Júlio César Soares de Espíndola (born 3 September 1979), known asJúlio César (Portuguese pronunciation:[ˈʒuljuˈsɛzaʁ]), is a Brazilian former professionalfootballer who played as agoalkeeper.
Júlio César began his professional career withClube de Regatas do Flamengo in 1997. He made his debut that year on 17 May in a match versusFluminense where he saved a penalty kick, which proved to be insufficient as the team lost 2–0.[6] From 1997 to 2000, he served asClemer's understudy, only taking his spot during theCopa João Havelange, showing good skills on goal.[7]
Júlio César's performances on goal also earned him his first call-up to the Brazil senior squad in 2002, also helping Flamengo to escape relegation in several times in 2001, 2002 and 2004.[8] His best match for the team was the second match of 2001Campeonato Carioca final againstVasco da Gama, making several great saves.[9] Following the match, while still on the dressing room, he interrupted a live interview ofBeto to make a provocation to Vasco da Gama presidentEurico Miranda, who, according to him, had already reserved the party at Basque.[10]
In 2003, Júlio César became embroiled in a controversy during the loss to Fluminense. With Flamengo already trailing 4–0, César, after making a save, dropped the ball on the ground and begun playing with the feet, dribbling several players until the ball was taken by Zé Carlos.[10] This attitude was heavily criticized by then coach of the team,Evaristo de Macedo, who called him an "idiot".[11] According to César, he did this because he was desperate and was feeling helpless, stating: "Fluminense was giving us the runaround and I wanted to help my teammates, who were going through a difficult situation. I overdid it because I was sad and hurt, but I already apologized on Saturday."[12]
He left the club at the beginning of 2005, having made 285 appearances for the club in all competitions. He was the third goalkeeper with most appearances for the club, behind onlyCantarele (557) andZé Carlos (352).[13]
In January 2005, he moved toItalianSerie A clubChievo. Due toSerie A regulations that impose a cap on the number of non-EU players clubs can sign from abroad, Júlio César could not joinInter Milan at the time and was initially registered to Chievo through a deal between the two clubs.[14]
In July 2005, following a deal between Chievo and Inter, Júlio César officially signed a three-year contract with Inter.[15] The deal cost Inter €2.45 million.[16]
Júlio César was given squad number 12, and made his official debut on 10 August in the first leg of2005–06 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round versusShakhtar Donetsk, keeping a clean-sheet in the 2–0 win atRSC Olimpiyskiy.[17] His first title with the club came to him when he was benched at theSupercoppa Italiana againstJuventus.[18] César made his Serie A debut on 28 August in the season opener againstTreviso, making a good overall performance and keeping a clean-sheet as the match was won 3–0.[19] On 24 November, during a Champions Leaguegroup stage match againstPetržalka, Júlio César played in a line-up of 11 foreign players on the pitch;Luís Figo was the onlyeuropean.[20]
Júlio César finished his first season withNerazzurri by making 40 appearances in all competitions, as Inter won the championship following the relegation of Juventus due to match-fixing,[21] and also conqueredCoppa Italia by defeatingRoma 4–2 on aggregate, with César playing on both finals.[22] Inter thus completed the domestic treble. His performances were noted during his first season, as he was distinguished for saving penalties and making great saves, which madeFrancesco Toldo lose his place as starting keeper after four seasons.[23][24]
The2006–07 season was even more successful for Júlio César and Inter, as the player and the team set several records in the league.[25] He played 32 matches as the championship ended in conquest, with Inter winning it for the 15th time in history.[25] He kept 12 clean-sheets and conceded 30 goals, with Inter losing only once; they won the title with 5 games to spare, and collected 97 points and setting a record for most consecutive matches without defeat, 31.[25]
Júlio César begun2007–08 season by receiving a red card, his first in Inter colours, in a 1–1 draw versusUdinese in the opening week of championship.[26] He kept three clean-sheets in theChampions League group stage to help Inter finish top ofGroup G.[27] He finished the season by winning another championship, contributing with a clean-sheet in the decisive last match againstParma.[28] By keeping 17 clean-sheets in 35 Serie A matches, Júlio César set a personal record in terms of clean sheets, with a 53 percent average.[29] In the Champions League, he made 8 appearances, but the team was eliminated in theround of 16 byLiverpool.[30]
Júlio César commenced his 4th Interseason on 24 August 2008 by playing in theSupercoppa Italiana match against Roma; the regular and extra-time ended in a 2–2 draw. In thepenalty shoot-out, he stopped the attempt of his Brazil teammateJuan which paved Inter's way to victory as theNerazzurri won 8–7.[31] One month later, he made his 100th Serie A appearance as Inter won 1–0 versusLecce in the2008–09 Serie A week 4.[32] Inter finished the championship again in the first place with 84 points, 10 more than the second place Juventus, with Júlio César contributing with 17 clean-sheets in 36 matches, equaling his personal best set the previous season.[33]
