View source for Alessandro Santos

{{Short description|Brazilian-born Japanese footballer (born 1977)}}
{{for multi|the former Fenerbahçe midfielder|Alex (footballer, born 1977)|the former A.C. Milan and Chelsea defender|Alex (footballer, born June 1982)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Alessandro Santos<br />三都主 アレサンドロ
| image = Alessandro Santos 20191127.jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = Santos in 2019
| fullname = Alessandro dos Santos
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1977|7|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Maringá, Paraná]], Brazil
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| height = 1.78 m
| position = [[Midfielder]]
| currentclub = 
| youthyears1 = 1994–1996
| youthclubs1 = Meitoku Gijuku High School
| years1 = 1997–2003
| clubs1 = [[Shimizu S-Pulse]]
| caps1 = 198
| goals1 = 56
| years2 = 2004–2009
| clubs2 = [[Urawa Reds]]
| caps2 = 100
| goals2 = 11
| years3 = 2007
| clubs3 = → [[FC Red Bull Salzburg|Red Bull Salzburg]] (loan)
| caps3 = 20
| goals3 = 1
| years4 = 2009–2012
| clubs4 = [[Nagoya Grampus]]
| caps4 = 55
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2013
| clubs5 = [[Tochigi SC]]
| caps5 = 25
| goals5 = 2
| years6 = 2014
| clubs6 = [[FC Gifu]]
| caps6 = 18
| goals6 = 2
| years7 = 2015
| clubs7 = [[Maringá Futebol Clube|Maringá]]
| caps7 = 
| goals7 = 
| years8 = 2015
| clubs8 = [[Grêmio de Esportes Maringá|Grêmio Maringá]]
| caps8 = 
| goals8 = 
| years9 = 2016
| clubs9 = [[Paraná Soccer Technical Center|PSTC]]
| caps9 = 
| goals9 = 
| totalcaps = 416+
| totalgoals = 72+
| nationalyears1 = 2002–2006
| nationalteam1 = [[Japan national football team|Japan]]
| nationalcaps1 = 82
| nationalgoals1 = 7
| manageryears1 = 
| managerclubs1 = 
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Team|[[Shimizu S-Pulse]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[J1 League]]|[[1999 J.League Division 1|1999]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[Emperor's Cup]]|[[2001 Emperor's Cup|2001]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[Emperor's Cup]]|[[1998 Emperor's Cup|1998]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[Emperor's Cup]]|[[2000 Emperor's Cup|2000]]}}
{{Medal|Team|[[Urawa Reds]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[J1 League]]|[[2006 J.League Division 1|2006]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[J1 League]]|[[2004 J.League Division 1|2004]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[J1 League]]|[[2005 J.League Division 1|2005]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[J.League Cup]]|[[2004 J.League Cup|2004]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[Emperor's Cup]]|[[2005 Emperor's Cup|2005]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[Emperor's Cup]]|[[2006 Emperor's Cup|2006]]}}
{{Medal|Team|[[Nagoya Grampus]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[J1 League]]|[[2010 J.League Division 1|2010]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[J1 League]]|[[2011 J.League Division 1|2011]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[Emperor's Cup]]|[[2009 Emperor's Cup|2009]]}}
{{Medal|Country|{{Fb|JPN}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[AFC Asian Cup]]}}
{{Medal|G|[[2004 AFC Asian Cup|2004 China]]|}}
}}
{{Nihongo|'''Alessandro Santos'''|三都主 アレサンドロ|Santosu Aresandoro|formerly '''Alessandro dos Santos'''; born 20 July 1977}}, often known as '''Alex''', is a former professional [[Association football|footballer]] who played as a [[midfielder]]. Born in Brazil, he became a Japanese citizen and made 82 appearances for the [[Japan national football team|Japan national team]].

==Club career==
Santos was born in [[Maringá]] in [[Paraná (state)|Paraná]] and moved to Japan in 1994 at the age of sixteen. He enrolled in Meitoku Gijuku High School in [[Kōchi Prefecture|Kōchi]] and played football for the school club. After graduating from the school, he joined the [[J1 League]] team [[Shimizu S-Pulse]] in 1997. In 1999, the club won the second place and he received the J.League Player of the Year.<ref>{{cite web | url =http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/sj20001130a1.html| title =Alex: Dreadlocks in deadlock at S-Pulse | date = 30 November 2000 | access-date = 26 December 2012 | publisher = [[The Japan Times]]}}</ref> In Asia, the club won the champions [[1999–2000 Asian Cup Winners' Cup]] and third place [[2000–01 Asian Cup Winners' Cup]].

