| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Julio Valentín Ferreira González | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1981-08-26)26 August 1981 (age 44) | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Asunción, Paraguay | |||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | |||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||
| Olimpia Asunción | ||||||||||||||
| Guaraní | ||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 2001 | Guaraní | 29 | (17) | |||||||||||
| 2001–2007 | Vicenza | 38 | (11) | |||||||||||
| 2002 | →Huracán (loan) | 10 | (1) | |||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | →Tacuary (loan) | 15 | (6) | |||||||||||
| 2004 | →Nacional Asunción (loan) | 12 | (5) | |||||||||||
| 2007 | Tacuary | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2008 | Presidente Hayes | |||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Paraguay U23 | |||||||||||||
| 2001–2004 | Paraguay | 5 | (1) | |||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
Julio Valentín Ferreira González (born 26 August 1981 inAsunción) is a retiredParaguayanfootballer who played as astriker.
González played forParaguay at the2004 Olympics, helping the squad to a silver medal. He also competed with the team at the2004 Copa América.
González, the top scorer forSerie B clubVicenza as of December 2005, was due to represent his country at the2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. However, on 22 December 2005, he was involved in a terrible car accident as he was going toVenice airport in order to take a flight over the holidays. After a long hospitalization, on 17 January 2006, González had his left arm amputated. The event was an important news item, and he immediately enjoyed the support of the whole sports world, including a visit fromAlex Zanardi.
González then underwent a long period of rehabilitation,[1] always considering a comeback to active football. The player, who was confirmed under contract with Vicenza for the2006–07 season despite his inability[2] was then awarded theGiacinto FacchettiPrize by Italian sports newspaperLa Gazzetta dello Sport.[3]
In July 2007, González returned to Paraguay and started training with clubTacuary, where his younger brother (Celso) plays.[4] A few days later, he confirmed in an interview toLa Gazzetta dello Sport he would also serve as local scout for his former team Vicenza.
González finally managed to make his comeback on 18 November 2007, playing for Tacuary in aParaguayan First Division match against South American giantsOlimpia Asunción. He played for 57 minutes.[5] The news gained massive media exposure in Italy as well. In 2008, González went to play forPresidente Hayes.[6]
Later that year in 2008, González took over Inter Campus, anInternazionale youth academy based in Paraguay.[7]
On 4 August, before the Summer Olympics began, he played in a preparation game against thePortugal ofCristiano Ronaldo in the city ofAlgarve, resulting in a 5–0 defeat.[8]
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