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Birthdate:
24.09.1979
Birthplace: São Carlos, Brazil
Other clubs: São Paolo, Valencia
Bought from: Valencia
Signed for LFC: £Bosman 05.07.2006
Liverpool debut:
13.08.2006
Last appearance: 06.02.2010
Debut goal: 02.03.2008
Last goal: 14.04.2009
Contract expiry: 2010
LFC league games/goals: 70 / 3
Total LFC games/goals: 107 / 4
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Player Notes:
Aurélio started his career with São Paolo in Brazil in 1997. Two years later he made his debut for Brazil in a friendly vs. Bolivia playing alongside Ronaldinho. He joined Valencia in the summer of 2000 after featuring with Brazil in the Sidney Olympics. A certain Rafa Benítez took over as coach of Valencia and Aurélio twice celebrated the Spanish championship in 2002 and 2004 as well as winning the UEFA Cup. However Aurélio didn't make as many appearances as he would have liked because of injuries, only managing 2 appearances in the successful 2003-2004 season after starring for Valencia on the left flank in the previous season, playing 35 games and scoring 10 goals.
Aurélio's injuries unfortunately did not desert him when he arrived at Liverpool. Just when he had started to hit form he ruptured his achilles vs. PSV Eindhoven in the 1st leg of the Champions League quarter-final in the 2006/2007 season. Because of the long time it took to recover from the serious injury it wasn't a major surprise that Fabio was not a regular first-teamer in the 2007-08 season. Thirteen of his twenty-nine appearances came in cup matches and Benítez seemed particularly keen to use him in the Champions league, where he played in both matches against Marseille, Inter Milan and Arsenal. In domestic games he was most unlucky to be credited with an own-goal when Aston Villa came to Anfield but balanced that out a few weeks later against Bolton Wanderers when his sweet strike from the edge of the penalty-area took Liverpool into a three-goal and unassailable lead.
Aurélio had his best season so far with Liverpool in the 2008/9 season, making 27 starts and making 5 substitute appearances despite being six weeks on the sidelines with injury from November through January. Aurélio, who had only scored one goal so far for Liverpool, showed quick thinking when he scored from a wonderful free-kick vs Chelsea in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Stamford Bridge similar to Gary McAllister's injury-time winner vs Everton in April 2001. He also scored from a wonderful free kick which was the highlight of Liverpool's tremendous 4-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. He seemed to have finally won a regular spot in the Liverpool line-up, but injured his knee in a freak accident playing with his son in the garden in the summer and will miss the first couple of months of the 2009/10 season. |
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