In July 2009, Júlio César was chosen byESPN Brasil as the best player of the 2008–09 season. He also received thePrêmio Futebol no Mundo (Football in the World Award), designated to the best Brazilian footballer playing outside Brazil in that season.[34]
Júlio César was one of the main protagonists during the2009–10 season, where he played 54 matches in all competitions.[35] In November 2009, he signed a contract with Inter which would last until 2014, adding two more years to his contract.[36] On 1 December, Júlio César finished 21st in the2009 Ballon d'Or ranking.[4] Later on 24 January 2010, in theDerby della Madonnina versusMilan, he kept his goal intact by saving a penalty of his international teammateRonaldinho as Inter won 2–0 with 9 players to increase their league lead.[37] Júlio César then was involved in a car accident just two days before the first leg of2009–10 UEFA Champions League round of 16 againstChelsea which left him bruised and nursing lacerations to his face.[38] He was, however, able to start the game and despite conceding in the second half made a decent overall performance as Inter won the first leg 2–1.[39] Júlio César was vital also in team'sCoppa Italia campaign where he kept two clean-sheets in the semi-final tie againstFiorentina which sent Inter to the final 2–0 on aggregate.[40] He also was on top of his game in the semi-final tie of Champions League versusBarcelona, saving several shots, including one in the second leg againstLionel Messi that was dubbed as "career defining" by Júlio César himself.[41] Inter won 3–2 on aggregate to reach the final for the first time since 1972.[42] He won his first trophy of the season on 5 May by making an excellent performance against Roma as Inter won 1–0 to claim the Coppa Italia trophy.[43] Eleven days later, Júlio César won his fifth consecutiveScudetto as Inter won atSiena to finish the championship two points ahead of Roma.[44] On 22 May in theChampions League final againstBayern Munich, he made another splendid performance, making vital saves againstThomas Müller andArjen Robben as Inter won 2–0 thanks to the brace ofDiego Milito, winning their first European title in 45 years.[45] By winning Serie A,Coppa Italia andUEFA Champions League, Inter became the first Italian club to win thetreble.[46] His performances in league, where he was ever-present and kept 17 clean-sheets earned himSerie A Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second consecutive year, also becoming only the third goalkeeper to win it more than once.[47] For his performances in theChampions League, he won the awardUEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year.[48] His impressive form for Inter earned him praise from former Inter andItaly goalkeeperGianluca Pagliuca, who stated his belief that Júlio César was the best goalkeeper in the world.[49]
Ahead of thenew season, César changed his squad number from 12 to 1, which was vacated by the retired Francesco Toldo. His old squad number became part of newcomerLuca Castellazzi.[50] On 21 August 2010, he won his 4thSupercoppa Italiana trophy; Inter faced Roma in a 3–1 comeback win at San Siro.[51] In November 2010, the medical staff discovered a torn thigh injury at Júlio César and put his presence atFIFA Club World Cup in doubt.[52] He was recovered in time and was called for the tournament, keeping a clean-sheet in the semi-final match againstSeongnam Ilhwa Chunma.[53] He kept his goal intact in thefinal as well which helped the team to win the trophy for the first time after defeatingTP Mazembe 3–0.[54] Inter thus completed the Quintuple to become the fourth team in the world after Liverpool in 2001,Al-Ahly in 2006 and Barcelona in 2009. Júlio César ended 2010 by being named second best goalkeeper of 2010 byIFFHS, only behindIker Casillas.[55] He was also named Inter Player of the Year for 2010 for his outstanding appearances throughout the year, receiving Pirata d'Oro Award.[56] He finished 19th in the2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or ranking, winning two places compare to last year ranking.[57]
His torn thigh injury reappeared at the beginning of 2011 which kept him sidelined for 28 days, missing eight matches in the process.[58] He returned on action on 30 January in the league match againstPalermo and despite conceding twice in the first half, contributed by saving aJavier Pastore penalty and his rebound as well as Inter bounced back to win 3–2.[59] In February, Júlio César made a poor performance in the first leg of2010–11 UEFA Champions League round of 16 against Bayern Munich, as his weak save against Arjen Robben turned into a rebound forMario Gómez who scored for a 1–0 win at San Siro.[60] He repeated the howler in the second leg as well, making another poor save against Robben only for Gómez to score again. However, he was decisive in a one-on-one save againstFranck Ribéry and another one against Gómez; Inter eventually overturned the game and won 3–2, meaning they progressed on the away goal rule.[61] In theCoppa Italia, he played in both legs of semi-final tie against Roma, keeping a clean-sheet in the first one as Inter reached the final for the second consecutive season, where they defeating Palermo to win the third trophy of the season.[62] Júlio César finished 2010–11 campaign by making 39 appearances in all competitions, including 25 in league, where Inter failed to win the title for the first time after five seasons. In the Champions League, where Júlio César played seven matches, the team lost the crown after being eliminated bySchalke 04 in the quarter-finals.[63]
