Fabinho began his career atFluminense and subsequently transferred toRio Ave in 2012. He spent his entire time in Portugal out on loan, first atReal Madrid Castilla, and made one substitute appearance for thefirst team. He spent five years atMonaco, playing 233 total games and scoring 31 goals, and he wonLigue 1 in the2016–17 season. He was recognised a major player at the Monegasque club.[A] Fabinho then transferred to Liverpool for a reported transfer fee of £39 million.[8] In his debut season at Liverpool he won theUEFA Champions League. Victories in theUEFA Super Cup and in theFIFA Club World Cup preceded Fabinho playing a significant role in Liverpool winning the2019–20 Premier League. He also won theFA Cup andEFL Cup with Liverpool in the2021–22 season and won theFA Community Shield the following season. Fabinho has received much credit for his role in Liverpool's resurgence over the years.[B] In 2023, Fabinho officially joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad.
Fabinho made his international debut for Brazil in 2015, and was part of their squads at theCopa América in2015,2016 and2021, finishing in second place in the latter competition. Fabinho was also selected as part of Brazil's squad for the2022 FIFA World Cup, a tournament in which they were knocked out in thequarter-finals.
Fabinho began his career atFluminense. He was called into a first team matchday squad for the only time on 20 May 2012, as he was an unusedsubstitute in a 1–0 win overCorinthians inthat season'sSérie A.[19] On 8 June 2012, Fabinho joined PortuguesePrimeira Liga clubRio Ave on a six-year contract.[20] Upon arriving inVila do Conde, Fabinho was greeted by his new manager,Nuno Espírito Santo.[21] Fabinho later stated that he had been informed of what to expect inPortugal by fellow footballerDeco, who had been with him at Fluminense.[21]
On 19 July 2013, Fabinho joinedMonaco from Rio Ave on a season-long loan deal.[27] Fabinho chose to move to Monaco as he was confident of receiving regular playing time there and as he was sure of Monaco's status as a prominent club. His decision was made in this way despite the fact that the coaches at Real Madrid Castilla had notified him that he would have a good chance of moving up to the first team.[21] Fabinho took thesquad number 2 to wear on his shirt. He made his debut on 10 August at theStade Chaban-Delmas in Monaco's opening Ligue 1 match of the2013–14 season, playing the entire match againstBordeaux, with Monaco winning 2–0.[28] He scored his first goal for Monaco in the 58th minute in their 6–0 home win overLens in the quarter-finals of the2013–14 Coupe de France on 26 March 2014.[29]
"His versatility, his youth and his attitude mark him out as a player with a big future. It's also a source of pride to see him make it into the Brazilian squad."
The former Monaco vice-presidentVadim Vasilyev on Fabinho upon the announcement of his permanent transfer.[6]
On 19 May 2015, after two seasons on loan at Monaco, Monaco and Rio Ave agreed on the permanent transfer of Fabinho; he signed a contract with Monaco for the next four seasons and would be tied to the club until 30 June 2019.[31] On 20 March 2016, Fabinho won a penalty when fouled by compatriotDavid Luiz, and converted it for a 2–0 win that wasParis Saint-Germain's first home defeat since May 2014.[32]
On 28 May 2018,Premier League clubLiverpool announced that Fabinho, aged 24, would sign for the club on a long-term contract for a reported initial fee of £39 million, effective 1 July.[37][38][39] It was reported that a further £4m could be added to the fee in the form of performance-related bonus payments.[37] The announcement was made days after Liverpool's loss toReal Madrid in the2018 UEFA Champions League final.[37] The transfer made Fabinho the 9th most expensive Brazilian footballer in history.[40] With Liverpool midfielderEmre Can expected to depart from Liverpool forJuventus, it was suggested by analysts that Fabinho was to be his replacement.[41][37] Fabinho took thesquad number 3 to wear on his shirt. Upon announcing his transfer, Fabinho described himself as "really excited" to be joining "a giant of a team".[37] Fabinho later commented that when he had arrived at the club he had been able to "sense that Liverpool were at the start of something really special", adding that Liverpool "had waited for this moment and [that] now was the time for harvest".[21] His debut for the club came as an injury-time substitute forSadio Mané in a Champions League group match against Paris Saint-Germain on 18 September, a 3–2 win atAnfield.[42][43] He made his league debut in a 1–0 win atHuddersfield Town on 20 October, coming on for the last 21 minutes in place ofAdam Lallana.[44] A week later he was granted a first league start in a 4–1 home victory againstCardiff City in central midfield alongsideGeorginio Wijnaldum, and received praise fromSky Sports.[45][46] On 16 December, Fabinho provided his first assist for Liverpool, a dinked ball over the top of the opposition defence from whichSadio Mané scored, as Liverpool defeatedManchester United at home with a score of 3–1.[47] On 26 December, Fabinho scored his first goal for Liverpool with a late header in a 4–0 win againstNewcastle United.[48]
