Giovanni (footballer, born 1972)
Giovanni Silva de Oliveira (born 4 February 1972), better known as Giovanni, is a Brazilian football manager and former player. He played as either an attacking midfielder or a forward.
|
Giovanni playing for Santos in 2010 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Giovanni Silva de Oliverra | ||
| Date of birth | 4 February 1972 | ||
| Place of birth | Belém, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder, forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1990–1992 | Tuna Luso | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1994 | Tuna Luso | 38 | (21) |
| 1993 | → Remo (loan) | 16 | (5) |
| 1994 | → Paysandu (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 1994 | → Sãocarlense (loan) | 4 | (2) |
| 1994 | → Santos (loan) | 11 | (1) |
| 1995–1996 | Santos | 79 | (60) |
| 1996–1999 | Barcelona | 71 | (18) |
| 1999–2005 | Olympiacos | 129 | (60) |
| 2005–2006 | Santos | 28 | (4) |
| 2006 | Al Hilal | (0) | |
| 2006–2007 | Ethnikos Piraeus | 8 | (3) |
| 2007 | Sport Recife | 0 | (0) |
| 2009 | Mogi Mirim | 16 | (1) |
| 2010 | Santos | 5 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 1995–1999 | Brazil | 18 | (6) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
At club level, Giovanni most notably played for Spanish side Barcelona, Greek side Olympiacos, and Brazilian club Santos. Internationally, he played for the Brazil national team, gaining 18 caps and scoring 6 goals; he was part of the Brazilian team that reached the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final.
In his prime, Giovanni was one of Barcelona's most valuable players, but after the arrival of Louis van Gaal at the club, he got into conflict with the Dutch manager, along with fellow Brazilians Rivaldo (whom van Gaal wanted to use as a left winger, despite his protests) and Sonny Anderson. He famously called van Gaal "a Hitler for Brazilians, and an egomaniac". At Olympiacos Giovanni had the happiest and most successful days of his career, and is still remembered as a club legend by supporters.