Marcos Assunção
Encyclopedia
Marcos dos Santos Assunção (born 25 July 1976 in Caieiras, São Paulo
) is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Palmeiras
.
A Central Midfielder, he is renowned as a world-class free kick
specialist, and is best known for his spell at Real Betis
, having represented teams in four different countries.
, where he stayed two years. He then played for Santos FC, where he scored three goals in 33 league
games, moving to Clube de Regatas do Flamengo
in 1998.
After impressive performances with Flamengo, Assunção was snapped by Serie A
's A.S. Roma
in 1999–2000. In his first season, he scored once in 21 appearances, adding another in five UEFA Cup contests. He would be used regularly during his three-year stay, proving himself a threat at set pieces
, as the capital
outfit lifted the Scudetto in his second year.
Assunção joined Spanish club Real Betis
in August 2002, being an undisputed first-choice from the start, and scoring aplenty from free kick
s. His debut as a Verdiblanco was spectacular, as he scored once in a 4–2 win at Deportivo de La Coruña
, a 40-yarder with his weaker left foot, then proceeded to strike the woodwork on no less than three occasions. He would score eight goals as the Andalusia
n outfit finished fourth in 2004–05
, subsequently earning a UEFA Champions League
berth.
During the 2005–06 season
, Assunção made seven Champions League appearances overall, failing to appear in the UEFA Cup due to injury. He only managed to score once in the domestic league.
On 25 July 2006, his 30th birthday, Assunção became a citizen of Spain, due to his time spent at Betis. Ironically, the 2006–07 season would be his last in Spain. On 22 August 2007, the player left Betis by mutual consent, having failed to fit into Héctor Cúper
's plans. He gave a press conference in which he said goodbye to the club and fans, saying that he would not join another Spanish club.
In the following two years, he played in the United Arab Emirates
, consecutively with Al-Ahli
and Al-Shabab. On 26 September 2009, Assunção returned to his homeland, signing with Grêmio Prudente Futebol (formerly Barueri). However, after a mere months, he switched sides again, moving to Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
on a one-year deal. He was selected by manager Luiz Felipe Scolari
as one of the club's four "leaders", alongside Marcos
, Danilo
and Edinho
. In the season
's Copa Sudamericana
, he provided one assist
and scored from a long-range kick in a 3–0 win against Esporte Clube Vitória
(3–2 aggregate win).
. He made his debut against El Salvador
, and scored a goal against Russia
on 18 November 1998, in a 5–1 friendly win.
Assunção was dropped from the Seleção after a poor performance during a 2002 FIFA World Cup
qualifier
against Chile
, a 0–3 away loss, and was never called-up since.
Roma
Betis
Al-Ahli Dubai
, who spent most of his career at Villarreal CF
, even representing the Spanish national team
, and Márcio Senna
, are Assunção's cousins.
São Paulo (state)
São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...
) is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras is a Brazilian football club from São Paulo. The club was founded on August 26, 1914, as Palestra Italia but changed to the current name on September 14, 1942...
.
A Central Midfielder, he is renowned as a world-class free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
specialist, and is best known for his spell at Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
, having represented teams in four different countries.
Club career
Assunção began his career at Rio Branco Esporte ClubeRio Branco Esporte Clube
Rio Branco Esporte Clube, usually known simply as Rio Branco or Rio Branco-SP, is a Brazilian football club based in the city of Americana in the São Paulo state of Brazil. It plays in the Série A2, the second division, of the Campeonato Paulista.-History:On August 4, 1913, the club was founded as...
, where he stayed two years. He then played for Santos FC, where he scored three goals in 33 league
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...
games, moving to Clube de Regatas do 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...
in 1998.
After impressive performances with Flamengo, Assunção was snapped by 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...
's A.S. Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
in 1999–2000. In his first season, he scored once in 21 appearances, adding another in five UEFA Cup contests. He would be used regularly during his three-year stay, proving himself a threat at set pieces
Set piece (football)
The term set piece or set play is used in association football and rugby to refer to a situation when the ball is returned to open play following a stoppage, particularly in a forward area of the pitch. Most often, the term is used to refer to free kicks and corners, but sometimes throw-ins. Many...
, as the capital
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
outfit lifted the Scudetto in his second year.
Assunção joined Spanish club Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
in August 2002, being an undisputed first-choice from the start, and scoring aplenty from free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
s. His debut as a Verdiblanco was spectacular, as he scored once in a 4–2 win at Deportivo de La Coruña
Deportivo de La Coruña
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia; founded in 1906 and currently playing in Segunda División...