Júlio César (yellow shirt) and his teammates before a Champions League match againstPFC CSKA Moscow on 27 September 2011
In2011–12 season, Júlio César played his 200th Serie A match on 1 October 2011 in the 3–0 home loss toNapoli, saving a penalty kick in the first half.[64] Later on 22 November, Júlio César made his 50th UEFA Champions League appearance in the 1–1 draw againstTrabzonspor in the2011–12 UEFA Champions League Group B matchday 4.[65] This draw was enough for Inter to secure a spot in theround of 16.[65] He reached a century of clean sheets in Serie A on 18 March 2012 by playing in the goalless draw againstAtalanta in the matchday 28.[66] This draw meant that Inter have won only one of their last nine league matches.[67] Júlio César's 300th appearance in all competitions for Inter occurred on 6 May in the penultimate week of Serie A against Milan in which Inter won 4–2.[68] He conceded a controversial penalty toKevin-Prince Boateng and was included in a verbal confrontation withZlatan Ibrahimović who went on to convert the penalty.[69] He was booked for the penalty which made him miss the final match of the season againstLazio. He concluded his 7th season at Inter by amassing 40 appearances in all competitions as Inter finished sixth inleague, with the team just five goals short of equalling their all-time worst concession in a single Serie A campaign.[70] In the Champions League, the team was eliminated in the round of 16 byMarseille on away goal rule and was knocked out of Coppa Italia by Napoli.[71][72] With some critics believing Júlio César had declined in form since the 2009–10 season,[citation needed] Inter signedSlovenian goalkeeperSamir Handanović from Udinese to take over as first-choice goalkeeper.[73]
On 31 July 2012, Júlio César stated his intention to leave Inter, saying, "They have been seven beautiful and successful years, but, in a few days, my adventure with the Inter shirt will end. I would like to thank all of you fans for the support you have given me and I hope you have a lot more success to enjoy."[74] He explained that the decision came after Inter suggested to reduce his salary, which Júlio César refused by stating: "no player in my situation would have done that".[75] He gave his farewell before the match againstVaslui, entering on the field accompanied by his children to greet the fans with an open letter written by himself.[76]
Júlio César made his Premier League debut on 15 September 2012 in the home match versus Chelsea, making an excellent performance by keeping a clean-sheet as the match ended in a goalless draw.[79] He managed to play 26 games in his debut season, including 24 in league, keeping 6 clean-sheets as QPR was relegated toEFL Championship after only two seasons.[80]
Following QPR's relegation from the Premier League at the end of his debut campaign, Júlio César was frozen out of the team. Despite this, he did not leave the club before the summer transfer window closed.[81] On 4 January 2014, Júlio César started his first game for Rangers againstEverton in the third round of theFA Cup, which QPR lost 4–0.[82]
On 7 February 2014, Júlio César confirmed that he had signed a loan forMajor League Soccer (MLS) clubToronto FC.[83] The move was made to get some match action for him, prior to representing Brazil in the2014 FIFA World Cup, as he had been replaced byRobert Green as QPR's first choice goalkeeper.[84] César made his debut with Toronto in their season opener atSeattle Sounders FC on 15 March, which ended in a 2–1 away victory with both goals coming from newly acquiredJermain Defoe.[85] During week seven of the season, he was awarded MLS Save of the Week againstDavid Texeira ofFC Dallas.[86] He was recalled from loan and returned to QPR on 25 July 2014.[87][88]
On 19 August 2014, the club announced via a statement that they have terminated the contract with Júlio César by mutual consent.[89] He stated that he didn't play in his second season at Rangers due to "contractual problems".[90] He added: "I’d have to go to the park by myself. I even bought some goalkeeper gloves because I didn’t want my team to know about it."[90]
On 19 August 2014, Júlio César signed a two-year deal with Portuguese championsBenfica.[91][92][93] He debuted for the team in a 3–1Primeira Liga home win againstMoreirense on 21 September.[94] On 26 January 2015, he set the fourth-best record ever at Benfica without conceding a goal in the Portuguese league, at 808 minutes.[95] Then, on 9 May, he set a personal record in terms of clean sheets, with a 59 percent average (16 clean sheets in 27 matches), surpassing his 53 percent record with Inter.[29] Later in early July, he was awardedBest Goalkeeper in Primeira Liga.[96] On 25 May 2016, he renewed his contract with Benfica until 2018.[97] However, his contract was terminated by mutual consent on 28 November 2017.[98] During his spell at theLisbon side, he won six trophies, including three league titles.[99]
