Yuri (footballer, born 1982)

Yuri
	Yuri during a game with Ponferradina in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Yuri de Souza Fonseca
Date of birth	8 August 1982 (age 41)
Place of birth	Maceió, Brazil
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Ponferradina
Number	10
Youth career
1990–1991	Marialvas
1994–1995	Gondim
1995–2000	Maia
Senior career*
Years	Team
2000–2002	Maia
2003–2005	Boavista
2004	→ Gil Vicente (loan)
2004–2005	→ Estoril (loan)
2005–2009	Pontevedra
2007–2008	→ Las Palmas (loan)
2009–2016	Ponferradina
2016	Qingdao Huanghai
2017–	Ponferradina
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 February 2020

Yuri de Souza Fonseca (born 8 August 1982), known simply as Yuri, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Spanish club SD Ponferradina as a forward.

He also holds Portuguese citizenship, and spent the majority of his professional career in Portugal and Spain, mainly with Ponferradina.

Club career

Born in Maceió, Alagoas, Yuri arrived in Portugal still in his teens, joining F.C. Maia in the second division. His performances there attracted the attention of another club in the north, Primeira Liga's Boavista FC, for which he signed in January 2003.

However, Yuri could never impose himself at the Checquereds, going on to serve two loans in the process: he helped Gil Vicente F.C. avoid top flight relegation in his five-month spell, not being able to repeat it with G.D. Estoril Praia in the following season.

In summer 2005, Yuri moved to Iberian neighbours Spain, representing lowly Pontevedra CF. He also had a loan spell at UD Las Palmas in division two,^[1] but only appeared in 12 matches out of 42 without scoring.

Yuri signed for SD Ponferradina in 2009, going on to achieve two promotions to the second tier during his spell^[2]– to which he contributed with 26 goals combined – and eventually becoming captain.^[3]^[4] In the 2012–13 campaign he ranked third in the second division scorers' list at 21, helping his team to the seventh position.^[5]

Personal life

Yuri's older brother, Igor, was also a footballer and a forward. They shared teams at Maia (where they arrived at a young age) and Pontevedra.

His cousin, Charles, also played several seasons in Spain and also represented Pontevedra.^[6]^[7]

References

^ La UD obtiene la cesión de Yuri (UD get Yuri loan); Canarias Ahora, 15 July 2007 (in Spanish)
^ Yuri: “Muchas veces lo pienso, llevo seis años en la Ponferradina y fue la decisión correcta” (Yuri: “I often think about it, I have been with Ponferradina for six years and it was the right decision”); Info Bierzo, 3 April 2015 (in Spanish)
^ Yuri: "Estamos preparados para estas diez finales" (Yuri: "We are ready for these ten finals"); La Liga, 4 April 2014 (in Spanish)
^ Díaz: "Yuri es el capitán y debería ser un ejemplo para sus compañeros" (Díaz: "Yuri is the captain and he should be an example for his teammates"); Mundo Deportivo, 27 November 2015 (in Spanish)
^ La Ponferradina no pierde cuando marca Yuri (Ponferradina do not lose when Yuri scores); Marca, 24 April 2014 (in Spanish)
^ Yuri, "orgulloso" de liderar el Pichichi con su primo Charles (Yuri, "proud" to top Pichichi with his cousin Charles); Marca, 4 December 2012 (in Spanish)
^ La ‘familia Gol’ (The ‘Goal family’); El País, 15 December 2012 (in Spanish)

External links

Yuri at ForaDeJogo (archived)
Yuri at BDFutbol
Yuri at Futbolme (in Spanish)
Yuri at Soccerway

[1] La UD obtiene la cesión de Yuri (UD get Yuri loan); Canarias Ahora, 15 July 2007 (in Spanish)

[2] Yuri: “Muchas veces lo pienso, llevo seis años en la Ponferradina y fue la decisión correcta” (Yuri: “I often think about it, I have been with Ponferradina for six years and it was the right decision”); Info Bierzo, 3 April 2015 (in Spanish)

[3] Yuri: "Estamos preparados para estas diez finales" (Yuri: "We are ready for these ten finals"); La Liga, 4 April 2014 (in Spanish)

[4] Díaz: "Yuri es el capitán y debería ser un ejemplo para sus compañeros" (Díaz: "Yuri is the captain and he should be an example for his teammates"); Mundo Deportivo, 27 November 2015 (in Spanish)

[5] La Ponferradina no pierde cuando marca Yuri (Ponferradina do not lose when Yuri scores); Marca, 24 April 2014 (in Spanish)

[6] Yuri, "orgulloso" de liderar el Pichichi con su primo Charles (Yuri, "proud" to top Pichichi with his cousin Charles); Marca, 4 December 2012 (in Spanish)

[7] La ‘familia Gol’ (The ‘Goal family’); El País, 15 December 2012 (in Spanish)

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