Club career Alex (footballer, born 1982)

1 club career

1.1 santos
1.2 psv (loan)
1.3 chelsea

1.3.1 2007–08
1.3.2 2008–09
1.3.3 2009–10
1.3.4 2010–11
1.3.5 2011–12


1.4 paris saint-germain
1.5 milan

club career
santos

alex began career santos of brazil, making first team debut in 2002 before later becoming part of club s central pillars. alex made professional league debut in 1–1 draw against fluminense. less month after debut, alex scored first goal club in match against vasco da gama on 18 september 2002. after multiple impressive performances, alex secured place in team s regular starting lineup. in first season playing, in 2002, santos won série title, first since 1968.

in 2003 season, alex participated in 34 matches and, despite playing defense, managed score 9 goals. in 2003, alex helped santos reach final of copa libertadores, santos lost 5–1 on aggregate against argentine side boca juniors. in second leg of copa libertadores finals, alex scored goal santos in 3–1 loss.

psv (loan)

alex phillip cocu (behind) @ psv.

alex signed english premier league club chelsea in 2004 on recommendation of famed psv , chelsea scout piet de visser, because of potential problems in attaining work permit, loaned out dutch eredivisie club psv.

the joint contract of chelsea , psv loaned alex latter, chelsea having €1 million buy-out clause. alex played 3 years @ psv, donning number 4 jersey eindhoven club. while playing psv, earned himself nickname tank due cannonball-like free kicks , strong physical stature.

he formally joined psv in 2004–05 season, helping club win domestic double of both eredivisie championship , dutch cup year. in champions league, alex played key role in psv team eliminated in semi-finals against milan on away goals (psv won home game 3–1 had lost 0–2 @ san siro). team eliminated monaco , olympique lyonnais on way semi-finals.

alex won second straight dutch league championship in 2005–06 season psv. chelsea did not recall alex, though piet de visser , chelsea head of scouting frank arnesen recommended alex brought on solve club s defensive problems. instead, chelsea manager josé mourinho insisted on signing of khalid boulahrouz in place of alex. therefore, alex stayed third season @ psv on loan in 2006–07. won third straight eredivisie title psv, after dramatic final-day finish season in psv sensationally trumped both afc ajax , az. alex scored in uefa champions league first knockout round against arsenal both teams in second half, turning in own goal past own goalkeeper heurelho gomes, compensating storming headed goal 8 minutes left play redeem himself , in process ensure psv place in quarter-finals. later injured, however, , played no part in psv s uefa champions league quarter-final against liverpool, psv lost 4–0 on aggregate.

chelsea
2007–08

alex , claude makélélé warming match against manchester united in 2008

in interview dutch newspaper de telegraaf, alex confirmed chelsea in process of getting him work permit , possibilities of him joining chelsea next season high. alex later confirmed chelsea had completed process of acquiring him work permit , start season chelsea player.

alex granted work permit on 2 august 2007, , completed transfer chelsea after agreeing personal terms , passing medical, signed three-year deal london club.

on 14 august 2007, alex presented english media in press conference manager josé mourinho, given shirt number 33. made debut on 19 august when came on substitute florent malouda against liverpool in 85th minute, teams tied @ 1–1. played in 0–2 defeat away @ aston villa , 4–0 victory on hull city in league cup.

alex scored first goal chelsea on 20 october 2007, 30-yard free kick against middlesbrough. scored free kick on 28 november in champions league game against rosenborg bk. scored in chelsea s 4–4 draw aston villa, scoring first goal @ stamford bridge andriy shevchenko pass, taking tally season 3 goals.

2008–09

alex enjoyed longest spell in first team during 2008–09 season. given chance due regular starter ricardo carvalho being injured long periods of campaign. scored chelsea s 1,000th premier league goal against sunderland on 1 november 2008. alex started every game chelsea under guus hiddink, managed alex @ psv, , scored in fa cup quarter-final victory away coventry city.

alex playing chelsea

in champions league quarter-finals second leg @ stamford bridge against liverpool, alex scored free-kick 30 yards out level score @ 2–2. game ended 4–4 , chelsea won 7–5 on aggregate, chelsea eliminated barcelona in semi-finals. on 10 may, alex scored header in chelsea s 4–1 premier league win on arsenal didier drogba free-kick. goal second against gunners in career.

