Dedê

Dedê

Personal information
Full name	Leonardo de Deus Santos
Date of birth	18 April 1978 (1978-04-18) (age 33)
Place of birth	Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Left back, Left midfielder
Club information
Current club	Eskişehirspor
Number	2
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1996–1998	Atlético Mineiro	34	(3)
1998–2011	Borussia Dortmund	322	(12)
2011–	Eskişehirspor	8	(1)
National team‡
1999	Brazil U-23	1	(0)
2004	Brazil	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:01, 19 September 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 12 March 2010

Leonardo de Deus Santos (born 18 April 1978), nicknamed Dedê, is a Brazilian footballer, who plays for Turkish club Eskişehirspor. He has played a single match for the Brazil national team. Dedê is the brother of footballers Cacá and Leandro.

Born in the Brazilian industrial town of Belo Horizonte as the second of six brothers, Dedê was introduced to football at an early age, playing three-a-side matches with his brothers in his parents' apartment. "Our living room was the biggest room and also our playing field, with the doors to the kitchen and the bedroom as our goals. Well, you can imagine, we always broke things in the living room." On club level, Dedê first played for the local club of Atlético Mineiro, both as a junior and senior.

In 1997 he was awarded with a Bola de Prata, a Silver Ball, by the authoritative magazine Placar as the best player on his position in the Brazilian league. That year he also signed for Borussia Dortmund, where the left-back soon won the fans' hearts with his committed, spectacular performances. He not only became a regular starter for BVB, he was also one of the key players in the club's championship winning season of 2001–02. After a brief stint with the Olympic team, cut short by a knee injury, Dedê finally made his debut for the Seleção in Brazil's 4–1 win over Hungary in April 2004. The 33-year-old is now Dortmund's longest serving player, and has established himself as one of the most valuable players at the club. In the past he has also always been a great help by integrating his Brazilian compatriots into the team.

On 27 July 2011, he signed for Turkish club Eskişehirspor.^[1]

Honours

• Copa Conmebol: 1997
• UEFA Cup finalist: 2001–02
• Bundesliga champion: 2001–02, 2010–11
• DFB-Pokal finalist: 2007–08
• DFB-Ligapokal finalist: 2003

References

1. ^ "Dedê Eskişehirspor'da" (in Turkish). Eskişehirspor. 27 July 2011. http://www.eskisehirspor.org/haberler.asp?id=465. Retrieved 27 July 2011. 

External links

• Dede Interview by Schwatzgelb.de
• Dedê at fussballdaten.de (German)

Persondata
Name	Dede
Alternative names
Short description	footballer
Date of birth	18 April 1978
Place of birth	Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Date of death
Place of death