Paulo Assunção

Paulo Assunção
	Assunção in action for Atlético Madrid in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Paulo Assunção da Silva
Date of birth	25 January 1980 (age 45)
Place of birth	Várzea Grande, Brazil
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team
2000	Palmeiras
2000–2001	Porto B
2001–2002	Palmeiras
2002–2004	Nacional
2004–2008	Porto
2004–2005	→ AEK Athens (loan)
2008–2012	Atlético Madrid
2012	São Paulo
2013	Deportivo La Coruña
2014	Levadiakos
Total
	* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Paulo Assunção da Silva (born 25 January 1980), known as Assunção, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

He also held a Portuguese passport due to the many years in spent in the country,^[2] mainly at the service of Porto. He also played four years in La Liga with Atlético Madrid, winning two Europa League trophies.

Club career

Early years and Porto

Assunção was born in Várzea Grande, Mato Grosso. After first appearing professionally for SE Palmeiras he emigrated to Portugal, having a short stint with FC Porto's reserves then returning shortly to Palmeiras. In the 2002–03 season he joined Madeira's C.D. Nacional, and made his Primeira Liga debut on 26 January 2003 in a 0–0 home draw against Vitória de Guimarães.^[3]

After two highly successful individual campaigns, Assunção was purchased again by Porto, but would be loaned for 2004–05 to AEK Athens FC, managed by former Porto coach Fernando Santos.^[4]^[5] In July 2005 he returned, going on to be an instrumental element in the team's midfield (alongside Raul Meireles and Lucho González) as they eventually won three consecutive league championships.^[6]^[7]

Assunção left the Estádio do Dragão after being threatened with a shot to the knee by Porto supporters who wanted him to renew his contract.^[8]

Atlético Madrid

In early July 2008, after buying out the remainder of his contract, Assunção joined Atlético Madrid.^[9] He adjusted quickly with the capital side, playing all La Liga matches safe four and helping them repeat the fourth-place finish, with a subsequent qualification for the UEFA Champions League.^[10]^[11]

Defensive-minded Assunção scored his first goal for the Colchoneros on 17 January 2010, during the team's 3–2 home win against Sporting de Gijón.^[12] whilst continuing as the undisputed starter at holding midfielder. He lost that position midway through the 2010–11 season, to newly signed Mario Suárez.^[13]

In the 2011–12 campaign, Assunção was only fourth choice in his position after Suárez, Gabi and Tiago. He did contribute six appearances – four starts – as Atlético reached and won the UEFA Europa League final.

São Paulo and Deportivo

After more than one decade in European football, Assunção returned to his country to play for São Paulo FC.^[14] The deal was confirmed on 21 July 2012^[15] but, on 28 December, it was terminated by mutual consent,^[16]^[17] with the player returning to Spain and joining Deportivo de La Coruña.^[18]

In January 2014, 34-year-old Assunção signed for Levadiakos F.C. in the Super League Greece,^[19] leaving in June after failing to appear in any competitive matches.

Personal life

Assunção's son, Gustavo, is also a footballer and a midfielder.^[20]

Career statistics

^[21]^[22]

Club	Season	League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Other^[a]		Total
Club	Season	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Palmeiras	1999	0	0	0	0	—		0	0	2	0	2	0
	2000	0	0	1	0	—		0	0	5	0	6	0
	Total	0	0	1	0	—		0	0	7	0	8	0
Porto B	2000–01	36	4	—		—		—		—		36	4
Porto	2000–01	0	0	0	0	—		0	0	—		0	0
Palmeiras	2001	2	0	—		—		—		—		2	0
	2002	22	0	0	0	—		—		2	0	24	0
	Total	24	0	0	0	—		—		2	0	26	0
Nacional	2002–03	16	1	0	0	—		—		—		16	1
	2003–04	34	1	3	0	—		—		—		37	1
	Total	50	2	3	0	—		—		—		53	2
Porto	2004–05	0	0	—		—		—		—		0	0
	2005–06	25	0	4	0	—		4	0	—		33	0
	2006–07	22	0	1	0	—		7	0	1	0	31	0
	2007–08	26	0	4	0	0	0	7	0	1	0	38	0
	Total	73	0	9	0	0	0	18	0	2	0	102	0
AEK Athens (loan)	2004–05	24	0	8	0	—		5	0	—		37	0
Atlético Madrid	2008–09	34	0	1	0	—		8	0	—		43	0
	2009–10	30	1	7	0	—		16	0	—		53	1
	2010–11	24	0	5	0	—		4	0	1	0	34	0
	2011–12	9	0	2	0	—		6	0	—		17	0
	Total	97	1	15	0	—		34	0	1	0	147	1
São Paulo	2012	11	0	—		—		0	0	—		11	0
Deportivo	2012–13	9	0	—		—		—		—		9	0
Levadiakos	2013–14	0	0	—		—		—		—		0	0
Career total		324	7	36	0	0	0	57	0	12	0	429	7