2009–10

alex played first pre-season match against ac milan in world football challenge.

on 13 october 2009, alex signed new four-year contract chelsea, keeping him @ stamford bridge until summer of 2013.

alex missed start of season, having sustained groin injury on 15 august 2009. started first game of season in league cup match against bolton wanderers on 28 october 2009, playing full 90 minutes. made first premier league start of season against portsmouth on 16 december 2009.

on 13 march 2010, scored first goal of season @ stamford bridge giving chelsea lead in 4–1 league win on west ham united.

2010–11

alex , didier drogba marking newcastle united s andy carroll , shola ameobi.

in light of ricardo carvalho s departure real madrid, alex started 2010-11 season first choice centre chelsea, alongside john terry. on 3 october 2010, scored 25-yard freekick in 2–0 victory on arsenal @ stamford bridge. on 5 october, ruled out 3 weeks after picking thigh injury in final stages of sunday s 2–0 win on arsenal, , subsequently withdrew brazil squad friendly matches against iran, , ukraine. alex made return chelsea made return on 30 october 2010 , played 90 minutes against blackburn rovers in 2-1 win. on 1 december 2010, alex suffered knee injury , out of action 3 months. while rehabilitation on injury, manager carlo ancelotti consider signing new defender if alex fails recover knee surgery before end of january alex failed , chelsea went on sign david luiz benfica. mid march 2011, alex made return training first-team squad.

after recovered injury, alex made return on 9 april 2011 in match against wigan athletic in 1-0 win, came on paulo ferreira in 75th minute. on 8 may 2011, took goal-costing mistake david luiz against manchester united in season-deciding match alex break starting line-up, getting substituted on @ half time match, , starting , playing full 90 minutes following match against newcastle united @ stamford bridge on 15 may 2011, scored headed goal in 82nd minute in 2–2 draw. in last league game of season against everton, alex started match alongside john terry substituted on 70 minutes ferreira in 1–0 defeat @ goodison park. @ end of campaign, alex made 20 appearances , scored 2 goals in competitions. alex criticized allegedly stating in interview boyhood liverpool supporter.

2011–12

in summer transfer window, alex subject of bid local rivals arsenal. on 20 august 2011, in home game against west bromwich albion, defensive mistake alex allowed striker shane long through score 4 minutes game. in end, however, chelsea won 2–1. on 21 september 2011, in league cup tie against fulham, alex received straight red card in 49th minute after foul on kerim frei, resulted penalty. pajtim kasami, however, missed fulham s penalty after kick saved back-up goalkeeper ross turnbull. in end, chelsea later won 4-3 on penalties progress next round. in november 2011, alex made last chelsea appearance in league cup in quarter-final against liverpool, chelsea lost 2-0. started match committed handball in penalty area, turnbull again saved andy carroll.

on 3 december 2011, alex submitted transfer request, accepted. had been subject of bid queens park rangers in first transfer activity under new manager mark hughes. move, however, broke down after both parties reportedly failed agree personal terms; qpr not match wage demands , alex stated did not want stay in england.

paris saint-germain

alex warming paris saint-germain

on 27 january 2012, alex joined paris saint-germain £4.2 million reunite former manager carlo ancelotti. on move, publicly stated reason chelsea manager andré villas-boas had not given him enough playing time @ club. given number 13 shirt, free since departure of sammy traoré.

on 12 february 2012, alex made debut psg in 0–0 draw against nice, made first start before coming off christophe jallet @ half-time. following week, on 19 february 2012, alex scored 30-yard goal lay-off free kick, first goal psg, against montpellier on free-kick combination compatriot nenê, result 2–2. on 8 april 2012, alex scored winning goal in 61st minute in 2–1 win on olympique de marseille. on 6 november 2012, in champions league match against dinamo zagreb, alex scored first goal of match, half-volley evaded reach of dinamo goalkeeper ivan kelava after 16 minutes.

on 3 august 2013, alex scored game-winning goal last kick of game in psg s 2–1 defeat of bordeaux in trophée des champions @ stade d angondjé in libreville, gabon.

milan

on 5 june 2014, alex signed milan on free transfer when contract psg expired. made competitive debut on 31 august in first match of new serie season, 3–1 home win on lazio in deflected antonio candreva s shot own net. alex scored first milan goal in 3-2 loss sassuolo on 17 may 2015. on 31 january 2016, alex scored diving header in derby della madonnina

on 25 may 2016, club owner silvio berlusconi announced departure, along of phillippe mexes, kevin-prince boateng , mario balotelli.