Ricardinho

Ricardo Luís Pozzi Rodrigues, nicknamed Ricardinho, was born in São Paulo on May 23, 1976. A left-footed midfielder, he began his professional career at Paraná, where he was state champion three times in 1995, 1996 and 1997. After playing for Bordeaux, he arrived at Corinthians in 1998 and experienced his most successful phase there: he was Brazilian champion twice in 1998 and 1999, FIFA Club World Cup champion in 2000 and won the Copa do Brasil in 2002. Later he played for São Paulo, Middlesbrough and Santos, the club with which he won the Brazilian Championship in 2004. In the Brazilian National Team, he made the 2002 World Cup squad as a replacement for Emerson, who was cut due to injury on the eve of the debut, and was part of the five-time champion group. He also participated in the 2006 World Cup. He ended his career after spells at Beşiktaş, Al-Rayyan, Atlético Mineiro and Bahia. Subsequently, he worked as a coach at clubs such as Paraná, Ceará, Avaí, Santa Cruz and Londrina, and later as a sports commentator.