Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa, better known as Alex, (born June 17, 1982 in Niterói) is a Brazilian professional football player. Alex plays as a centre back currently for Chelsea and the Brazil national football team. Personal information Full name Alexsandro de Souza Date of birth September 14, 1977 ) Place of birth Curitiba, Brazil Height 1. ... Alessandro dos Santos ), born July 20, 1977 in Maringá, Paraná, Brazil, and often known as Alex, is a Brazilian-born football player who plays for the Japanese national team. ... is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Location of Niterói Coordinates: Country Brazil Region Southeast State Rio de Janeiro Mayor Godofredo Pinto (Workers Party (Brazil)) Area    - City 129,375 km² Population    - City (2006) 476. ... A player (wearing the red kit) has penetrated the defence (in the white kit) and is taking a shot at goal. ... In the sport of Association football, each of the eleven players in a team are assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... First international  Argentina 3 - 0 Brazil (Buenos Aires, Argentina; September 20, 1914)[1] Biggest win Brazil 14 - 0 Nicaragua  (Mexico; October 17, 1975) Biggest defeat  Uruguay 6 - 0 Brazil (Viña del Mar, Chile; 18 September 1920) World Cup Appearances 18 (First in 1930) Best result Winners, 1958, 1962, 1970...

Having been bought by the English Premier League club Chelsea in 2004, Alex finally joined the Chelsea squad in the summer of 2007 after three years at loan to PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands. ^[1] Alex is famously known among PSV fans for his great strength and his imposing appearance which earned him the nickname "The Tank". ^[2] The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays English Premier League for sponsorship reasons) comprises the top 20 football clubs in the league system of English football. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... PSV redirects here. ...

Club career

Santos

Alex began his career with Santos of Brazil, making his first team debut in 2002. He was signed by English club Chelsea F.C. in 2004 on the recommendation of famed PSV and Chelsea scout Piet de Visser, but because of potential problems in attaining a work permit, he was loaned out to Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.^[3] Santos Futebol Clube, usually known simply as Santos, is a Brazilian football team from Santos, São Paulo state, Brazil. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... Piet de Visser (1934 - ) is a Dutch football coach and scout. ... Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment. ... In football (soccer), a loan involves a particular player being allowed to temporarily play for a club other than the one he is currently contracted to. ... PSV redirects here. ...

PSV

The joint contract of Chelsea and PSV loaned Alex to PSV for two years, with Chelsea having a €1 buy-out clause. Alex eventually played three years at PSV, donning the number 4 jersey for the Dutch club. For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ...

Alex with PSV

He formally joined PSV Eindhoven in the 2004-05 season, helping the club win a domestic double of both the Dutch Eredivisie championship and Dutch Cup that year. In the UEFA Champions League 2004-05, Alex played a key role in the PSV team that was eliminated in the semi-finals against AC Milan on away goals (PSV won their home game 3-1 but had previously lost 0-2 in San Siro). The team eliminated AS Monaco FC and Olympique Lyonnais on their way to the semis. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... The 2004-05 season in Dutch football saw PSV Eindhoven winning the double, under the guidance of manager Guus Hiddink. ... The Eredivisie (English: Honorary Division) is the highest football league in the Netherlands. ... The KNVB Cup is a competition organized by the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) since 1899. ... The 2004-05 season of the European UEFA Champions League football club tournament was won by Liverpool in a dramatic final against A.C. Milan in the Atatürk Olympic Stadium. ... AC Milan is an Italian football club. ... The Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club is a Monegasque football club, founded in 1919. ... Olympique Lyonnais (popularly known as OL, or simply Lyon) is a French football club based in Lyon. ...

Alex won a second straight Dutch league championship in the 2005-06 season with PSV. Chelsea did not recall Alex in the summer of 2006, but instead signed Holland defender Khalid Boulahrouz, and Alex stayed a third season at PSV on loan in 2006-07. He won a third straight Eredivisie title with PSV, after a dramatic final-day finish to the season in which PSV sensationally trumped both AFC Ajax and AZ Alkmaar. The 2005/06 season of the Eredivisie began in August 2005 and ended in May 2006. ... Khalid Boulahrouz (Arabic: خالد بُلحروز) (born December 28, 1981, in Maassluis, Netherlands) is a Dutch footballer of Moroccan descent, who plays for the Netherlands and Chelsea of the English Premiership. ... The 2006/2007 season of the Eredivisie began on August 18, 2006 and will end on May 13, 2007. ... Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax also referred to as AFC Ajax, or simply Ajax is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands. ... AZ Alkmaar is a football club from Alkmaar, the Netherlands. ...

Alex scored in a UEFA Champions League first knockout round against Arsenal for both teams in the second half, turning in an own goal past his own goalkeeper Gomes, but compensating for it with a storming headed goal with eight minutes left to play to redeem himself and in the process ensure PSV a place in the quarter finals .^[4] However, he was later injured and played no part of PSV's UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool, which PSV lost 4-0 on aggregate. The knockout stage of the 2006-07 UEFA Champions League started on 20 February 2007 and culminated with the final match at the Olympic Stadium in Athens on 23 May. ... An own goal occurs in football (soccer) and other goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. ... Heurelho da Silva Gomes (born February 15, 1981 in João Pinheiro) is a Brazilian footballer, who currently plays for PSV Eindhoven. ... The knockout stage of the 2006-07 UEFA Champions League started on 20 February 2007 and culminated with the final match at the Olympic Stadium in Athens on 23 May. ... Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ...