^ Includes Copa dos Campeões, Campeonato Paulista, Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, Torneio Rio – São Paulo and UEFA Super Cup

Honours

Porto

Atlético Madrid

São Paulo

Copa Sudamericana: 2012

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Paulo Assunção" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
^ "Inscripciones" [Registrations] (in Spanish). Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional. July 2008. Archived from the original on 31 July 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
^ Cunha, Pedro Jorge (19 November 2020). ""Fui rezar a Fátima e três meses depois assinei pelo FC Porto"" ["I went to Fátima to pray and signed for FC Porto three months later"] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
^ "Se me dissessem, não acreditava" [If they had told me, I would not believe it]. Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 6 May 2005. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
^ Almeida, Germano (20 December 2012). "Paulo Assunção: "Peseiro é um grande treinador"" [Paulo Assunção: "Peseiro is a great manager"] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
^ Tavares, Nuno (22 November 2005). "Paulo Assunção's Porto pride". UEFA. Archived from the original on 9 November 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
^ "Raul Meireles: "O Adriaanse pôs-me a chorar logo na pré-época"" [Raul Meireles: "Adriaanse made me cry as early as in preseason"] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 27 April 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
^ "Paulo Assunção abandonou FC Porto por ter sido ameaçado com tiro no joelho" [Paulo Assunção left FC Porto for being threatened with a shot to the knee]. Público (in Portuguese). 26 January 2009. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
^ "Atlético sign Coupet and Paulo Assunção". UEFA. 7 July 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ "El Atlético visitará Europa la próxima temporada (3–0)" [Atlético will visit Europe next season (3–0)]. Diario Siglo XXI (in Spanish). 30 May 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
^ "La baja de Assunçao abre la titularidad a Cléber" [Assunçao out means Cléber is poised to start]. Marca (in Spanish). 28 August 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
^ "Forlan fires Atletico to victory". ESPN Soccernet. 17 January 2010. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
^ Malagón, Manuel (18 November 2010). "Mario Suárez o Assunçao, la última duda de Quique" [Mario Suárez or Assunçao, Quique's last doubt]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2018.
^ "Paulo Assunçao deja el Atlético y ficha por el Sao Paulo" [Paulo Assunçao leaves Atlético and signs for Sao Paulo]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 21 July 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
^ "São Paulo anuncia contratação de volante Paulo Assunção, ex-Atlético de Madri" [São Paulo announce signing of holding midfielder Paulo Assunção, formerly of Atlético de Madrid] (in Portuguese). ESPN Brazil. 21 July 2012. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
^ Lozetti, Alexandre (28 December 2012). "Paulo Assunção pede e São Paulo aceita rescindir contrato do volante" [Paulo Assunção requests and São Paulo accept to terminate holding midfielder's contract] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
^ Birner, Vitor (28 December 2012). "Paulo Assunção deixa o São Paulo e deve retornar à Espanha" [Paulo Assunção leaves São Paulo and must return to Spain] (in Portuguese). Blog do Birner. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
^ "Paulo Assunçao ficha por el Deportivo de la Coruña" [Paulo Assunçao signs for Deportivo de la Coruña] (in Spanish). Goal. 8 January 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
^ Στον ΛΕΒΑΔΕΙΑΚΟ ο Paulo Assunção [Paulo Assunção in Levadiakos] (in Greek). Levadiakos F.C. January 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
^ Aguiar, Fábio (3 October 2018). "Gustavo Henrique: O filho de Paulo Assunção que encanta Simeone" [Gustavo Henrique: The son of Paulo Assunção who thrills Simeone] (in Portuguese). Notícias ao Minuto. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
^ Paulo Assunção at ForaDeJogo (archived)
^ Paulo Assunção at Soccerway