Goal takes a look into the career of Hyderabad’s midfield dynamo…
Joao Victor is a key signing for Hyderbad FC as the Brazilian is expected to be one of the trump cards for the side in the upcoming edition of Indian Super League (ISL).
Expectations will be high from the Latin American due to his impressive CV.
The 32-year-old has the distinction of playing in La Liga for Mallorca and has also been managed by Brazil‘s world cup winning coach Luis Scolari. His presence at the centre of the park will add steel to Hyderabad’s midfield as he is known to break up opposition play and regain possession.
Goal takes a look at his career in detail.
Jersey Number: 43
Youth Career and Professional Debut
Victor was born in Olinda, Brazil and he honed his skills at the Clube Náutico Capibaribe academy in Recife, Pernambuco. He was seen as a promising talent and was called up for Brazil U17 at the age of 15 in 2004. In the next year, he signed a professional contract with Nautico. He made his professional debut against Sao Raimudoin Serie B, in Manaus.
Sojourns in Uzbekistan, Spain and Cyprus
In the middle of 2007, Victor left Nautico after a court battle over unpaid wages. He joined Sao Caetano and stayed there for a year but was not given regular playing time. He decided to leave the club and join Treze FC in Paraiba, Brazil. But after five months he once again wanted a change in scene and this time through Rivaldo’s lawyers he got in touch with Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor.
In 2009, he joined the Uzbek side where Luis Scolari was at the helm of affairs. He soon proved his mettle in his new surroundings and made 41 appearances across all competitions in his first season. He also played in the AFC Champions League for Bunyodkor. After spending two years in Bunyodkor and winning two championships and a cup tournament, he joined Mallorca in Spain signing a five-year deal. Rivaldo played a crucial part behind the deal as he personally met Mallorca Vice-President Serra Ferrer.
In his first season in Spain, he made 36 appearances across all competitions and was one of the key figures under Michael Laudrup. But with the departure of the Dutch tactician, he fell down the pecking order and racked up only 535 minutes in the league. In October 2012, he ruptured his cruciate ligament in the right knee which forced him on the sidelines for a lengthy period.
He returned to action in July 2014, after Mallorca were relegated to the Segunda Division by then. He made a fantastic comeback from the injury and made 36 appearances in the 2014-15 season. After finishing his contract in 2015, he joined Cypriot First Division side Anorthosis.
Victor spent four seasons in Cyprus making 121 appearances and netting 18 goals. In 2018, he joined Umm Salal SC in Qatar where he played regularly and had 986 minutes under his belt.
Last Stint
In 2019-20 he played for Greek side OFI Crete FC in Super League 1. He made 11 appearances and after ending his contract with the Heraklion-based club he signed for Hyderabad FC.
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