In August 2002, Santos agreed to join English [[FA Premier League|Premier League]] club [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]]. But he was denied a work permit by the [[Home Office]] because he had not made the minimum number of national team appearances required for players from outside the [[European Union]] and returned to Shimizu for the remainder of the season.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/2215652.stm Charlton miss out on Alex], BBC, 28 August 2002</ref> In January 2004, he left Shimizu to join the [[Urawa Reds]]. They would come in second place at [[J1 League]] for two consecutive seasons in ([[2004 J.League Division 1|2004]], [[2005 J.League Division 1|2005]]). The club won the [[2006 J.League Division 1|2006 J1 League title]].

In January 2007, Santos was loaned out to [[FC Red Bull Salzburg|Red Bull Salzburg]].<ref>[http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=396901&cc=5901 Japan's Alex to join Miyamoto at Salzburg] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629000058/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=396901&cc=5901 |date=29 June 2011 }}, 21 December 2006</ref> He went back to Urawa in January 2008. He received a serious injury in a test match and had only one appearance in this season. In July 2009, he agreed to move to [[Nagoya Grampus]].<ref>[http://www.nikkansports.com/soccer/news/p-sc-tp0-20090726-523382.html 名古屋が三都主獲り、大型補強第3弾], Nikkan sport, 26 July 2009</ref> He made 55 appearances for the club, before joining [[J2 League]] side [[Tochigi SC]] for the 2013 season. He made 25 appearances there, scoring twice. In January 2014, he joined fellow J2 League team [[FC Gifu]].

==International career==
In 2001, Santos obtained Japanese citizenship. He made his first appearance for [[Japan national football team|Japan national team]] on 21 March 2002, against [[Ukraine national football team|Ukraine]],<ref name="JNFTD">{{Cite web |url=http://www.jfootball-db.com/en/players/santos_alessandro.html |title=Japan National Football Team Database |access-date=15 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615135201/http://www.jfootball-db.com/en/players/santos_alessandro.html |archive-date=15 June 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and he was part of [[Philippe Troussier]]'s selection for the [[2002 FIFA World Cup|2002 World Cup]]. He was the second non-Japan-born person to play for Japan in the World Cup finals. [[Wagner Lopes]] was the first who played in the [[1998 FIFA World Cup|1998 World Cup]]. Santos became the fifth naturalized Japanese citizen to play for Japan following [[Daishiro Yoshimura]], [[George Yonashiro]], [[Ruy Ramos]], and Lopes.

After [[Zico (footballer)|Zico]] took over as the national team manager, Santos was used on the left side of the Japanese lineup, as a full-back in a [[Formation (association football)#4–4–2|4-4-2 formation]] or a midfielder in a [[Formation (association football)#3–5–2|3-5-2 formation]]. He played in all 6 matches of the [[2004 AFC Asian Cup|2004 Asian Cup]]; Japan won. In May 2006 he was selected in the Japan squad for the [[2006 FIFA World Cup|2006 World Cup]], providing an assist for [[Keiji Tamada]] in a group stage match against his former country [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]]. Until 1982, he played 82 games and scored 7 goals for Japan.<ref name="JNFTD"/>

==Others==

In 2020, Alex founded the [[Aruko Sports Brasil]], a team that currently competes in the [[Campeonato Paranaense]].