On 7 January 2019, Fabinho played atcentre-back againstWolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup third round.[49][50] On 12 January 2019, Fabinho again played in acentre-back position in a 0–1 victory againstBrighton & Hove Albion and was highly praised for his role in the win byGarth Crooks.[51][52] On Fabinho's execution of the centre-back position in the latter match,Ian Wright noted that he had shown his "natural defensive instincts".[53] Following such performances, managerJurgen Klopp praised him and stated that he was a "new centre-back option".[54] On 7 May 2019, Fabinho was a standout performer as Liverpool overturned a three-goal deficit and beat Barcelona 4–0 in the second leg of the2018–19 UEFA Champions Leaguesemi-finals to advance to thefinal.[55][21] In total, Fabinho won a total of 23 tackles, recoveries, interceptions and one-on-one challenges during the match.[56] Former Liverpool playerJamie Carragher later noted that Fabinho was "particularly prominent" in patrolling the central zone of the pitch in the game,[57] in addition lauding him for an "exquisite" tackle on Messi.[58] Fabinho later described the game as the "biggest match" of his life and described the recitation of the 'You'll Never Walk Alone' anthem by theAnfield crowd as the "most defining moment" of his career.[59] On 1 June, Fabinho started in the2019 UEFA Champions League final againstTottenham Hotspur, playing the full 90 minutes as the club secured their sixth win in the competition and as Fabinho earned his first trophy with the club.[60]
2019–20 season: Super Cup and Premier League victory
Fabinho started for Liverpool as the side finished as the runners-up to the2019 FA Community Shield after apenalty shoot-out.[61] On 14 August 2019, Fabinho played the full 90 minutes in the2019 UEFA Super Cup againstChelsea, scoring Liverpool's second penalty in the shootout after regular time ended 2–2, in an eventual 5–4 win on penalties.[62] On 27 October, he earned praise from the fans for his performance in a 2–1 win against Tottenham.[63][64] Fabinho's first goal of the season came againstManchester City on 10 November, scoring an early long-ranged goal in an eventual 3–1 win.[65]
On 27 November 2019, during a crucial Champions League match againstNapoli, he suffered an early ankle injury after falling awkwardly during a challenge and was substituted after 18 minutes.[66] Two days later, the club announced that the injury would keep Fabinho out of action until the start of 2020.[67] On 21 December 2019, Fabinho won the2019 FIFA Club World Cup after Liverpool beatFlamengo in thefinal.[68] On 24 June 2020, Fabinho scored a long-range goal from more than thirtyyards in a victory againstCrystal Palace and was described by journalistPhil McNulty as a "complete operator" who "showed all sides of his game in what turned into a stroll".[69][70] The same game, he provided a brilliant pass forMohamed Salah to score and effectively settle the contest.[70][71] Thus, Fabinho celebrated his 41st victory in what was his 50thPremier League appearance; onlyDidier Drogba,Arjen Robben,Ederson andAymeric Laporte have won more of their opening 50 games in the competition.[70] On 25 June 2020, Liverpool won thePremier League afterManchester City were defeated byChelsea with a score of 2–1.[72][73][74][75] Fabinho played a major part in Liverpool's2019–20 Premier League title win that season.[76][77]
Fabinho started for Liverpool as the side finished as the runners-up to the2020 FA Community Shield after apenalty shoot-out in which he scored.[78] During the2020–21 season, Fabinho had to play as a centre-back due to the club's injury problems, one of which being the absence of key defenderVirgil van Dijk for some time.[79][80] On 20 September 2020, Fabinho was widely praised by analysts for a performance in a 0–2 victory againstChelsea in which he made more passes (90) and gained possession more times (12) than any other player.[81][82] In aChampions Leaguegroup stage match on 21 October 2020, Fabinho executed an overhead kick clearance off the goal-line to preserve a clean sheet for Liverpool as his side beat Ajax 1–0.[83] Fabinho was voted as man of the match by users ofBBC Sport, with managerJürgen Klopp later stating that Fabinho "actually" enjoyed "[playing] the position".[84] After again playing as a centre-back in aPremier League game againstWolverhampton Wanderers on 8 December 2020, Fabinho was praised byAlan Shearer, who called his defending "superb".[85][86]
In December 2020, he made his 100th appearance for Liverpool.[87] On 30 December 2020, Fabinho was named in football analystGarth Crooks'Premier League team of the year along with teammatesSadio Mané,Jordan Henderson,Alisson Becker,Andrew Robertson andTrent Alexander-Arnold.[88] It was calculated that Fabinho topped all Liverpool players for tackles (64) and interceptions (38) in Premier League games in 2020.[88] On 3 August 2021, Fabinho signed a long-term contract with Liverpool until 2026.[89] In this contract, Fabinho was rewarded with a large pay rise owing to gratitude from the Liverpool management for his impressive performances and contributions to Liverpool's recent success in all competitions.[90][91][92]
2021–22 season: Further domestic and European success
