Juca (footballer, born 1979)


Juliano Roberto Antonello, commonly known as Juca, was a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He is best known for his tackling, great teamwork and powerful shooting ability.

Career

Born in Passo Fundo, Juca came through the youth categories of Internacional, making his senior debuts in 2000. He later went on to play for several clubs in his homeland, namely Criciúma, Marília, Fluminense, Botafogo, and Guarani.
On 15 June 2007, Juca completed his move to Partizan on a two-year deal, becoming the first ever Brazilian player to join the club. He made his official debut for Partizan on 19 July 2007, helping his team to a 6–1 away win over Zrinjski in the first leg of the UEFA Cup first qualifying round. Juca scored his first competitive goal for the club on 26 September 2007 in a 4–1 Serbian Cup win over Rad. His first season in Serbia was a success with Juca helping Partizan win the national league and cup titles. In his second season at Partizan, Juca appeared 18 times and scored two goals, winning another double.
In June 2009, Juca moved to Spain on a free transfer to play for Deportivo La Coruña. He signed a contract which would keep him at the club until June 2011. Juca made his La Liga debut on 29 August 2009, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–3 loss against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabéu. He scored his first goal for the club on 23 September 2009, as Deportivo won 3–0 against Xerez.
In September 2011, after four years abroad, Juca returned to Brazil and signed with Ceará. He played there until the end of the 2012 season. In January 2013, Juca moved to the United Arab Emirates and joined Dubai until the end of the 2012–13 season.
On 2 January 2014, after six months without a club, Juca made another return to his country and joined Novo Hamburgo. He was eventually released by the club only two weeks later, without making his official debut.

Statistics

Honours

;Criciúma
;Partizan
;Ceará