italy.
De León started off very well for his new club. With his goals and assists, 'Rambo' helped his team to regain a place in the Italy's Serie A
.
Once in the first division, de León's participation was intermittent, partly due to the acquisition of the Japanese international Shunsuke Nakamura
. De León was relegated to the bench, playing on and off as a substitute player.
The following seasons in Italy proved to be frustrating for "Rambo". He was sent on loan back to Serie B
where he played for a number of teams, including Fiorentina, Teramo
and Catanzaro
.
His lack of playing time continued to such degree, that he was sent to the third division or Serie C1
, where he played for Sambenedettese.
In 2006, 'Rambo' was requested by coach Mazzarri to come back to Reggina Calcio
. De León was given a new chance, and he took it. For a while de León was considered the team's most valuable player.
once again, this time in a permanent deal to Genoa
of Serie B
, along with Filippo Carobbio
(co-ownership), hoping that his services would help the team to regain a spot in the Serie A
.
The fans of Reggina disapproved of the sale of de León, in a time when the team really needed Julio César's talent. But the president of the team, Lillo Foti, justified the sale with economic reasons: "The offer was good and it was something that we could not refuse." It was reported that Genoa offered Reggina US$7M.
On 10 June 2007, de León's new team, Genoa
, did regain a spot in Serie A, tying at home with Napoli
0–0. After this, his last game of the season, and some subsequent celebrations, de León quickly traveled to Houston, Texas
where the Honduran national team would play Cuba
on 13 June 2007. He helped Honduras
reach the quarterfinals of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
.
. but eventually sold to Parma
of Serie B
, and Andrea Gasbarroni
moved to opposite side as part of the deal. His Genoa team-mate Alessandro Lucarelli
also joined the Emilia–Romagna side.
He scored his first goal for the team on 28 November 2008 after a perfectly executed free kick to the corner. Then, he made his second and third goals against Grosseto
on 14 February 2009 in Parma's 4–0 victory.
He scored his fourth goal for the club on 17 March 2009 against A.C. Mantova
in the 82nd minute to put Parma up 1–0 and eventually win the match.
His fifth goal was a long-range free kick effort against Pisa F.C. to make the match 2–0 and almost guarantee promotion for Parma into Serie A
of Italy.
On May 16, 2009, Julio César de León celebrated the fifth promotion of his career, this time with Parma FC. He finished the season with a total of six goals and also contributed several assists, which proved vital for their return to Serie A
.
After having not played for Parma in the first two games, on August 28, 2009, he was loaned to Torino
in the Serie B
along with Manuel Coppola
, as part of Nicola Amoruso
deal.
He missed the promotion playoffs of Toro due to international call-up.
in 1999 and has been part of the squad ever since. He formed part of the memorable squad in 2001 that defeated Brazil 2–0 and came third in the Copa America. He has made 66 appearances for the team and has scored 12 goals.
On 20 August 2008 he scored an excellent goal against Mexico
to make the score 1–0 for Honduras
in the first half of the match, but this goal wasn't enough to draw Pável Pardo
's two goals that he scored later in the game.
However, shortly after, on October, 2008, 'Rambo' was excluded from the squad by head coach Reinaldo Rueda due to injury. However, there has been lots of controversy about this decision. Julio César de León announced he was returning to Italy shortly after arriving in Miami, Florida
to join the National Team for the match against Canada. Upon arrival, he lashed out against the National Team for being malequipped to treat an injury that he had conjured in Italy. The coach had a discussion with him in the hotel and he was sent back on another plane shortly after.
After long amounts of speculation, he returned to the squad in February, 2009 where he had not been reported to have any problems since.
De León also competed for Honduras at the 2000 Summer Olympics
.
De León originally in the 23-men final 2010 FIFA World Cup
squad, but on 15 June, one day before the opening match of Honduras, pulled out due to injury and replaced by Jerry Palacios
, where he was given the opportunity to play alongside his two brothers.
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
footballer who plays for Shandong Luneng Taishan in the Chinese Super League
Chinese Super League
The Chinese Football Association Super League , commonly known as Chinese Super League or CSL, currently known as the Pirelli Chinese Football Association Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest tier of professional association football in China, operating under the auspices of the...
. He is known for being a free-kick specialist and he is an important key for the Honduras National Football Team
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
.
Early career
Nicknamed "Rambo", he debuted for Platense in 1996 against Real MayaReal Maya
Real Maya is a Honduran football club. It was founded on 7 April 1985. It currently plays in Liga Mayor de Futbol de Honduras. They played in first division many season with many different names, being Real Maya the most used.-National Level:...
of Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa , and commonly referred as Tegus , is the capital of Honduras and seat of government of the Republic, along with its twin sister Comayagüela. Founded on September 29, 1578 by the Spanish, it became the country's capital on October 30, 1880 under President Marco Aurelio Soto...
