Leonai Souza de Almeida (born 28 April 1995), simply known as Leonai, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ecuadorian club Barcelona SC, on loan from Uruguayan club Plaza Colonia.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leonai Souza de Almeida | ||
| Date of birth | 28 April 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Pontal, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Barcelona SC (on loan from Plaza Colonia) | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Olé Brasil | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016 | Jaboticabal | 0 | (0) |
| 2017 | Sete de Dourados | 0 | (0) |
| 2017 | Taquaritinga | 16 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | Comercial-SP | 38 | (1) |
| 2020– | Plaza Colonia | 60 | (1) |
| 2022– | → Barcelona SC (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:08, 23 March 2022 (UTC) | |||
Club career edit
Early career edit
Born in Pontal, São Paulo, Leonai played for Olé Brasil as a youth,[1] and made his senior debut with Jaboticabal in 2016, playing for the side in a non-official tournament called Taça Paulista.[2] He was announced by Sete de Dourados in January 2017,[3] but spent only 40 days at the club before leaving.[2] During that period, he also worked as a stock boy in a supermarket and as an assistant in a chemical laboratory.[4]
On 26 April 2017, Leonai joined Taquaritinga.[5] After impressing with the side in the year's Campeonato Paulista Segunda Divisão, he was announced at Comercial-SP on 16 January 2018.[6]
On 17 October 2018, after helping Comercial in their promotion to the Campeonato Paulista Série A3, Leonai renewed his contract until 2020.[7] He scored his first goal for the club the following 6 April, netting the winner in a 1–0 success over Desportivo Brasil.[8]
Plaza Colonia edit
On 6 November 2019, Comercial confirmed the transfer of Leonai to Uruguayan club Plaza Colonia.[9] He made his professional – and Primera División – debut on 7 March 2020, coming on as a second-half substitute for Leandro Suhr in a 1–1 home draw against Fénix.
Leonai became a regular starter for the Patas Blancas, and scored his first professional goal on 28 June 2021, netting the opener in a 1–1 home draw against Cerro Largo.[10] At the end of that season, he was chosen as the best foreign player of the tournament by Referí, the football section of newspaper El Observador.[11]
Loan to Barcelona SC edit
On 10 January 2022, Ecuadorian Serie A side Barcelona SC announced that Leonai had joined the club on a one-year loan deal, with a buyout clause.[12]
Career statistics edit
- As of 23 March 2022[13]
| Club | Season | League | State League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Taquaritinga | 2017 | Paulista 2ª Divisão | — | 16 | 1 | — | — | — | 16 | 1 | ||||
| Comercial-SP | 2018[14] | Paulista 2ª Divisão | — | 22 | 0 | — | — | — | 22 | 0 | ||||
| 2019[14] | Paulista A3 | — | 16 | 1 | — | — | 20[a] | 0 | 36 | 1 | ||||
| Total | — | 38 | 1 | — | — | 20 | 0 | 58 | 1 | |||||
| Plaza Colonia | 2020 | Primera División | 31 | 0 | — | — | 3[b] | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | |||
| 2021 | 29 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 29 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 60 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 0 | — | 63 | 1 | |||||
| Barcelona SC | 2022 | Serie A | 3 | 0 | — | — | 5[c] | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 63 | 1 | 54 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 145 | 3 | ||
- ^ Appearance(s) in Copa Paulista
- ^ Appearance(s) in Copa Sudamericana
- ^ Appearance(s) in Copa Libertadores
Honours edit
Individual edit
- Uruguayan Primera División Team of the season: 2021[15]
References edit
- ^ ""É uma sensação incrível", afirma Leonai sobre jogar no Bafo" ["It is an incredible feeling", says Leonai about playing at Bafo] (in Brazilian Portuguese). W Sports. 18 January 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ a b ""É a oportunidade da minha vida", diz brasileiro Leonai, sobre jogar no Plaza Colonia, em exclusiva" ["It is the opportunity of my life", says Brazilian Leonai, about playing at Plaza Colonia, in an exclusive interview]. FNV Sports (in Brazilian Portuguese). OneFootball. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Veja quem é quem no elenco do Sete de Dourados para a temporada 2017" [See who is who in the squad of Sete de Dourados for the 2017 season] (in Brazilian Portuguese). ge. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Leonai Souza, de trabajar en un supermercado a jugar fútbol profesional" [Leonai Souza, from working in a supermarket to playing professional football] (in Spanish). Extra. 6 February 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "CAT ANUNCIA NOVAS CONTRATAÇÕES" [CAT ANNOUNCE NEW SIGNINGS]. Clube Atlético Taquaritinga (in Brazilian Portuguese). Facebook. 26 April 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Comercial apresenta primeiros sete reforços para a Segundona" [Comercial present the first seven additions for the Segundona] (in Brazilian Portuguese). A Cidade On. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Leonai Renova Com Comercial Até 2020" [Leonai renews with Comercial until 2020] (in Brazilian Portuguese). ImprensaLivre.top. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Leonai celebra 1º gol pelo Comercial e descarta jogar pelo regulamento em Porto Feliz" [Leonai celebrates 1st goal for Comercial and discards playing under the rules in Porto Feliz] (in Brazilian Portuguese). ge. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Paulista A3: Comercial confirma venda de jogador para time da elite uruguaia" [Paulista A3: Comercial confirm transfer of player to team from the Uruguayan top tier] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Futebol Interior. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Empate a uno entre Plaza Colonia y Cerro Largo" [1–1 draw between Plaza Colonia and Cerro Largo] (in Spanish). TyC Sports. 28 June 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Fútbolx100: Leonai Souza fue elegido mejor extranjero del Campeonato Uruguayo 2021" [Fútbolx100: Leonai Souza was chosen the best foreigner of the 2021 Uruguayan tournament] (in Spanish). El Observador. 23 December 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Oficial: Leonai Souza" [Official: Leonai Souza] (in Spanish). Barcelona SC. 10 January 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ Leonai at Soccerway. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Comercial encaminha saídas de Leonai e Mizael, mas mantém percentual para futuras negociações" [Comercial set departures of Leonai and Mizael, but keep percentage of future negotiations] (in Brazilian Portuguese). ge. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
Leonai foi titular do Comercial nas últimas duas temporadas. No total, ele fez 58 jogos pelo Alvinegro.
- ^ "Se definieron los Premios AUF anuales 2021" [Defined the 2021 AUF Annual Awards] (in Spanish). Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol. 28 December 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
External links edit
- Leonai at BDFA (in Spanish)