, often known as Alex, is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in Brazil, he became a Japanese citizen and made 82 appearances for the Japan national team.
Club career Santos was born in Maringá in Paraná and moved to Japan in 1994 at the age of sixteen. He enrolled in Meitoku Gijuku High School in 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. 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 Premier League club Charlton Athletic for a £2.5 million fee. 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.Charlton miss out on Alex, BBC, 28 August 2002 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, 2005). The club won the 2006 J1 League title.
In January 2007, Santos was loaned out to Red Bull Salzburg.Japan's Alex to join Miyamoto at Salzburg , 21 December 2006 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.名古屋が三都主獲り、大型補強第3弾, Nikkan sport, 26 July 2009 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 team on 21 March 2002, against Ukraine, and he was part of Philippe Troussier's selection for the 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 World Cup. Santos became the fifth naturalized Japanese citizen to play for Japan following Daishiro Yoshimura, George Yonashiro, Ruy Ramos, and Lopes.
After 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 4-4-2 formation or a midfielder in a 3-5-2 formation. He played in all 6 matches of the 2004 Asian Cup; Japan won. He was selected in the Japan squad for the 2006 World Cup, providing an assist for Keiji Tamada in a group stage match against his birth country Brazil. He played 82 games and scored 7 goals for Japan.
Others
In 2020, Alex founded Aruko Sports Brasil, a team that currently competes in the Campeonato Paranaense.
Career statistics
Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionNippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "J1&J2&J3選手名鑑 2014 (NSK MOOK)", 14 February 2014, Japan, (p. 239 out of 290)Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "J1&J2選手名鑑 2013 (NSK MOOK)", 14 February 2013, Japan, (p. 209 out of 266)ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupContinentalTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsShimizu S-Pulse1997J1 League2733021–324199826105250–3612199930111040–351120003045450–408200130125121–3714200229930222236132003267404031378Total198562672445325370Urawa Reds2004J1 League2722110–30320053245050–42420063451000–355Total931181600010712Red Bull Salzburg2006–07Austrian Bundesliga90–––902007–08111––10121Total201––10211Urawa Reds2008J1 League100000–102009600040–100Total70004000110Nagoya Grampus2009J1 League14061004024120102503110–291201111040103019020125020001080Total5501522080802Tochigi SC2013J2 League25220––272FC Gifu2014J2 League18200––182Career total41672511036414351789
International + Appearances and goals by national team and yearRSSSFNational teamYearAppsGoalsJapan2002912003151200422220051712006192Total827
Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Santos goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Alessandro SantosNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 2 May 2002 Kobe, Japan 3–3 Friendly2 7 December 2003 Saitama, Japan 1–0 East Asian Football Championship 20033 12 February 2004 Tokyo, Japan 2–0 Friendly4 30 May 2004 Manchester, England 3–2 Friendly5 29 January 2005 Yokohama, Japan 4–0 Friendly6 9 August 2006 Tokyo, Japan 2–0 Friendly7
Honours Shimizu S-Pulse Asian Cup Winners' Cup: 1999–2000 Emperor's Cup: 2001 Japanese Super Cup: 2002
Urawa Red Diamonds J1 League: 2006 Emperor's Cup: 2005, 2006 Japanese Super Cup: 2002, 2006
Red Bull Salzburg Austrian Bundesliga: 2006–07
Nagoya Grampus J1 League: 2010
Japan AFC Asian Cup: 2004
Individual J.League MVP: 1999 J1 League Best Eleven: 1999
References
External links
Japan National Football Team Database
No divided loyalties for Alex , FIFAworldcup.com, 22 June 2005