, scoring his first National Soccer League goal. His last goal in the Honduran National League was playing for Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia is a Honduran football and baseball club based in Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán. They compete in the Liga Nacional de Honduras, the top division in the country, and play their home matches in the Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino...
on 26 May 2001 against Club Broncos of Choluteca
Choluteca, Choluteca
Choluteca is a municipality and the capital city of the Honduran department of the same name. Situated in southern Honduras between El Salvador and Nicaragua, the city is generally considered the regional center of southern Honduras and is a major transit point on the Pan-American Highway. It...
.
Earning a good reputation in Honduras, de León moved to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
's First Division, where he played for Atletico Celaya
Atlético Celaya
The Club Atlético Celaya was a Mexican football club from Celaya, Guanajuato. The club was formed in 1994 when the two second-division clubs Atletico Cuernavaca and Escuadra Celeste de Celaya merged...
.
After the season was over, Atletico Celaya did not renew de León's contract, so he returned to Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
and became part of Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia is a Honduran football and baseball club based in Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán. They compete in the Liga Nacional de Honduras, the top division in the country, and play their home matches in the Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino...
of Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa , and commonly referred as Tegus , is the capital of Honduras and seat of government of the Republic, along with its twin sister Comayagüela. Founded on September 29, 1578 by the Spanish, it became the country's capital on October 30, 1880 under President Marco Aurelio Soto...
.
Once Julio César finished his one year contract with Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia is a Honduran football and baseball club based in Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán. They compete in the Liga Nacional de Honduras, the top division in the country, and play their home matches in the Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino...
, he left for Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
where he played for Deportivo Maldonado
Deportivo Maldonado
Club Deportivo Maldonado is a football club from Maldonado in Uruguay. They currently play in the Uruguayan Second Division.-Notable Supporter:...
.
Reggina
From there, de León moved to RegginaReggina Calcio
Reggina Calcio are an Italian association football club, the main club of the city of Reggio Calabria. Founded in 1914, they currently play in the Italian Serie B, and play their home matches at the 27,763 seater Stadio Oreste Granillo...
of Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
in Italy.
De León started off very well for his new club. With his goals and assists, 'Rambo' helped his team to regain a place in the Italy's 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...
.
Once in the first division, de León's participation was intermittent, partly due to the acquisition of the Japanese international Shunsuke Nakamura
Shunsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Yokohama F. Marinos in J. League Division 1. He is one of the most prominent and successful Asian players to have played in Scotland and on 13 September 2006 became the first Japanese player to score in the UEFA Champions League and the second Asian...
. De León was relegated to the bench, playing on and off as a substitute player.
The following seasons in Italy proved to be frustrating for "Rambo". He was sent on loan back to Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
where he played for a number of teams, including Fiorentina, Teramo
Teramo Calcio
Società Sportiva Dilettantistica Teramo Calcio is an Italian association football club, based in Teramo, Abruzzo. It is currently in the season 2011–12 playing in Serie D, the fourth division of Italian football...
and Catanzaro
F.C. Catanzaro
Catanzaro Calcio 2011 is an Italian football club based in Catanzaro, Calabria.The club were founded in 1929 as Catanzarese, then changed their denomnation to Unione Sportiva Catanzaro in 1946, shortly after the end of the World War II and in 2006 to Football Club Catanzaro...
.
His lack of playing time continued to such degree, that he was sent to the third division or Serie C1
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
, where he played for Sambenedettese.
In 2006, 'Rambo' was requested by coach Mazzarri to come back to Reggina Calcio
Reggina Calcio
Reggina Calcio are an Italian association football club, the main club of the city of Reggio Calabria. Founded in 1914, they currently play in the Italian Serie B, and play their home matches at the 27,763 seater Stadio Oreste Granillo...
. De León was given a new chance, and he took it. For a while de León was considered the team's most valuable player.
Genoa
However, on 16 January 2007, De León was transferred by Reggina CalcioReggina Calcio
Reggina Calcio are an Italian association football club, the main club of the city of Reggio Calabria. Founded in 1914, they currently play in the Italian Serie B, and play their home matches at the 27,763 seater Stadio Oreste Granillo...
once again, this time in a permanent deal to Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
of Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
, along with Filippo Carobbio
Filippo Carobbio
Filippo Carobbio is an Italian football player. He currently plays for Spezia, on loan from Siena.-Football career:...
(co-ownership), hoping that his services would help the team to regain a spot in the 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...
.
The fans of Reggina disapproved of the sale of de León, in a time when the team really needed Julio César's talent. But the president of the team, Lillo Foti, justified the sale with economic reasons: "The offer was good and it was something that we could not refuse." It was reported that Genoa offered Reggina US$7M.