On 12 September 2021, Fabinho scored his first goal of the season, tapping home from close range againstLeeds United, the second in an eventual 3–0 win.[94] On 9 January 2022, Fabinho scored his first goals in theFA Cup, scoring the second and fourth in a 4–1 third-round victory overShrewsbury Town.[95] On 13 February 2022, Fabinho scored again againstBurnley from a corner to win the game.[96] The goal was his fifth goal in his past seven games in all competitions.[96] Liverpool won theFA Cup on 15 May 2022 by beating Chelsea in thefinal, which ended in a 0–0 draw after extra time with Liverpool winning 5–6 in the penalty shoot-out, although Fabinho was not in the matchday squad for the final owing to a hamstring injury.[97][98] In addition, Fabinho also won theEFL Cup in the 2021–22 season, scoring aPanenka-stylepenalty in theshoot-out over Chelsea in thefinal on 27 February 2022.[99][100] During the match, Fabinho won possession back nine times, the joint most alongsideVirgil Van Dijk.[101]
On 30 July 2022, Fabinho started for Liverpool in the club's 3–1 win overManchester City in theFA Community Shield at theKing Power Stadium.[108] Fabinho was criticised by pundits for his performances through much of the2022–23 season[109][110][111][112] before recording a string of improved performances in its final months as Liverpool were unbeaten in their last nine games.[113][114][115][116] Fabinho was praised for authoritative and calm performances againstFulham on 3 May 2023 and againstBrentford, when he also created the goal opportunity which led to the sole goal of the match, on 6 May 2023.[117][118][119]
"He is the one shining example of a player who has got everything. He's the right age, he's the right quality, he's always fit and healthy."
On 28 May, Fabinho assisted his teammateRoberto Firmino's last goal for Liverpool in a high-scoring draw againstSouthampton, Liverpool's last game of the season.[121] At the end of the2022–23 season, Liverpool narrowly missed out on UEFA Champions League qualification.[122] In the preseason of the upcoming2023–24 season, Fabinho was targeted byNuno Espírito Santo ofAl-Ittihad with a reported bid of £40 million.[123][124][125][126] On 15 July, it was reported that he had departed from Liverpool's squad, who were travelling to a training camp inGermany.[127][128] Amid reports thatBayern Munich had displayed interest in Fabinho,[129][130] on 23 July 2023 it was reported that his transfer to Al-Ittihad had a chance of collapse since hisFrench Bulldogs were prohibited from enteringSaudi Arabia.[131][132][133] Such speculation was dismissed as false by Fabinho's team and by various journalistic outlets.[134][135][136]
On 31 July 2023, Fabinho officially joined Al-Ittihad on a three-year deal lasting until 2026.[137] The deal was reportedly worth £40 million.[138] Announcements were made by all parties involved.[138][139][140] The fee paid by Al-Ittihad for the transfer of Fabinho was the fifth-largest sum ever paid to Liverpool for the departure of a player.[141] Owing to the move, Fabinho joined his former managerNuno Espírito Santo inSaudi Arabia.[142] The transfer of Fabinho was one of a series of high-profile transfers to Al-Ittihad, with other notable players joining theJeddah-based club includingKarim Benzema,N'Golo Kante andJota.[143] Commenting on Fabinho's departure from Liverpool,Jürgen Klopp stated that he would "definitely" miss him.[144][145] In the midst of the2023–24 season, with the lack of a long-term option to succeed him in defensive midfield, it was suggested by journalist David Brindle that Fabinho's departure from the club could be a "big regret" for it.[146]
On 14 August 2023, Fabinho made his first appearance for his new club in a commanding 3–0 victory againstAl-Raed and was widely praised for his performance.[147][148] He was later given a largeRolexwatch by aSaudijournalist as a gift of thanks for his performance.[149][150]
Included in coachDunga's 23-man squad for the2015 Copa América in Chile, Fabinho made his debut in a warm-up match againstMexico on 7 June of that year, as a half-time substitute forDanilo in a 2–0 victory atAllianz Parque in São Paulo.[151] WithDani Alves playing the entire tournament at right-back, Fabinho did not play at the Copa América, in which Brazil reached the quarter-finals. Fabinho was selected for Brazil'sCopa América Centenario squad,[152] although he did not play in any of Brazil's three matches at the tournament.[citation needed]
In June 2021, he was included in Brazil's squad for the2021 Copa América on home soil.[153]
On 7 November 2022, Fabinho was named in the squad for the2022 FIFA World Cup.[154] He served mainly as a back-up toCasemiro but was praised for the performances he made during the tournament.[155]
Fabinho is often regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, with Sky Sports pundit and formerManchester United playerGary Neville saying, "Fabinho... is the best."[157] He is a robust, agile player who is valued for his ability to win back the ball in the midfield and recycle possession quickly.[158] Fabinho can also provide long balls to wingers to advance play. His role as defensive midfielder sometimes requires him to drop further back to play as a third centre-back to cover for Liverpool's fullbacksAndrew Robertson andTrent Alexander-Arnold.[159]Jürgen Klopp has commented that "Fab[inho] was for so long the insurance we [Liverpool] had more or less in midfield," and that he "always gave us [Liverpool] the freedom to play all the fancy stuff" despite being "involved in that from time to time as well".[144]
"He saves our lives. He gives us opportunities to play the way we play, together with the two centre-halves, so we can really focus on offensive stuff. He's a massive player for us."