Chelsea

Alex with Chelsea

In an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Alex confirmed that Chelsea were in the process of getting him a work permit and that the possibilites of him joining Chelsea next season were very high.^[5] Alex later confirmed that Chelsea had almost completed the process of acquiring him a work permit and that he would start next season as a Chelsea player. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 240 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (333 × 831 pixels, file size: 96 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 240 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (333 × 831 pixels, file size: 96 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... De Telegraaf is the largest Dutch daily morning newspaper, with a daily circulation of approximately 800,000. ...

Alex was granted a work permit on 2 August 2007, and completed his transfer to Chelsea FC after agreeing personal terms and passing a medical, signing a three year deal, and adding to Chelsea's options at centre-back, along with team captain John Terry, Portuguese international Ricardo Carvalho, and Israeli international Tal Ben Haim. is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... For other persons named John Terry, see John Terry (disambiguation). ... Ricardo Alberto Silveira Carvalho, OIH (born May 18, 1978 in Amarante, near Porto), pron. ... Tal Ben Haim (, born March 31, 1982 in Rishon LeZion, Israel) is an Israeli professional football player. ...

On 14th August 2007 Alex was presented to the English media, in a press conference with manager Jose Mourinho, and was given shirt number 33. He made his debut on 19 August 2007 when he came on as a substitute for Florent Malouda against Liverpool F.C. in the 85th minute, with the teams tied at 1-1. He also played in the 2-0 defeat away at Aston Villa and the 4-0 victory over Hull City in the Carling Cup^[6]. (Redirected from 14th August) August 14 is the 226th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (227th in leap years), with 139 days remaining. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Florent Malouda (born June 13, 1980 in Cayenne, French Guiana) is a French professional football player. ... Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ... Aston Villa Football Club play at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. ... Hull City Association Football Club are an English football team based at the Kingston Communications Stadium in Hull. ... The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ...

Alex scored his first goal for Chelsea on October 20, 2007, bulging the net from a free kick 30 yards out against Middlesbrough F.C. He scored another goal from a free kick on November 28, 2007, in a Champions League game against Rosenborg BK.^[7] is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Middlesbrough F.C. are an English football team, commonly known as Boro. ... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Rosenborg Ballklub (RBK) is a Norwegian football club from the city of Trondheim. ...

International career

Alex made his debut for Brazil on 17th August 2003 against Mexico.^[8] (Redirected from 17th August) August 17 is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

He was a member of the Brazil squad that won the Copa América 2007 with a 3-0 victory over arch-rivals Argentina in the final. Alex was particularly impressive with his effective display against the potent Argentinian attack led by Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez. The Copa América 2007 was the 42nd edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for South America. ... Lionel Andrés Messi (born 24 June 1987 in Rosario) is an Argentine international footballer who currently plays for FC Barcelona in the Primera División, and appears on Argentinas national team. ... Carlos Alberto T vez (born February 5, 1984) is an Argentine football striker who made his name with Argentine giant Boca Juniors and currently plays for Brazils Corinthians. ...

Career stats

Season	Club	Country	Competition	Matches	Goals
2002	Santos FC	Brazil	Campeonato Brasileiro	24	3
2003	Santos FC	Brazil	Campeonato Brasileiro	34	9
2004	Santos FC	Brazil	Campeonato Brasileiro	4	0
2004-05	PSV	Netherlands	Eredivisie	27	3
2005-06	PSV	Netherlands	Eredivisie	28	2
2006-07	PSV	Netherlands	Eredivisie	19	4
2007-08	Chelsea F.C.	England	Premier League	11 (3 as a sub)	1
Total				144	21

Santos Futebol Clube, usually known simply as Santos, is a Brazilian football team from Santos, São Paulo state, Brazil. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ... Santos Futebol Clube, usually known simply as Santos, is a Brazilian football team from Santos, São Paulo state, Brazil. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ... Santos Futebol Clube, usually known simply as Santos, is a Brazilian football team from Santos, São Paulo state, Brazil. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ... The 2004-05 season in Dutch football saw PSV Eindhoven winning the double, under the guidance of manager Guus Hiddink. ... PSV redirects here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... The Eredivisie (English: Honorary Division) is the highest football league in the Netherlands. ... The 2005/06 season of the Eredivisie began in August 2005 and ended in May 2006. ... PSV redirects here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... The Eredivisie (English: Honorary Division) is the highest football league in the Netherlands. ... The 2006/2007 season of the Eredivisie began on August 18, 2006 and will end on May 13, 2007. ... PSV redirects here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... The Eredivisie (English: Honorary Division) is the highest football league in the Netherlands. ... The 2007–08 Premier League season (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) is the sixteenth since its establishment. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ...

References

is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 344th day of the year (345th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of 9 channels. ... is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. ... is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa

• Alex career stats at Soccerbase
• Chelsea profile
• Alex at PSV Eindhoven photos by Tvw
• Fanpage of Alex