, a 40-yarder with his weaker left foot, then proceeded to strike the woodwork on no less than three occasions. He would score eight goals as the Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
n outfit finished fourth in 2004–05
2004–05 La Liga
2004–05 season was composed of the following clubs:* Albacete Balompié* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Real Betis* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Levante UD* Málaga CF* Real Mallorca* CD Numancia* CA Osasuna...
, subsequently earning 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...
berth.
During the 2005–06 season
2005–06 La Liga
* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Betis* Cádiz CF* Celta de Vigo* Deportivo Alaves* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Málaga CF* RCD Mallorca* CA Osasuna* Racing de Santander* Real Madrid* Real Sociedad* Sevilla FC...
, Assunção made seven Champions League appearances overall, failing to appear in the UEFA Cup due to injury. He only managed to score once in the domestic league.
On 25 July 2006, his 30th birthday, Assunção became a citizen of Spain, due to his time spent at Betis. Ironically, the 2006–07 season would be his last in Spain. On 22 August 2007, the player left Betis by mutual consent, having failed to fit into Héctor Cúper
Héctor Cúper
Héctor Raúl Cúper is an Argentinean former football defender and a current manager.-Coach:...
's plans. He gave a press conference in which he said goodbye to the club and fans, saying that he would not join another Spanish club.
In the following two years, he played in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, consecutively with Al-Ahli
Al-Ahli (UAE)
Al-Ahli Club is a United Arab Emirates professional football club. They are based in Dubai. The club is abbreviated as A.C.....
and Al-Shabab. On 26 September 2009, Assunção returned to his homeland, signing with Grêmio Prudente Futebol (formerly Barueri). However, after a mere months, he switched sides again, moving to Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras is a Brazilian football club from São Paulo. The club was founded on August 26, 1914, as Palestra Italia but changed to the current name on September 14, 1942...
on a one-year deal. He was selected by manager 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...
as one of the club's four "leaders", alongside 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"...
, Danilo
Danilo Larangera
Danilo Larangera or Danilo Laranjeira or Danilo Larangeira, known as Danilo , is a Brazilian football central defender, who currently plays for Udinese.-Career:...
and Edinho
Edimo Ferreira Campos
Edimo Ferreira Campos or simply Edinho , is a Brazilian defensive midfielder. He currently plays for Fluminense.-Career:...
. In the season
2010 Copa Sudamericana
The 2010 Copa Sudamericana de Clubes was the 9th edition of CONMEBOL's secondary international club tournament. The winner qualified for the 2011 Copa Libertadores, the 2011 Recopa Sudamericana, and the 2011 Suruga Bank Championship...
's Copa Sudamericana
Copa Sudamericana
The Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...
, he provided one assist
Assist (football)
In association football, an assist is a contribution by a player which helps to score a goal. Statistics for assists made by players may be kept officially by the organisers of a competition, or unofficially by, for example, journalists or organisers of fantasy football competitions...
and scored from a long-range kick in a 3–0 win against Esporte Clube 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...
(3–2 aggregate win).
International career
Assunção made 11 appearances for the Brazilian national sideBrazil 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...
. He made his debut against El Salvador
El Salvador national football team
El Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in El Salvador...
, and scored a goal against Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
on 18 November 1998, in a 5–1 friendly win.
Assunção was dropped from the Seleção after a poor performance during a 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
qualifier
2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the South American zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification....
against Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
, a 0–3 away loss, and was never called-up since.
Honours
Santos- Torneio Rio – São Paulo: 1997
- Copa CONMEBOLCopa CONMEBOLThe Copa CONMEBOL was an annual football cup competition organized by CONMEBOL between 1992 and 1999 for eligible South American football clubs. During its time of existence, it was the third most prestigious South American club football contest after the Copa Libertadores and Supercopa...
: 1998
Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
- 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...
: 2000–01 - Supercoppa ItalianaSupercoppa ItalianaThe Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
: 20012001 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 2001 Supercoppa Italiana was a match played by Serie A 2000-01 winners Roma and Coppa Italia 2000-01 winners Fiorentina.The match took place on 19 August 2001 in Stadio Olimpico, Rome and resulted in a 3-0 victory for Roma....
Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
- Copa del ReyCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: 2004–05
Al-Ahli Dubai
- UAE President's Cup: 2007–08
Personal
Both Marcos SennaMarcos Senna
Marcos Antônio Senna da Silva , known as Senna, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Villarreal CF as a central midfielder.He is known for his passing range and long shooting and is also a penalty specialist.-Club career:...
, who spent most of his career at Villarreal CF
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
, even representing the Spanish national team
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, and Márcio Senna
Márcio Senna
Márcio Senna da Silva is a Brazilian footballer.-Career:Senna transferred to Grêmio Barueri of Brazilian Série B on 16 May 2008, signed a one year deal...
, are Assunção's cousins.