Fabinho's vision and reading of the game are considered outstanding and have led to him being nicknamed 'The Lighthouse' by former Liverpool assistant coachPepijn Lijnders and his teammates.[161] Such attributes have led sports journalistJonathan Liew to call him a "midfielder whose superior reading of the game can occasionally offer the illusion ofclairvoyance".[162] Fabinho also has a pass completion rate which exceeds 90%.[163] Moreover, Fabinho has earned himself the nickname "TheHoover" courtesy of former team-mateJoe Gomez, as he is adept in removing opposing teams' attacking threat on the field.[164] Fabinho has also been called "the spine of the team [Liverpool]" by former team-mateVirgil van Dijk.[10][165] Furthermore, Fabinho has drawn praise for powerful and well-placed long-range goals[C] as well as for being a reliable and precisepenalty-kick taker.[169][170] Fabinho citesLionel Messi as the toughest opponent he has ever faced.[171]
Fabinho has drawn praise for his ability and achievements from eminent footballing figures such as Michael Owen,[156] Gary Neville,[157] andRonaldinho, with the latter calling him a "champion with Liverpool and a very important player for them [as well]" and somebody for whom he had the "utmost respect".[172] FormerArsenal forwardThierry Henry has also stated that Fabinho's presence "calms everybody down" on the pitch, referring to Fabinho's effect onhis teammates.[173] Former Liverpool playerJamie Carragher has voiced his belief that as a man who could "win the ball" as well as he could "use it", Fabinho's introduction in the Liverpool side had raised the squad's quality.[14] Paul Salt ofBBC Radio Merseyside has voiced his belief that Fabinho has been "a great servant" to Liverpool.[174] He has been named inThe Guardian's list of the best 100 male footballers on five occasions: 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.[175][176][177][178][179]
Fabinho married Rebeca Tavares in 2015, having been together since 2013.[180][181] Rebeca was a professional footballer and initially played at a high level as anattacker inSpain, later signing for AS Monaco FF in January 2018 before retiring the same year to support her husband upon his move toMerseyside.[182] The couple revealed Rebeca was pregnant with their first child in July 2022.[183] Their son Israel was born in January 2023.[184][185] Fabinho has referred to his son as his "littleScouser".[21] Fabinho's father João Roberto died in 2021.[186]
Fabinho is often called 'Flaco', meaning 'skinny' inSpanish, by his teammates,[187] as well as 'Fab'.[144] The Brazilian took Fabinho as his name because when he was in theFluminense Under 20s, the coach,Marcelo Veiga, referred to him in this way to distinguish him fromFábio Braga.[21] He later decided to keep "Fabinho" on his shirt instead of his given names because his mother recommended he do so.[188][189] Fabinho is known to spend time with compatriots and former Liverpool F.C teammatesAlisson Becker andRoberto Firmino while still living inLiverpool, as well as fellow countrymenEderson,Fred,[D] andFernandinho (the three of whom were formerly based inManchester), and their families until his departure fromEngland, as well as Firmino, Ederson, Fred and Fernandinho's, with Fabinho and Firmino moving toJeddah,Saudi Arabia, Ederson and Fred moving toIstanbul,Turkey, and Fernandinho returning toBrazil.[194] Fabinho is a devoutChristian[184] and is a highly popular figure in Liverpool.[196][139][174]
^Jiménez, Rubén (28 April 2015)."Empate a balón parado en Soria" [Set-piece draw in Soria].Marca (in Spanish). Madrid.Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved7 June 2015.
^El-Shaboury, Yara (16 November 2019)."Fabinho 2019/20 – scout report".Total Football Analysis. Ronnie Dog Media Comm. V.Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved15 May 2021.
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