Kléber Giacomance de Souza Freitas

Kléber
Personal information
Full name Kléber Giacomazzi de Souza Freitas
Date of birth (1983-08-12) 12 August 1983
Place of birth Osasco, Brazil
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position Forward / Striker
Club information
Current team
Coritiba
Number 83
Youth career
1994–2002 São Paulo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003 São Paulo 45 (10)
2004–2009 Dynamo Kyiv 104 (37)
2008Palmeiras (loan) 30 (8)
2009–2010 Cruzeiro 19 (9)
2010–2011 Palmeiras 41 (11)
2011–2015 Grêmio 62 (11)
2014Vasco da Gama (loan) 14 (4)
2015– Coritiba 37 (7)
National team
2003 Brazil U20 7 (1)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14 August 2016.


Kléber Giacomazzi de Souza Freitas (born 12 August 1983), known simply as Kléber, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward and striker for Coritiba.

Club career

Kléber started his career playing for São Paulo, in 2003. The young forward – he was 20 years old – shined in 2003 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, when tricolor paulista finished in a 3rd place, and in 2003 Copa Sudamericana, competition that the club was eliminated in semifinals, against Argentinian side River Plate. In December, Kléber also won the 2003 FIFA U-20 World Cup, along with others future Brazilian soccer stars, such as Nilmar, Dagoberto, Daniel Alves and Jefferson.[1]

In 2004, Kléber was sold to Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv for US$2 million. On 14 January, the player was presented in his new club.[2]

In 2008, after four years playing in Europe, he came back to Brazil, being loaned out to Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras from FC Dynamo Kyiv.[3]

He was part of the transfer of Guilherme to Dynamo which sent Kléber in the opposite direction to Cruzeiro in February 2009 arriving from Palmeiras.[4] He signed a contract until February 2014.

In his first match for Cruzeiro, De Souza Freitas scored 2 goals and was dismissed in the first half, playing in the 2009 Copa Libertadores. After the match, he stated that he would stop being so aggressive in games and would only dedicate himself for the club. He helped Cruzeiro reach the Finals of the Libertadores, eventually losing to Estudiantes, from Argentina, in the decisive 2nd leg match. After the shocking defeat in the Mineirão stadium, he injured himself in training and played only 15 league matches in 2009, although he helped Cruzeiro finish in the 4th place of the table and qualify to the 2010 Copa Libertadores, scoring a decisive goal against Santos at Vila Belmiro in the final minutes of the last match of the year.

In July 2010, after a good season start, scoring 2 goals in four matches in the 2010 league for Cruzeiro, he agreed a transfer to his former club, Palmeiras, where he had played in 2008. He was very well received by the club that had a great affection for him. In Palmeiras, the fans nicknamed him "Gladiador" (Gladiator), for his strong determination and high talent on the field.

In October 2011, he strongly criticized Palmeiras coach Luis Felipe Scolari in a television interview, saying that, "80 percent of the squad do not like him." He was removed from the squad right away, following friction with the coach. Although he was under contract with the club until 2015, the board of Palmeiras confirmed that he would never represent the club again.[5]

On November 2011, he signed a five-year contract with Grêmio, after Palmeiras agreed to sell the 50 percent of his playing rights.[6]

In June 2014, Grêmio loaned him to Vasco da Gama until the end of the season.[7]

On 2015, Kleber returned from his loaned to Grêmio, the Coach from Grêmio at the time was Luis Felipe Scolari, the same coach Klebler criticized back in 2011, and they said that Kleber was going to be negotiated. After more than 3 month not receiving his salary Kleber "broke the contract" with Grêmio and make an agreement with the Worker Justice and Grêmio to receive about 60 payment from R$220.000.

In June 2015, Kleber signed with the Coritiba FootBall Club, from Curitiba-Paraná.

Career statistics

As of 14 August 2016
Club Season League Cup Continental State League Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Dynamo Kyiv 2003–04 0020000020
2004–05 0800800088
2005–06 011210000212
2006–07 1583240002210
2007–08 90002000110
Total Dinamo 242773140004530
Palmeiras 2008 (loan) 3084140934712
Cruzeiro 2009 1570011412133824
2010 4200107982317
Total Cruzeiro 19900211121216141
Palmeiras 2010 2280062002810
2011 19375211684417
Total Palmeiras 7119116123251111939
Grêmio 2012 26641501484915
2013 345504082517
2014 2000003151
Total Grêmio 62119190251110523
Vasco da Gama 2014 245410000286
Total Vasco da Gama 245410000286
Coritiba 2015 131000000131
2016 186110012133220
Total Coritiba 377110012134521
Career Total 23778321756148356403160

Honours

Club

Dynamo Kyiv
Palmeiras
Cruzeiro

National

Brazil U20

Individual

References

  1. Folha Online – Esporte – Brasil é campeão mundial sub-20 e conquista a tríplice coroa. Brasil em Folhas.uol.com.br (19 December 2003).
  2. Dynamo de Kiev apresenta o brasileiro Kléber – Campeonato Europeu – Terra. Esportes.terra.com.br (14 January 2004).
  3. "Kléber moves to Brazil" – Official Website of Dynamo Kyiv, 14 February 2008.
  4. "Guilherme tipped for greatness at Dynamo". UEFA. 2 February 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  5. "Palmeiras vice-president Roberto Frizzo confirms that Kleber will never represent the club again". goal.com. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
  6. "GLADIADOR NA ARENA – Kléber é apresentado oficialmente. Kléber assina com o Palmeiras no dia 14/12/2012 e pode ser anunciado até segunda-feira" (in Portuguese). Grêmio FBPA. 23 November 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
  7. "Vasco da Gama anuncia a contratação do atacante Kléber" (in Portuguese). Vasco da Gama. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
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