Kaká (footballer born 1981)

This article is about the Brazilian footballer born 1981. For Brazilian footballer born 1982, see Kaká. For other uses, see Kaka.

Kaká

Personal information
Full name	Claudiano Bezerra da Silva
Date of birth	16 May 1981 (1981-05-16)
Place of birth	São José do Belmonte, Brazil
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	APOEL
Number	4
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2006	União Bandeirante
2003	→ São Caetano (loan)	0	(0)
2003	→ Ituiutaba (loan)
2004–2005	→ Luverdense (loan)
2006	→ Jaciara (loan)
2006–2008	Académica	52	(1)
2008–	Hertha BSC	15	(0)
2010	→ Omonia (loan)	8	(0)
2011	→ Braga (loan)	12	(0)
2011–	→ APOEL (loan)	6	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 December 2011. † Appearances (Goals).

Claudiano Bezerra da Silva (born 16 May 1981), commonly known as Kaká (Portuguese pronunciation: [kaˈka] ( listen)), is a Brazilian footballer who plays for APOEL F.C. on loan from Hertha BSC in Germany, as a central defender.

Club career

Until 2006, Kaká was on contract to União Bandeirante Futebol Clube, also being loaned to several modest Brazilian clubs. In 2006–07, he made the move to Europe, joining Portuguese side Académica de Coimbra, and being an undisputed starter in his second season in the top division (all 30 games played, 2,700 minutes of action), as the Students finished in 12th position.

In the 2008 summer, Kaká signed with Bundesliga club Hertha BSC, for €1.9 million. He made his debut in the competition on 17 August, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 away win against Eintracht Frankfurt, and finished his first season with 12 matches; after only appearing twice for the Berlin outfit in the first half of 2009–10 – the campaign eventually ended in relegation – he was loaned to AC Omonia in Cyprus on 31 January 2010, helping the club win the First Division title for the first time in seven years.

After his return, Kaká continued to be rarely played at Hertha and, in another winter transfer window move, returned to Portugal and joined S.C. Braga, yet on loan. With the Minho club, he established himself as a regular, finishing 2010–11 with 20 official appearances, including eight in the team's UEFA Europa League run to the final, with the player playing in the decisive match against F.C. Porto (0–1 loss).

At the end of the season, Kaká returned to Hertha. On the last day of the 2011 summer transfer window he was once again loaned, this time to Cypriot champions and UEFA Champions League contenders APOEL FC.

Kaká made his debut in the Champions League on 19 October 2011, in a 1–1 draw with FC Porto at the Estádio do Dragão, as APOEL eventually became the first Cypriot club to reach the knockout stages.

Honours

• Omonia:
  • Cypriot League: 2009–10

• Braga:
  • UEFA Europa League: Runner-up 2010–11

External links

• Stats and profile at Zerozero
• Stats at ForaDeJogo (Portuguese)
• Kaká at fussballdaten.de (German)