==Career statistics==

===Club===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, [https://www.amazon.co.jp/J1-J3%E9%81%B8%E6%89%8B%E5%90%8D%E9%91%91-2014-NSK-MOOK/dp/4905411165 "J1&J2&J3選手名鑑 2014 (NSK MOOK)"], 14 February 2014, Japan, {{ISBN|978-4905411109}} (p. 239 out of 290)</ref><ref>Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, [https://www.amazon.co.jp/J1-J2%E9%81%B8%E6%89%8B%E5%90%8D%E9%91%91-2013-NSK-MOOK/dp/4905411106 "J1&J2選手名鑑 2013 (NSK MOOK)"], 14 February 2013, Japan, {{ISBN|978-4905411161}} (p. 209 out of 266)</ref>
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|League
!colspan="2"|National cup
!colspan="2"|League cup
!colspan="2"|Continental
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="8"|[[Shimizu S-Pulse]]
|[[1997 Shimizu S-Pulse season|1997]]
|rowspan="7"|[[J1 League]]
|27||3||3||0||2||1||colspan="2"|–||32||4
|-
|[[1998 Shimizu S-Pulse season|1998]]
|26||10||5||2||5||0||colspan="2"|–||36||12
|-
|[[1999 Shimizu S-Pulse season|1999]]
|30||11||1||0||4||0||colspan="2"|–||35||11
|-
|[[2000 Shimizu S-Pulse season|2000]]
|30||4||5||4||5||0||colspan="2"|–||40||8
|-
|[[2001 Shimizu S-Pulse season|2001]]
|30||12||5||1||2||1||colspan="2"|–||37||14
|-
|[[2002 Shimizu S-Pulse season|2002]]
|29||9||3||0||2||2||2||2||36||13
|-
|[[2003 Shimizu S-Pulse season|2003]]
|26||7||4||0||4||0||3||1||37||8
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!198!!56!!26!!7!!24!!4!!5!!3!!253!!70
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Urawa Reds]]
|[[2004 Urawa Red Diamonds season|2004]]
|rowspan="3"|J1 League
|27||2||2||1||1||0||colspan="2"|–||30||3
|-
|[[2005 Urawa Red Diamonds season|2005]]
|32||4||5||0||5||0||colspan="2"|–||42||4
|-
|[[2006 Urawa Red Diamonds season|2006]]
|34||5||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||35||5
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!93!!11!!8!!1!!6!!0!!0!!0!!107!!12
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[FC Red Bull Salzburg|Red Bull Salzburg]]
|[[2006–07 Austrian Football Bundesliga|2006–07]]
|rowspan="2"|[[Austrian Football Bundesliga|Austrian Bundesliga]]
|9||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||9||0
|-
|[[2007–08 Austrian Football Bundesliga|2007/08]]
|11||1||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||1||0||12||1
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!20!!1!!colspan="2"|–!!colspan="2"|–!!1!!0!!21!!1
|-
|rowspan="3"|Urawa Reds
|[[2008 Urawa Red Diamonds season|2008]]
|rowspan="2"|J1 League
|1||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||1||0
|-
|[[2009 Urawa Red Diamonds season|2009]]
|6||0||0||0||4||0||colspan="2"|–||10||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!7!!0!!0!!0!!4!!0!!0!!0!!11!!0
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Nagoya Grampus]]
|[[2009 Nagoya Grampus season|2009]]
|rowspan="4"|J1 League
|14||0||6||1||0||0||4||0||24||1
|-
|[[2010 Nagoya Grampus season|2010]]
|25||0||3||1||1||0||colspan="2"|–||29||1
|-
|[[2011 Nagoya Grampus season|2011]]
|11||0||4||0||1||0||3||0||19||0
|-
|[[2012 Nagoya Grampus season|2012]]
|5||0||2||0||0||0||1||0||8||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!55!!0!!15!!2!!2!!0!!8!!0!!80!!2
|-
|[[Tochigi SC]]
|[[2013 Tochigi SC season|2013]]
|[[J2 League]]
|25||2||2||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||27||2
|-
|[[FC Gifu]]
|[[2014 FC Gifu season|2014]]
|J2 League
|18||2||0||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||18||2
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total
!416!!72!!51!!10!!36!!4!!14!!3!!517!!89
|}

===International===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref name="JNFTD"/><ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/asantos-intlg.html RSSSF]</ref>
|-
!National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Japan national football team|Japan]]
|[[2002 Japan national football team|2002]]||9||1
|-
|[[2003 Japan national football team|2003]]||15||1
|-
|[[2004 Japan national football team|2004]]||22||2
|-
|[[2005 Japan national football team|2005]]||17||1
|-
|[[2006 Japan national football team|2006]]||19||2
|-
!colspan="2"|Total!!82!!7
|}

:''Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Santos goal.''