On 29 January 2018, Flamengo announced the return of Júlio César to the club, 13 years after originally leaving for Europe.[101] Júlio César rejoined the club to make his farewell, signing a three-month contract.[101] The contract will earn him a symbolic fee of 15,000Brazilian real. He took squad number 12 which was previously retired in honour of the fans.[102]
Júlio César played in the 2–0 win overAmérica Mineiro on 22 April in what was his final match as a professional footballer.[105] He delivered a great performance, making five saves.[106] Before the match, Júlio César stated:
I think I cried a lot during the week, with the material I participated with my family, relatives and friends. It was a whirlwind of emotions. For today I had prepared myself well. Besides the farewell, it was worth three points. Positive result brings 'n' things, quiet to work. This group deserves, is very good and will make a great year.[107]
Júlio César was first included inBrazil senior team for the2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, where he did not play as the team was eliminated in the group stage.[116] The next year, he was included in the squad for the2004 Copa América, where he also made his first international appearance, starting in the openingGroup C againstChile, keeping a clean-sheet asSeleção won 1–0.[117] He became the 963rd player to play at least a match for Brazil.[118] He was the starting keeper during the tournament, leading the team to the final versusArgentina.[117] In thefinal, the regular time ended in a 2–2 draw which lead the match to penalty shootouts where Júlio César saved the first penalty executed byAndrés D'Alessandro in a 4–2 win.[119] This win constituted his first international trophy and Brazil's 7th title.[119]
After the World Cup and the international retirement of Dida,[125] the competition to become Brazil's new first-choice goalkeeper began.[126] He initially was out of favor, as new coachDunga preferredGomes,Helton andDoni ahead of him.[126] However, he forced his way into the team and finally, he replaced Doni as first-choice goalkeeper in September 2007.[126] Until that period, he had only 14 international caps to his name.[126]
Júlio César begun his2010 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign by keeping two clean-sheets in the opening two matches againstColombia,[127] a goalless draw, andEcuador, a 5–0 win.[128] He was ever-presented during the qualifying campaign, making 18 appearances, keeping 10 clean-sheets and conceding only 11 goals, being the goalkeeper with most clean-sheets achieved and less goals conceded as Brazil clinched the first place and secured a spot to2010 FIFA World Cup.[129] During the qualifying campaign Júlio César also set a Brazil record by keeping his goal intact for 581 minutes, starting the streak in the match againstParaguay and finishing it in the last regular minute of the match against Ecuador.[130] This made him the Brazil keeper with most minutes without conceding, breaking the previous record of 491 minutes set byClaudio Taffarel.[131]
In June 2009, Júlio César was named in the Brazil squad by manager Dunga for the2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.[132] He played his first match in the tournament on 15 June 2009 in Brazil's 4–3 defeat ofEgypt.[133] His performance was rated as positive whatsoever.[134] Júlio César, however, kept clean-sheets in the remaining two matches ofGroup B as Brazil finished on top with full points.[135][136] Brazil defeatedSouth Africa in the semi-final, with Júlio César giving a Man of the Match performance.[137] In thefinal on 28 June against theUnited States, Júlio César won his second international trophy after Brazil won 3–2 despite conceding twice in the first half.[138] Individually, he was the keeper with most clean-sheets in the tournament, 3 in 5 matches.
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Brazil was shorted inGroup G. He joined the team in May 2010 and also played in a friendly againstZimbabwe which was won 3–0.[139] He was included in the final list by manager Dunga along with Inter teammatesLúcio andMaicon whom he won the Treble with.[140] Júlio César played his firstFIFA World Cup match on 15 June in the opening match of Group G, a 2–1 win overNorth Korea.[141] He made his 50th international appearance in the second group match, a 3–1 win againstIvory Coast.[142] He kept his first FIFA World Cup clean-sheet in the last group match againstPortugal which ended 0–0. The result sent them to theknockout stage as Group G winners.[143] Júlio César was at fault in thequarter-final match versusNetherlands as his flap at a Wesley Sneijder cross led to the goal that saw the Dutch draw level; Brazil lost 2–1 and were eliminated.[144] Following the elimination, speaking about the first Netherlands goal, he told that "he had doubts on how to go to the ball with Melo."[144] He finished his World Cup campaign by keeping two clean-sheets in 5 matches.
