Grafite
 |
| Personal information |
| Full name |
Edinaldo Batista Libânio |
| Date of birth |
2 April 1979 (1979-04-02) (age 30) |
| Place of birth |
Campo Limpo Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil |
| Height |
1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in) |
| Playing position |
Striker |
| Club information |
| Current club |
VfL Wolfsburg |
| Number |
23 |
| Senior career* |
| Years |
Team |
Apps† |
(Gls)† |
| 1999–2000 |
Matonense |
0 |
(0) |
| 2001 |
Ferroviária |
0 |
(0) |
| 2001 |
Santa Cruz |
22 |
(5) |
| 2002 |
Grêmio |
6 |
(0) |
| 2003 |
Anyang Cheetahs |
9 |
(0) |
| 2003 |
Goiás |
20 |
(12) |
| 2004–2006 |
São Paulo |
44 |
(17) |
| 2006–2007 |
Le Mans |
51 |
(17) |
| 2007– |
Wolfsburg |
61 |
(45) |
| National team‡ |
| 2005– |
Brazil |
1 |
(1) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:15, 14 December 2009 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21 September 2007 |
Edinaldo Batista Libânio (born 2 April 1979 in Campo Limpo Paulista, São Paulo), commonly known as Grafite (pronounced "Grah-feat-eh"[1]), is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a striker for German Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg.[2]
Club career
His previous clubs include Le Mans Union Club 72, São Paulo Futebol Clube, Goiás Esporte Clube and Anyang LG Cheetahs in South Korea. He was transferred from Le Mans to Wolfsburg for 8 million euro[3] and had a prolific 2008–09 season, becoming the topscorer of the Bundesliga with an impressive 28 goals in 25 appearances and in doing so playing a crucial role in the club's first ever Bundesliga title. Together with Edin Džeko, they formed the most successful strike duo in Bundesliga history. In the 2008–09 season, during Wolfsburg's 5–1 defeat of main rival FC Bayern Munich, Grafite scored a goal regarded as one of the best in Europe that season,[4] dribbling past several defenders and then scoring with a backheel.[5]
In Wolfsburg's first ever Champions League match against CSKA Moscow on 15 September 2009, Grafite scored a hat-trick to beat the Russian side 3–1 at the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg,[6] becoming only the sixth player to score a hat-trick on his Champions League debut.[7][8]
International career
On 27 April 2005, he made his debut and scored his first goal for the Brazil national football team against Guatemala. He received the Brazilian Silver Ball award in 2003.
On 24 August 2009, before the Wolfsburg game against Hamburg, he received the "Prêmio Futebol no Mundo" award ("Worldwide Football" in a free translation) as the promising newcomer player ("revelação") of the 2008–09 season, as well as the top goalscorer award of the same season.[9]
Honours
International goals
- Results list Brazil's goal tally first.
References
External links
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Guatemala
