Renato Abreu

A professional football player from Brazil, Carlos Renato de Abreu is a midfielder who plays in the centre of the pitch. Known for his ability to shoot from range and take devastating free kicks, Renato began his playing career at Clube Nautico Marcilio Dias in 1998. A year later, Renato moved to Joinville Esporte Clube before moving to Uniao Barbarense in 2000.

In 2000, Renato would catch the eye of Guarani Futebol Clube and in the same year that he moved to Barbarense, Renato would make another move, this time to Guarani. Over two seasons, Renato only managed to make 20-odd appearances in the league, scoring two goals in his trademark long-distance shooting style.

In 2001, Renato had raised eyebrows with his solid performances in midfield and was now the player that Corinthians wanted in their team. Renato moved to the club in 2001 and became one of the most important members of their team. He helped Corinthians win the 2001 and 2003 Sao Paulo State League titles as well as the 2002 Rio-Sao Paulo tournament. However, it was the 2002 Copa do Brasil triumph in which Renato really played to his true potential.

After over 110 appearances for the club in five seasons of football, Renato moved to Flamengo and began collecting another set of trophies. The tournament of his career was the 2006 Copa do Brasil title, a tournament in which he scored 6 fantastic goals from the midfield, leading the team from the centre. He even led Flamengo to the 2007 Taca Guanabara title as well as the Rio de Janeiro state league title in the same year. In three seasons for Flamengo, Renato had made 77 appearances in the league and scored over 23 goals for the club.

In 2007, Renato moved to the Middle-East and signed with Al-Nasr Sports Club in the UAE. He played 23 games, scoring 12 times before moving to Al-Shabab. Over two seasons, until 2010, Renato played at Al-Shabab and suffered from injuries, leading to just 44 appearances and 13 goals between 2008 and 2010.

In 2010, he moved back to Brazil and signed with Flamengo, and since then has been re-visiting the form that made him popular. Renato helped the team win the 2011 Taca Guanabara and Rio de Janeiro State League titles as well as the Taca Rio title. He was named as the best defensive midfielder for 2011, in the Campeonato Carioca and has played almost 60 games for the club, since 2010, scoring 9 goals.

At the international level, Renato made his debut for the Brazilian national team in 2011, but that single cap is the only appearance he has made so far.