Rafinha de Souza

Marcio Rafael de Silva is a professional football player from Brazil who plays as a defender. Some of the major teams that he had been a part of include Brazil, Bayern Munich, Genoa, Schalke 04 and Coritiba.

Commonly known by the name of Rafinha, he began his football career at the age of seven and played for Gremio Londrinense team in Parana. At 12, he began his training with PSTC, prior to getting signed by the team of Londrina Esporte Clube in 2001 when he was 16. Later on, he was signed by Coritiba Football Club, which allowed him to display his talents on the national level.

Whilst with Coritiba, Rafinha played for the Brazilian U20 team, and also in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands. During one match, he scored 2 goals and played a vital role, progressing to bronze medal for the team. His performance during this match alerted many European teams of his ability to tackle the ball. Eventually, Schalke team bought him for an estimated price of 5 million euros on a four year contract basis.

By 2010, on 4rth August, he moved from Schalke team to Genoa team. Moreover, on 1st June 2011, he signed a three year contract to join Bayern Munich at 5.5 million euros.