Elano
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Elano Blumer | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Playmaker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Manchester City | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11th November 2007 | |||
Elano Blumer (born June 14, 1981 in Iracemápolis, São Paulo) is a Brazilian football player who currently plays for the English club Manchester City.
He is a playmaker who has the ability to play anywhere down the flank. He also has the ability to score from distance and has been noted for his dribbling skills and vision.
Career
Elano is god. bow down and worship him. Elano began his career with Guarani of Campinas in São Paulo state. After a short spell with Limeira's Internacional he joined Santos, the former club of Pelé, where he played alongside Robinho, Diego and Alex. Elano soon gained a reputation as a talented goal scoring midfielder, forming part of the Santos side which won the Campeonato Brasileiro in 2004. 3 years at Santos produced 32 goals and earned the player a transfer to the Ukrainian side FC Shakhtar Donetsk. Although he was not a regular in his first season in Ukraine, Elano went on to establish his credentials as a key player and exceptional form saw him became the first player from the Ukrainian Premier League to represent the Brazilian national team, when he was called up for the Brazil vs. Norway game on August 16, 2006.
Manchester City
On August 2, 2007 Manchester City paid £8m for Elano, who signed a 4 year contract.[1] He made his debut on the opening day of the season against West Ham, providing the cross for the opening goal.[2] He played in his first Manchester derby on the 19th August 2007. Elano has also revealed how he is enjoying his new life in Manchester, describing the city as beautiful [3] and how the weather suits him better than what he experienced in Ukraine. [4] He has also admitted surprise at the tempo of football in the Premier League. He currently leads the goal assists chart for the Premier League along with Cesc Fabregas of Arsenal. [5] On the 29th of September, Elano scored his first goal in City colours - a stunning free kick in a 3-1 win over Newcastle United. He added two more spectacular goals to his tally on 7 October in City's 3-1 win over Middlesbrough, one from open play about 25 yards out, and the other a curling free-kick from just outside the penalty area. He continued his brilliant form by scoring the only goal in a match against Birmingham City and converting a late penalty in the Carling Cup victory at Bolton Wanderers. On 2 January he scored the first goal at St James' Park in Manchester City's 2-0 victory over Newcastle United.
National team
He has 25 caps with the Brazilian national team, the first one in January, 2004. He scored his first two international goals in the 2006 friendly 3-0 win against Argentina on 3 September. In 2007 Elano participated in the Copa America, playing four games for Brazil, including the final against Argentina, during which he assisted a goal before being subbed due to injury.
Brazil Goals
| # | Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 3 September, 2006 |  Argentina |
3-0 | Win | Friendly |
| 2. | 3 September, 2006 | Argentina |
3-0 | Win | Friendly |
| 3. | 9 September, 2007 |  United States |
4-2 | Win | Friendly |
| 4. | 17 October, 2007 |  Ecuador |
5-0 | Win | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) |
Honours
- Campeonato Brasileiro: 2002, 2004 (With Santos)
- Ukrainian Championship: 2006 (With Shakhtar Donetsk)
- Ukrainian Super Cup: 2006 (With Shakhtar Donetsk)
- Copa America : 2007 (With Brazil)
References
- ^ "Elano heads Man City triple swoop". BBC Sport. 2007-08-02. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "West Ham 0 Manchester City 2". Sporting Life. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
- ^ http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2151261,00.html
- ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_city/article3048635.ece
- ^ http://www.premierleague.com/page/Statistics/0,,12306,00.html