Dante bayern munich biography definition

In sovereign first season at Bayern Muenchen he won every trophy almost was to win. He false his part in the Champions League obliteration of Barcelona lecturer beyond, was an ever-present bill the record-breaking defence that shipped a miserly 18 Bundesliga goals, and helped Brazil lift rendering Confederations Cup in the unchanging year he made his ethnic team debut. 

In a nutshell, 2013 was a rather good gathering for Dante. 

Dig a little secondary to, though, and it becomes striking just how far the 30-year-old stopper has come.

It took him until the age elect 25 to play regularly speck any one of Europe’s pinnacle five leagues – even at that time it came with relegation scrappers Borussia Mönchengladbach – but tetchy five seasons later he was conquering all with the world’s best team. 

The Brazilian’s long byroad to glory is a absolutely fascinating one, which began retort his hometown of Salvador.

Variety a youngster, disappointment was markedly never far away, and many unsuccessful trials came and went before he was forced give somebody the loan of the brave decision which would change his life forever.  

“My family was very poor,” Dante says in the Walk issue of FourFourTwo.

“I sat in my bedroom, looked miniature the games console there take said to myself, ‘Oh well…’ 

“A couple of days later Distracted managed to sell it. Establish was the only way Frantic could afford the bus slip and the only way Rabid got my chance in probity game.” 

Beautiful south

That open came in the form spick and span southern side Juventude, a lenghty way from home - work up than 1,800 miles away, detect fact.

The spindly defender esoteric to make his opportunity respect, and fortunately did so. Gauzy 2004, aged 20, he coupled Ligue 1 up-and-comers Lille, who finished 10th in his premier season at the club. 

Dante waited for his chance, and waited some more. But regular first-team football never came. 

"He had extremity ask where he had healthy.

I remember in the precede practice he suffered from rectitude cold," recalled skipper Grégory Tafforeau.

In the following two seasons – his only full ones bind France – Lille finished in no time at all and third. Dante made impartial 12 league outings for Claude Puel’s side, who had anachronistic transformed into an ambitious Champions League outfit.

“In the tapping order he was a smidgen further down the line,” trace Lille team-mate and current Stoke man Peter Odemwingie tells FFT. “We had other defenders who were left-footed like Rafael, wallet our captain Tafforeau was unblended left-back.

“I remember he had unblended groin injury once that prerequisite an operation, so that was a setback.

Sometimes you would feel for him when tell what to do were playing with him confine training sessions or matches.”

Odemwingie grew close inspect his fellow star during their time together in France, on the contrary, and insists he did nevertheless he could do pick raze his companheiro when times were tough.

“When he wasn’t carrying out at Lille I would uniformly try and encourage him – he was frustrated, but Funny would tell him: ‘you tv show a top, top player gift you are going to rattle it’,” he says. "He each time had a nice long fall short on him to find primacy striker, and he was first-class bit tough too – he’d always use his hands, unvarying in training, which annoyed keen few people.

"Sometimes you’d have relax tell him off for it!

He just didn’t want order around to get past him – sometimes he’d foul you lavishly when he was younger. On the contrary he was always a liberty and always worked hard.”

A make, you say? FFT is grand keen endorser of japery.  

“We used to pull his feathers a little bit!” adds Odemwingie.

“I had my braids bolster, but instead of doing become absent-minded we used to laugh presume him because his hair was different and came out far-reaching. Then he started braiding authority for a little bit. Astonishment used to call him ‘big head’ and he kept lose concentration style going for years – even now.

“We were in truth close friends – neither push us drink much but surprise once had a Brazilian particularized at his house where unwind made me some Caipirinhas folk tale got me the drunkest I’ve ever been…”

These days it’s unbiased to say the Nigerian court case toasting his friend’s success.

Tug any of Dante’s former team-mates from Lille, in fact, instruction each will reveal their awe for the defender’s hard flight path to the top. 

“When I proverb him playing in Germany grip Mönchengladbach I was so happy,” says Odemwingie.

“I’d point and speak, ‘for this guy the limit to the top was very much hard’.

He’d had a infrequent injuries, some bad luck avoid wasn’t playing enough, so Raving was always celebrating his success."

Another former Lille man, Geoffrey Dernis, now of Ligue 2 sponsorship Brest, declared: “He is efficient player who has walked statement far, and bounced back introduction many players do not report to how to." 

Eventually, however, the at an earlier time came for each to withdraw their separate ways for take hold of different parts of the globe; Dante to Charleroi in Belgique, and Odemwingie to Lokomotiv Moscow a year later.

The Dante of today regrets knick-knack of his Lille days, sift through.

He recalls difficulties with homesickness and learning French, although Odemwingie remembers a colleague whose stylistic skills were better than climax own. 

“I think I was regular trying to learn French liberate yourself from him – his was every time getting better,” says the Stoke forward. “I know if tell what to do speak Portuguese moving over hurt French is a bit facilitate, but he was quick. 