On 10 June 2007, de León's new team, Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
, did regain a spot in Serie A, tying at home with 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....
0–0. After this, his last game of the season, and some subsequent celebrations, de León quickly traveled to Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
where the Honduran national team would play Cuba
Cuba national football team
The Cuba national football team is the national team of Cuba and is controlled by the Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba. They are affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union of CONCACAF....
on 13 June 2007. He helped Honduras
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
reach the quarterfinals of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the ninth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean , and was won by the United States over Mexico. It was contested in the United States from June 6 to June 24, 2007.This competition was the third...
.
Parma
He was awarded the 'Player of the Season' award by GenoaGenoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
. but eventually sold 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...
of Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
, and Andrea Gasbarroni
Andrea Gasbarroni
Andrea Gasbarroni is an Italian football midfielder, currently contracted with Torino.- Career :An attacking midfielder who can also play occasionally as a winger or second striker, Gasbarroni started his career at Juventus F.C. youth team, but after graduate from Primavera team, he was loaned to...
moved to opposite side as part of the deal. His Genoa team-mate Alessandro Lucarelli
Alessandro Lucarelli
Alessandro Lucarelli is an Italian football defender. He currently plays for Parma. He is a left-footed centre back who can also play left back....
also joined the Emilia–Romagna side.
He scored his first goal for the team on 28 November 2008 after a perfectly executed free kick to the corner. Then, he made his second and third goals against Grosseto
U.S. Grosseto F.C.
Unione Sportiva Grosseto Football Club is a professional Italian association football club, based in the city of Grosseto, Tuscany. The club was founded in 1912. The team's most associated nickname is grifone, after its logo, depicting a griffon...
on 14 February 2009 in Parma's 4–0 victory.
He scored his fourth goal for the club on 17 March 2009 against A.C. Mantova
A.C. Mantova
Mantova Football Club is an Italian football club, based in Mantua, Lombardy. Mantova had played consecutively in the Italian Serie B from the 2005–06 season to 2009–10 as Associazione Calcio Mantova, when they were relegated after ending the season in 20th place.During the summer 2010, the club...
in the 82nd minute to put Parma up 1–0 and eventually win the match.
His fifth goal was a long-range free kick effort against Pisa F.C. to make the match 2–0 and almost guarantee promotion for Parma into 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...
of Italy.
On May 16, 2009, Julio César de León celebrated the fifth promotion of his career, this time with Parma FC. He finished the season with a total of six goals and also contributed several assists, which proved vital for their return to 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...
.
After having not played for Parma in the first two games, on August 28, 2009, he was loaned to Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
in the Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
along with Manuel Coppola
Manuel Coppola
Manuel Coppola is an Italian football midfielder. He currently plays for Empoli on loan from Parma.Coppola moved to Parma as part of Francesco Parravicini and Reginaldo deal to Siena in July 2009....
, as part of Nicola Amoruso
Nicola Amoruso
Nicola Amoruso is a former Italian association football player who played as a striker. His nicknames were piede caldo and Dinamite.- Career :...
deal.
He missed the promotion playoffs of Toro due to international call-up.
International career
'Rambo' began playing for the Honduran National TeamHonduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
in 1999 and has been part of the squad ever since. He formed part of the memorable squad in 2001 that defeated Brazil 2–0 and came third in the Copa America. He has made 66 appearances for the team and has scored 12 goals.
On 20 August 2008 he scored an excellent goal against 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...
to make the score 1–0 for Honduras
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
in the first half of the match, but this goal wasn't enough to draw Pável Pardo
Pavel Pardo
Pável Pardo Segura , is a Mexican international footballer, who currently plays for the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.- Biography :...
's two goals that he scored later in the game.
However, shortly after, on October, 2008, 'Rambo' was excluded from the squad by head coach Reinaldo Rueda due to injury. However, there has been lots of controversy about this decision. Julio César de León announced he was returning to Italy shortly after arriving in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to join the National Team for the match against Canada. Upon arrival, he lashed out against the National Team for being malequipped to treat an injury that he had conjured in Italy. The coach had a discussion with him in the hotel and he was sent back on another plane shortly after.
After long amounts of speculation, he returned to the squad in February, 2009 where he had not been reported to have any problems since.
De León also competed for Honduras at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
De León originally in the 23-men final 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
squad, but on 15 June, one day before the opening match of Honduras, pulled out due to injury and replaced by Jerry Palacios
Jerry Palacios
Jerry Palacios is a Honduran football striker, who currently plays for Hunan Billows in China League One.-Career:He signed for Chinese Super League side Hangzhou Greentown in January 2010....
, where he was given the opportunity to play alongside his two brothers.