On 8 June 2011, Júlio César was called by managerMano Menezes for the2011 Copa América, which was his 6th international tournament.[145] He made his first Copa América appearance on 3 July by keeping a clean-sheet in the 0–0 draw againstVenezuela.[146]Seleção finishedGroup B on first place with 5 points.[147] In thequarter-final match againstParaguay, Júlio César kept his goal intact in the regular and extra-time before the match went to penalty shoot-out, where Brazil was eliminated 0–2 after missing all of their attempts.[148]
After Copa América had ended, Júlio César continued to be part of the team; he was in goal in the first friendly of 2012 againstBosnia and Herzegovina. His poor attempt to save a shot fromVedad Ibišević resulted in Bosnia's only goal as the match was won by Brazil.[149] This howler resulted in him being dropped by managerMano Menezes for the rest of 2012.[150]
2013–14: Confederations Cup champion and final World Cup
Júlio César lifting the Golden Glove award while wearing Iker Casillas' shirt as a token of respect
The returnedLuiz Felipe Scolari included Júlio César in the 23 players list for the friendly againstEngland on 6 February 2013.[151] Speaking of his return to the national team after almost a year, Júlio César commented: "I never gave up on playing for Brazil."[152] He made his first international appearance after 12 months by starting in the match, conceding in each half as Brazil lost 2–1 atWembley Stadium.[153] This win was also England's first over "Verde-Amarela" in 23 years.[153]
Júlio César was part of the 23 players called by coachLuiz Felipe Scolari to play in the2013 FIFA Confederations Cup on home soil.[154] He played three matches inGroup A and kept two clean sheets; the first in the opening match againstJapan (3–0) and the second againstMexico (2–0).[155][156] In the semifinal againstUruguay, Júlio César saved a penalty kick taken byDiego Forlán in the 14th minute. Brazil went to win the match by 2–1, and Júlio César was namedman of the match.[157][158] He kept his goal intact in thefinal as well againstSpain as Brazil won 3–0 to claim their 4th title.[159] For his performances he was given Golden Glove award as the best goalkeeper of the tournament; he was also part of the FIFA.com Users' Dream Team.[160] Júlio César received the award while wearing the shirt ofIker Casillas, to make "a tribute for everything he did".[161]
Considered one of Brazil's best goalkeepers ever,[167] Júlio César was a well-rounded, commanding, and courageous player,[168][169] who was known for his athleticism, strength, and quick reflexes, as well as his agility, positional sense, shot-stopping, ability to read the game, and speed when rushing off his line; he also stood out for his ability to collect crosses and command his box effectively, despite his relatively average stature for a goalkeeper, standing at 1.87 m (6 ft1+1⁄2 in).[2][170][171][172][173][174] A left-footed goalkeeper, he was also known for his ball skills and distribution, as well as for his penalty stopping abilities.[171][175][176]
^Chris Wright (24 February 2010)."INTER 2–1 CHELSEA: PLAYER RATINGS". Who Ate All the Pies. Archived from the original on 1 March 2010. Retrieved30 April 2018.
^Vito Graffeo (24 January 2011)."Vincitori Oscar del Calcio 2010" [Winners of Oscar del Calcio 2010] (in Italian). SportLive.it. Archived fromthe original on 15 December 2015. Retrieved15 December 2015.
^"Brasil, con poco, humilló a Ecuador" [Brazil humiliates Ecuador] (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro: El Universo. 18 October 2007. Retrieved30 April 2018.
^Ben Smith (1 July 2013)."Brazil 3–0 Spain". BBC Sport. Retrieved14 May 2018.
^"Users pick Top 11".FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Archived fromthe original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved4 July 2013.FIFA.com users have voted and elected the Dream Team for the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013:
Julio Cesar; Dani Alves, Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva, David Luiz; Andres Iniesta, Andrea Pirlo, Paulinho; Neymar, Fernando Torres, Fred; Luiz Felipe Scolari.
^Dalla Vite Matteo (25 April 2012)."Handa-Julio, intreccio lungo 11 metri" [Handa-Julio, an 11 metre long tangle] (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved15 October 2015.
^Monica Scozzafava (27 November 2008)."Guanto di sfida: Iezzo vs Julio Cesar" [Challenge of gloves: Iezzo vs Julio Cesar] (in Italian). Il Corriere della Sera. Retrieved15 October 2015.
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