Leverkusen as first club in Europe
In 1995, Zé Elias made his debut for Brazil, and he went to win ten international caps. At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, he won the bronze medal with Brazil and subsequently moved to Europe to join Bayer 04. Zé played his first Bundesliga match for the Werkself on matchday 5 of the 1996/97 season in a home match against 1860 Munich. Within three months, he learnt German almost perfectly and was well-liked by his team-mates thanks to his cheerful and fun-loving nature. As competition for his position was fierce, with players such as Carsten Ramelow and Niko Kovac, he made only 23 Bundesliga appearances and, after just one season in Leverkusen, decided to move to Italy to join Inter Milan.
He won the UEFA Cup with the Milan team in 1998. A year later, he joined Bologna for one season. Following a three-year spell in the Greek league with Olympiacos, he returned to Italy in 2003 to join Genoa, where his younger brother Rubinho, a Brazilian goalkeeper, would also go on to play many years later. From 2004 onwards, Zé Elias went on to play for a number of other clubs: FC Santos, Metalurh Donetsk, Guarani FC, Omonia Nicosia, Londrina EC and SCR Altach. He finally brought his career to an end in 2009 with the Austrian Bundesliga side.
still in demand as a football pundit
Since retiring from playing, Zé Elias has remained closely involved with football. He works as a pundit for various media outlets, analysing matches in the Brazilian league as well as international competitions. With his specialist knowledge and many years of experience, he is able to explain football to viewers in a way that is easy to understand. Zé Elias remains a prominent figure in Brazilian football to this day.
Dear Zé, I wish you all the best on your 50th birthday. Stay healthy and let everyone celebrate your big day.