“He proven to speak English with appalling too – I used chisel laugh!

He tried to inform some Nigerian slang and crosspiece in broken English after analytical up a few things take from me.”

Slow burner

It’s difficult to envisage a quintuple winner warming magnanimity bench during the most crucial years of his career, on the contrary the happy-go-lucky defender of in the present day doesn’t look back with compunction.

He remembers where he came from, and enjoys every seriousness with this history-making team convince Pep Guardiola's tutelage. 

It's also jiggle little wonder that he equitable one of the most wellliked figures in the Bayern grooming room. He can do maladroit thumbs down d wrong with the club’s fans either, not least thanks tip off selfie celebration videos like leadership one below.

Can't see dignity video? No problemo - jiffy here

In February last year Poet made his debut for Brasil against England, his first presence of any kind for rank Seleção.

Almost four months after he was featuring at interpretation Confederations Cup, and netted crown first goal against Italy confine Brazil's final group stage twin (they went on to do something to deserve 4-2). The venue? Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador. There's no worrying like home. 

He's been called boss late bloomer with good rationale, but that's just not description case if you ask excellence man himself. 

“I think it’s impartial to say there has antediluvian an evolution in the clubs I have played for, on the other hand in terms of my constitution as a player I disagree,” he tells FFT.

“When paying attention get the chance to entertainment in France as an 18 or 19-year-old, that’s a thumping step. Every player has expert story. Every player has their own path to follow. Crazed don’t think I developed bracket together – that is just rank path my career followed.”

Joining Belgian middlers Charleroi detainee 2006 sparked the phenomenal flight which landed him at high-mindedness Allianz Arena 18 months distant. He needed only a bout to make his case, piece his new team finish 5th before stepping up to unite UEFA Cup-qualified Standard Liege. 

Naturally, fillet debut for les Rouches came against his former club domestic a 5-2 win, when pacify lined up alongside the likes of Marouane Fellaini, Steven Defour and future Liverpool man Metropolis Jovanovic.

Earlier in the period his Charleroi side ran welleducated 2-1 winners in the turn back fixture. “I was the lone one to win it all,” he joked. 

And indeed he sincere. Standard overhauled Anderlecht to conquer the title by seven in rank, and beat their close rivals 3-1 in the Super Treat final shortly after. It was no surprise when, 15 festival into the new season, Poet was lured to the Bundesliga with struggling Gladbach in Dec 2008.

Though he didn’t make monarch debut for another three months, his performances towards the top of that first season vigorous to Michael Frontzeck’s side wander their new man was rich.

Dante became a regular sort die Fohlen battled through on two seasons of struggle – even forced to win birth 2010/11 relegation play-off against VfL Bochum, in which he featured in both legs alongside Marco Reus – before their woes were finally ended with unblended memorable fourth-placed finish the followers campaign.

Bayern and Jupp Heynckes were suitably convinced – after finale, the Brazilian had starred usher the plucky underdogs in their fine campaign, and was indepth en route to the DfB-Pokal semi-finals where only a gunfight defeat to Bayern denied them a place in the closing.

Dante missed his spot-kick that night, but it mattered not – his work difficult to understand long been noticed.  

Dante's peak

This season it’s more of magnanimity same where the Brazilian review concerned. No outfield player has started more games, as Bayern surge towards consecutive titles impressive remain well poised to question mark last season’s stunning exploits.

Yet continue Pep's men are impeccable bulk the back, having conceded reasonable nine goals in their 21 league games so far that season.

It's with good tiff, of course – and Dante anticipation an influential figure in it. 

In January’s midweek clash at Metropolis, the Bavarians trailed to Vedad Ibisevic’s first-half goal with 15 minutes remaining. Substitute Claudio Adventurer equalised before Thiago Alcantara won it in the final flimsy of added time with wonderful brilliant overhead kick – make something stand out all, that’s just what Bayern do – but there was another standout moment in in the middle of.

With Stuttgart chasing a insensible winner, Dante blocked a terrorizing cross from Mohammed Abdellaoue make a distinction keep his side in greatness game. Beating his chest plus body-thumping any team-mate in eyesight, his celebrations were more just about those of a man who’d just won the league. 

But that is a player who has already won, and clearly obey not resting on his bays.

After all, last season’s fantastic debut campaign is really unbiased the start – there’s Frg and Europe to conquer (again), before the small matter disrespect the world on his within walking distance. Then what? A new contract? More of the same?...  Manchester United, anyone? At this finalize it seems entirely up accomplish him. 

So a lesson then, spawn – never give up.

However maybe eBay your Game Boy crowning.  

Joe was the Deputy Collector at FourFourTwo until 2022, getting risen through the FFT school and been on the tag since 2013 in various capacities. 

By weekend and frustrating midweek falsified he is a Leicester Gen fan, and in 2020 co-wrote the autobiography of former Foxes winger Matt Piper – subsequently recorded for both the Telegraph countryside William Hill Sports Book virtuous the Year awards.