Cafu

Marcos Evangelista de Moraes (born June 7, 1970 in São Paulo), better known as Cafu, is a two-times Fifa World Cup winning Brazilian footballer, currently a defender for Italian club A.C. Milan.

Cafu was perhaps destined for football greatness, as his birthdate was the same day as Brazil's 1-0 group stage defeat of England en route to their third World Cup. One of six children, Cafu was raised in the Jardim Irene favela of São Paulo. He was a mediocre student as he soon discovered his love for football and preferred playing over studying. At the tender age of seven, he was able to attend a football academy and soon moved up to the junior sides of Nacional, Portuguesa, and Itaquaquecetuba AC. He also played futsal for two years.

In the early 1980s, he couldn't get his foot in the door as he was rejected from the youth squads of Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos, Atlético Mineiro, and even Portuguesa. It wasn't until 1988 that he made the youth squad of hometown club São Paulo FC, and subsequently won the Copa São Paulo youth tournament that year, but he warmed the bench the next season as São Paulo won the 1989 Campeonato Paulista.


Club career

It was during this time, however, that São Paulo youth coach Telê Santana became Cafu's mentor. He suggested that Cafu move from the midfield to wingback, a spot into which Cafu made the transition with ease despite never previously playing the position. He had soon anchored onto the first team, as São Paulo FC won back-to-back Copa Libertadores in 1992 and 1993. In 1994, he was named the South American Footballer of the Year. Cafu began the 1995 season with Brazil squad Juventude but finished in Spain with Real Zaragoza, winning the '95 Cup Winners' Cup with the latter.

After a brief stint back in Brazil with Palmeiras in 1996, Cafu returned to Europe once again the next year, this time with AS Roma, and won the Scudetto in 2001. It was during his tenure at Roma that Cafu earned the nickname Il Pendolino ("The Express Train" or "The Commuter"). Despite making the Coppa Italia final in 2003 with Roma, he moved to AC Milan after turning down a move to Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos. With the Rossoneri, he won his second career Scudetto in 2004, and played in his first UEFA Champions League final in 2005.

Despite his success with Milan, he continues to hold fond memories of his Roma years, and it was for that reason that on March 4, 2007 - the day after Milan eliminated Celtic F.C. in the first knockout round of the 2006-07 Champions League - he candidly revealed in a UEFA.com chat that he did not want Milan to be drawn against the Giallorossi in the quarterfinal round. He got his wish, as Milan were drawn against Bayern Munich. Milan's successful CL campaign saw Cafu finally pick up a long-awaited winners' medal.

Cafu signed a contract extension in May 2007 that will keep him with Milan until June 2008.