Osvaldo Giroldo Júnior (born 22 February 1973), known as Juninho or Juninho Paulista, is a Brazilian former footballer who played as an attacking midfielder and is now the national team co-ordinator of the Brazil national football team. During his professional career, he played for Brazilian clubs São Paulo, Vasco da Gama, Palmeiras, Flamengo, as well as English club Middlesbrough, Spanish club Atlético Madrid, Celtic in Scotland and Sydney FC in Australia.
Juninho played 49 international matches for the Brazil national team from 1995 to 2003, winning the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic tournament.
Club career
Born in São Paulo, Juninho played youth football for FC Curvados e Orgulhoso, a local club set up in São Paulo, and for Esporte Clube DER, an amateur team based in São Bernardo do Campo (SP), winning two youth municipal championship in a row, as well as futsal at Clube Atlético Juventus.
Ituano FC
Juninho began his senior career with Ituano, a team in Itu, São Paulo, in 1990. In 1993, during a Campeonato Paulista match against reigning champions São Paulo, Juninho scored and was voted man of the match, as Ituano secured an unlikely victory. This grabbed the attention of São Paulo's head coach Telê Santana, who requested that his team buy the young talent. Juninho went on to be voted "Rookie of the Year" that season.
São Paulo
In 1993, Juninho was transferred to São Paulo, with whom he won a number of trophies, including the 1993 Intercontinental Cup against Italian team Milan and the 1994 Copa CONMEBOL. He made his debut for the Brazil national team ("Seleção") in February 1995, before moving abroad to play in Europe.
Middlesbrough
In October 1995, Juninho signed for English club Middlesbrough for £4.75 million, just months after they had been promoted to the English top-flight FA Premier League. Then aged 22, Juninho had been tracked by numerous European top clubs, and it was a major surprise when he signed for "the Teessiders". Juninho became known as "TLF" (The Little Fella) by Boro fans, after local radio broadcaster Dave Roberts nicknamed the player on his football talk show. The nickname alludes to his height: only . During his time with Middlesbrough, Juninho lived in Levendale and Ingleby Barwick with his parents. He was known for playing football with school children on the streets and is still considered the greatest player to have played for Middlesbrough in the modern era.
He made his debut on 4 November 1995 at home to Leeds United, setting up the opening goal for Jan Åge Fjørtoft in a 1–1 draw. Juninho proved extremely effective as an attacking midfielder, and his skills helped the club reach the final of both the FA Cup and League Cup in 1997, although they lost both. At the end of the 1997 season, a three-point deduction condemned Middlesbrough to relegation to the second division; following a 1–1 draw at Leeds United on the final day of the season which confirmed the club's relegation, Juninho was reduced to tears. Despite the club's relegation, Juninho came runner up to Gianfranco Zola for the FWA Player of the Year award. Ultimately, Juninho left Middlesbrough to pursue his chances of making Brazil's 1998 World Cup squad. Juninho scored 17 goals in 74 games during his first time at Middlesbrough.
Atlético Madrid
Juninho was sold to Atlético Madrid for £13m, and started out well for the team. However, his time at Atlético was hampered massively by injuries, and he never quite achieved the heights that were expected of him. On 1 February 1998, during a league match against Celta Vigo, a tackle by opponent defender Míchel Salgado broke Juninho's fibula, sidelining the Brazilian for six months and thus making him miss the 1998 World Cup.
Juninho was loaned back to Middlesbrough (who by then had been promoted back to the Premier League) during the 1999–2000 season, and scored four goals in 24 games for the club, before returning to Atlético Madrid. Upon his return, Atlético had been relegated to the secondary Segunda División. Juninho was then loaned out to Brazilian team Vasco da Gama, where he played alongside another Juninho, Juninho Pernambucano; he then earned the demonym "Paulista" in order to be differentiated from his teammate. He won the 2000 domestic Campeonato Brasileiro Série A championship and the international Copa Mercosur trophy. He also had a brief loan spell with Flamengo.