Gustavo Lazzaretti

A central defender by choice and a football player by profession, Gustavo Lazzaretti de Araujo is one of the top names playing football in Brazil. Having started his playing career in the youth academy at J. Malucelli, in 1999, Lazzaretti caught quite a few stares with his performances of the next four seasons. In 2003, Chelsea FC decided to come in and Lazzaretti found himself at one of the topmost clubs in England, ready to make his professional debut.

However, that debut would never come as Lazzaretti ended up playing the entire season in the reserves' team. He moved back to Brazil in 2004, signing up with Botafogo and instantly getting into the team's first eleven. Lazzaretti played every single game and scored a goal too, during his time with Botafogo. The following season, Italian teams came looking for his signature and tried him out with two loan spells.

The first was with Udinese Calcio, in 2005-06, but things didn't quite work out as Lazzaretti failed to break into their team, managing just one appearance. He moved to Treviso, during the winter transfer window, and played out the rest of the season as a starter with the Italians. After 26 games, which stretched into the 2006-07 season, Lazzaretti moved out and came back to Brazil.

No longer with Botafogo, Lazzaretti signed up with Atletico Paranaense, in 2006, and began playing in the first team. However, that Lazzaretti was unable to cope was evident soon after his first few games. He made just 20-odd appearances over the first three seasons at the club, before being sent out on loan to Vitoria Guimaraes in 2009-10. After playing regularly for the loan club, Lazzaretti returned only to be sent out again, this time to Sport Club do Recife. Towards the later half of 2010, Lazzaretti found himself moving out to the Middle-East, signing up with Al- Sharjah for the remainder of 2010-11.