Leonardo Augusto Gomes Aro (born 14 December 1983), known as Léo Aro, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a winger.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leonardo Augusto Gomes Aro | ||
| Date of birth | 14 December 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Jundiaí, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2000 | Guarani | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2005 | Guarani | 36 | (6) |
| 2003 | → Botafogo (loan) | ||
| 2003 | → Juventude (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2005 | Paulista | ||
| 2006–2009 | Internacional | 22 | (8) |
| 2007 | → Figueirense (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | → Lecce (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2009 | Paulista | 13 | (2) |
| 2009–2010 | Leixões | 11 | (1) |
| 2011 | Comercial-SP | 9 | (1) |
| 2012 | Marilia | 19 | (2) |
| 2012–2013 | Esportivo | 11 | (1) |
| 2013 | Bragantino-SP | 7 | (0) |
| 2014 | Guarani | 4 | (0) |
| 2016 | Inter de Limeira | 10 | (1) |
| 2017 | Taubaté | 9 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
editA Guarani youth product, Léo Aro was coached by Evaristo Piza's father at the club.[2] He scored on his senior debut for Guarani against Corinthians.[2] In 2005, he won the Copa do Brasil with Paulista, also scoring in the final against Fluminense.[2] Having signed for Internacional in 2006, he was part of the squad that won the 2006 Copa Libertadores and the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup.[2] He was not initially included in Internacional's 23-man squad for the FIFA Club World Cup but was called up by coach Abel Braga after Colombian forward Wason Rentería sustained an injury.[3] Also at Internacional, Léo Aro considered teammate Fernandão a father figure.[2]
He spent time abroad in Europe in 2009 and 2010, with Italian club Lecce and Portuguese side Leixões.[4] At both clubs, he played little, making three and 13 appearances, respectively.[4]
In 2011 Léo Aro returned to Brazil with Comercial-SP, going on to play for lower-league sides such as Marilia and Bragantino-SP.[4] He re-joined former club Guarani in 2014, making few appearances.[4]
He played for Inter de Limeira in the first half of the 2016 season.[2] On 28 December 2016, Taubaté, coached by Evaristo Piza,[5] announced Léo Aro would join the club for the 2017 season in Campeonato Paulista Série A2.[2] He was Taubaté's first signing for the 2017 season.[5] He left the club in April 2017, having made his last appearance on 15 April 2017 in a 3–2 win over São Caetano,[4] and subsequently retired from playing.[4]
Style of play
edit"A fast and technically gifted player", Léo Aro's preferred playing position was winger but he could also play as a centre-forward.[5] In 2018, after Léo Aro's retirement, Ge.globo's journalist Luiz Felipe Longo stated that Léo Aro's career had been "far less brilliant than expected".[4]
Post-playing career
editAfter his retirement from playing Léo Aro studied to become a fitness coach and had an internship with Ponte Preta's amputee football team.[4] He had started a physical education course in 2002, while at Guarani, which he interrupted in favour of his playing career.[4] In 2020, he said he had completed his degree in physical education in 2018.[3]
Personal life
editLéo Aro has a son, who in August 2018 was ten years old.[4]
Honours
editPaulista
Internacional
References
edit- ^ a b "Léo Aro". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Sardinha, Danilo (29 December 2018). ""Filho" de Fernandão e campeão do mundo: conheça o atacante Léo Aro" ["Son" of Fernandão and world champion: meet striker Léo Aro]. Ge.globo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ a b Gomes, Raphael; Périco, Luciano; De Medeiros, Renata (7 June 2020). "Campeão do mundo em 2006, ex-atacante do Inter sonha voltar ao clube como preparador físico" [World champion in 2006, former Inter striker dreams of returning to the club as a fitness coach]. GZH (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Longo, Luiz Felipe (16 August 2018). "Longe dos gramados há um ano, campeão mundial pelo Inter estuda para virar preparador físico" [Away from the pitch for a year, Inter's world champion studies to become a fitness coach]. Ge.globo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ a b c "Leo Aro, campeão do Mundial de Clubes, é o novo reforço do Taubaté" [Leo Aro, Club World Cup winner, is Taubaté's new signing]. PortalR3 (in Portuguese). 29 December 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2024.