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Alessandro Santos
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Venue
!scope="col"|Opponent
!scope="col"|Score
!scope="col"|Result
!scope="col"|Competition
|-
| align="center"|1 || 2 May 2002 || [[Kobe]], Japan || {{fb|HON|1949}} || || align="center"|3–3 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|2 || 7 December 2003 || [[Saitama, Saitama|Saitama]], Japan || {{fb|HKG}} || || align="center"|1–0 || [[East Asian Football Championship 2003]]
|-
| align="center"|3 || 12 February 2004 || [[Tokyo]], Japan || {{fb|IRQ|2004}} || || align="center"|2–0 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|4 || 30 May 2004 || [[Manchester]], England || {{fb|ISL}} || || align="center"|3–2 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|5 || 29 January 2005 || [[Yokohama]], Japan || {{fb|KAZ}} || || align="center"|4–0 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|6 || rowspan="2"|9 August 2006 || rowspan="2"|Tokyo, Japan || rowspan="2"|{{fb|TRI}} || || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|2–0 || rowspan="2"|Friendly
|-
| align="center"|7 ||
|}

==Honours==
'''Shimizu S-Pulse'''
*[[Asian Cup Winners' Cup]]: [[1999–2000 Asian Cup Winners' Cup|1999–2000]]
*[[Emperor's Cup]]: [[2001 Emperor's Cup|2001]]
*[[Japanese Super Cup]]: 2002

'''Urawa Red Diamonds'''
*[[J1 League]]: [[2006 J.League Division 1|2006]]
*[[Emperor's Cup]]: [[2005 Emperor's Cup|2005]], [[2006 Emperor's Cup|2006]]
*[[Japanese Super Cup]]: 2002, 2006

'''Red Bull Salzburg'''
*[[Austrian Football Bundesliga|Austrian Bundesliga]]: [[2006–07 Austrian Football Bundesliga|2006–07]]

'''Nagoya Grampus'''
*[[J1 League]]: [[2010 J.League Division 1|2010]]

'''Japan'''
*[[AFC Asian Cup]]: [[2004 AFC Asian Cup|2004]]

'''Individual'''
*[[List of J-League Player of the Year|J.League MVP]]: 1999
*[[J1 League]] Best Eleven: 1999

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{FIFA player|187349}}
*{{NFT player|3486}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20180615135201/http://www.jfootball-db.com/en/players/santos_alessandro.html Japan National Football Team Database]
*{{J.League player|2936}}
*[http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/050622/1/3z7v.html ''No divided loyalties for Alex''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313055352/http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/050622/1/3z7v.html |date=13 March 2007 }}, FIFAworldcup.com, 22 June 2005

{{Navboxes
|title= Awards for Alex
|bg= gold
|fg= navy
|list1=
{{J.League MVP}}
{{1999 J.League Team of the Year}}
}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Japan squads
| bg    = #0202FF
| fg    = #FFFFFF
| list1 = 
{{Japan squad 2002 FIFA World Cup}}
{{Japan squad 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup}}
{{Japan squad 2004 AFC Asian Cup}}
{{Japan squad 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup}}
{{Japan squad 2006 FIFA World Cup}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Santos, Alessandro}}
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Brazilian emigrants to Japan]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of Japan]]
[[Category:Naturalised association football players]]
[[Category:Footballers from Maringá]]
[[Category:Brazilian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Japanese men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Japan men's international footballers]]
[[Category:J1 League players]]
[[Category:J2 League players]]
[[Category:Shimizu S-Pulse players]]
[[Category:Urawa Red Diamonds players]]
[[Category:Nagoya Grampus players]]
[[Category:Tochigi SC players]]
[[Category:FC Gifu players]]
[[Category:Austrian Football Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:FC Red Bull Salzburg players]]
[[Category:2002 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:2003 FIFA Confederations Cup players]]
[[Category:2004 AFC Asian Cup players]]
[[Category:2005 FIFA Confederations Cup players]]
[[Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:AFC Asian Cup–winning players]]
[[Category:Brazilian expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Japanese expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Austria]]
[[Category:Japanese expatriate sportspeople in Austria]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Austria]]
[[Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Japan]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Japan]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Brazil]]