Biography
Who is Alessandro Santos?
Early life and move to Japan
Alessandro Santos was born as Alessandro dos Santos in Maringá, Brazil, on July 20, 1977. He grew up in Brazil before moving to Japan in 1994 when he was sixteen years old. Upon arriving in the country, he enrolled in Meitoku Gijuku High School located in Kōchi. During his time at the school, he played football for the institution's athletic club and developed his skills as a young player.
Club career beginnings
After finishing high school, Alessandro Santos joined the J1 League team Shimizu S-Pulse in 1997. In 1999, the club finished in second place in the league standings, and Alessandro received the J.League Player of the Year award. During this period, the team also captured the 1999-2000 Asian Cup Winners' Cup championship. In August 2002, he agreed to join the English Premier League team Charlton Athletic for a fee of two and a half million pounds. However, the Home Office denied him a work permit because he lacked the required number of national team appearances for players from outside the European Union. Consequently, he returned to Shimizu S-Pulse to finish the season.
Later club career and international play
In January 2004, Alessandro Santos left Shimizu S-Pulse to sign with the Urawa Red Diamonds. The club finished in second place in the J1 League for two consecutive seasons in 2004 and 2005 before winning the league title in 2006. In January 2007, he moved to Red Bull Salzburg on a loan agreement and won the Austrian Bundesliga title for the 2006-2007 season. He returned to Urawa Red Diamonds in January 2008 but suffered a serious injury in a test match, limiting him to a single appearance that season. In July 2009, he transferred to Nagoya Grampus and made fifty-five appearances for the team. He later joined J2 League side Tochigi SC for the 2013 season, where he made twenty-five appearances and scored two goals. In January 2014, he moved to fellow J2 League team FC Gifu. In 2001, Alessandro Santos obtained Japanese citizenship and became eligible to represent the country internationally. He made his debut for the Japan national team on March 21, 2002, in a match against Ukraine. Manager Philippe Troussier selected him for the 2002 World Cup squad, making him the second non-Japan-born player to appear for Japan in the World Cup finals. He later played under manager Zico, appearing in all six matches of the 2004 Asian Cup, which Japan won. He also played in the 2006 World Cup, providing an assist against his birth country Brazil during a group stage match. In total, he made eighty-two appearances and scored seven goals for the Japan national team.
Post-playing activities
Following his active playing career, Alessandro Santos established Aruko Sports Brasil in the year 2020. The organization operates a football team that competes in the Campeonato Paranaense. Throughout his extensive career in both club and international football, he secured numerous honors including multiple Emperor's Cup titles and Japanese Super Cup victories.
Birthday and age
Alessandro Santos was born on July 20, 1977, which makes Alessandro 49 years old today. That birthday falls under the Cancer sign. Alessandro shares the date with 31 other famous people.
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