Cafu

Cafu

Cafu

                                                                                                                  
Marcos Evangelista de Moraes (born 7 June 1970), better known as Cafu, is a former Brazilian footballer. He is the most internationally capped male Brazilian player and also made history playing for São Paulo, Roma and Milan. He is the only player ever to have appeared in three World Cup finals, having won two, 1994 and 2002.

Cafu was named by Pelé as one of the 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004. He is best known for his tireless overlapping runs.

Early life

One of six children, Cafu was raised in the Jardim Irene favela of São Paulo. He was an average student as he soon discovered his love for football and preferred playing over studying. At the age of seven, he was able to attend a football academy and soon moved up to the junior sides of Nacional-SP, Portuguesa and Itaquaquecetuba. He also played futsal for two years.

In the early 1980s, he could not get his foot in the door as he was rejected from the youth squads of Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos, Atlético Mineiro, and Portuguesa. It was not until 1988 that he made the youth squad of hometown club São Paulo, and subsequently won the Copa São Paulo youth tournament that year, but he warmed the bench the next season as São Paulo won the 1989 Campeonato Paulista.

Club career
           

Cafu

                                                                            
It was during this time, however, that São Paulo youth coach Telê Santana became Cafu's mentor. He suggested that Cafu move from the midfield to wingback, a spot into which Cafu made the transition with ease despite never previously playing the position. He had soon anchored onto the first team, as São Paulo won back-to-back Copa Libertadores in 1992 and 1993. In 1994, he was named the South American Footballer of the Year. Cafu began the 1995 season with Brazil squad Juventude but finished in Spain with Real Zaragoza, winning the 1995 Cup Winners' Cup with the latter.

After a brief stint back in Brazil with Palmeiras in 1996, Cafu returned to Europe once again the next year, this time with Roma, and won the Scudetto in 2001. It was during his tenure at Roma that Cafu earned the nickname Il Pendolino ("The Express Train" or "The Commuter"). Despite making the Coppa Italia final in 2003 with Roma, he moved to Milan after turning down a move to Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos. With the Rossoneri, he won his second career Scudetto in 2004, and played in his first UEFA Champions League final in 2005.
Cafu playing for Milan

Despite his success with Milan, he continued to hold fond memories of his Roma years, and it was for that reason that on 4 March 2007 – the day after Milan eliminated Celtic in the first knockout round of the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League – he candidly revealed in a UEFA.com chat that he did not want Milan to be drawn against the Giallorossi in the quarterfinal round. He got his wish, as Milan were drawn against Bayern Munich. Milan's successful Champions League campaign saw Cafu finally pick up a long-awaited winners' medal.

Cafu signed a contract extension in May 2007 that would keep him with Milan until the end of the 2007–08 season. On 16 May 2008, it was announced that Cafu and compatriot Serginho would be leaving Milan at the end of the season. In Cafu's last game of his Milan career, and maybe his footballing career, he scored a goal in their 4–1 victory over Udinese. Milan's vice-president Adriano Galliani has opened the doors to him to return to work for the club.

Passport controversy
                                   
        
                          
Cafu was accused along with several other Serie A players, including Roma team-mate Fábio Júnior and Gustavo Bartelt, countryman and later Milan team-mate Dida, for using forged passport in their attempt to dodge regulations regarding the number of non-European players allowed on Italian club rosters. However, the charge was cleared by FIGC as Cafu's Italian passport is real and issued by Italian officials but 13 other including Dida were banned. But Cafu faced another controversy that similar to Juan Sebastián Verón, accused that Cafu's wife, Regina used falsified documents to claim Italian nationality through Italian descent. Cafu acquired Italian nationality through marriage. In 2004, Cafu and Roma president Franco Sensi went to court.

Cafu

                                                                                                                           
On 12 June 2006, less than 24 hours before Brazil were to begin their 2006 World Cup campaign against Croatia, Rome prosecutor Angelantonio Racanelli called for the imprisonment of Cafu, his wife Regina de Moraes, and his agent for nine months following the resurfacing of a false-passport scandal.The very next day, however, Cafu, his wife, and agent were acquitted of all charges. International career
Cafu playing for Brazil.

Cafu is the most-capped Brazilian player of all time with 142, including 21 World Cup finals appearances. He has won two World Cups in 1994 and 2002, as well as being the only player to participate in three consecutive World Cup final matches. He holds the record of winning the most number of matches in World Cups with 16.

Cafu earned his first cap in a friendly against Spain on 12 September 1990, and played sparingly for Brazil in the early 1990s, making the 1994 World Cup roster as a substitute. He appeared in the final against Italy, following an injury to Jorginho in the 22nd minute. After that, Cafu was soon a regular in the starting eleven as Brazil won the Copa América in 1997 and 1999, and reached the 1998 FIFA World Cup final.

Brazil endured a rocky qualification for the 2002 tournament, during which Cafu came under heavy criticism from coach Wanderley Luxemburgo, who stripped him of the team captaincy after he was sent off in a qualifier against Paraguay. Shortly after that, though, Luxemburgo was out of a job, and replacement Luiz Felipe Scolari made Emerson his new choice for captain. However, Emerson missed the cut after he dislocated his shoulder in training, which allowed Cafu to regain the armband. After Brazil defeated Germany 2–0 in the final match, he stood on the victory podium during the postmatch celebration and, as he raised the trophy, shouted to his wife, "Regina, eu te amo!" ("Regina, I love you!").

Cafu and Brazil fell short of high expectations placed on the squad four years later in 2006, as the Seleção meekly exited in the quarterfinals after a 1–0 defeat by France. Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira was criticized for featuring fading veterans, most notably the 36-year-old Cafu and 33-year-old Roberto Carlos, in the starting eleven in lieu of younger players. Cafu was one of only a few Brazil players who spoke to the press in the midst of a hailstorm of criticism from Brazilian fans and media alike following the team's return home. He nonetheless expressed interest in participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup; however he did not, as he retired completely from football in 2008.

Cafu was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.

Honours
 Club

São Paulo

    * Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (1): 1991
    * Campeonato Paulista (2): 1991, 1992
    * Copa Libertadores (2): 1992, 1993
    * Intercontinental Cup (2): 1992, 1993
    * Supercopa Sudamericana (1): 1993
    * Recopa Sudamericana (2): 1993, 1994
    * Copa CONMEBOL (1): 1994

Real Zaragoza

    * UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1995

Palmeiras

    * Campeonato Paulista (1): 1996

Roma

    * Serie A (1): 2001
    * Supercoppa Italiana (1): 2001

Ac Milan

    * UEFA Super Cup: 2003
    * Serie A (1): 2004
    * Supercoppa Italiana (1): 2004
    * UEFA Champions League (1): 2007
    * UEFA Super Cup (1): 2007
    * FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2007

 Country

Brazil

    * FIFA World Cup (2): 1994, 2002
    * Copa América (2): 1997, 1999
    * FIFA Confederations Cup (1): 1997

Individual

    * South American Footballer of the Year (1): 1994
    * Officer of the Order of Rio Branco: 2008