Juliano Haus Belletti

Juliano Haus Belletti (born 20 June 1976 in Cascavel), is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for Chelsea as a right back, although he can also play as a Midfielder. He was awarded by Placar with the Silver Ball for his continuous great performances for Atlético Mineiro during the 1999 Brazilian Série A.

Club career

He started his career playing for Cruzeiro in 1993. In 1995, he moved to São Paulo FC, where he earned a solid spot in the starting lineup. In 1999, he played for Atlético Mineiro, where the club finished runners-up of the Brazilian League. Rumors linked him with a move to Spanish La Liga side Valencia CF in 2001, but the move fell apart at the last minute.[citation needed] In 2002, he finally moved to Europe, going to Villarreal CF. In 2004, after a successful spell at Villarreal, he signed for FC Barcelona, where he became the first-choice right back and a key set piece taker in the squad.

Barcelona

After winning the Spanish La Liga title in his first season, Belletti gradually fell out of favor both in Barcelona and in the Brazilian national team. Being a regular in the 2004–05 season, he saw a tough competition from the Catalan Oleguer Presas. Still, he played most of his second season in-and-out of the first team.

Belletti scored his first and only goal with Barcelona in the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final. On 17 May 2006, at the Stade de France in Paris, Barcelona played English club Arsenal in the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final. Oleguer was preferred to start rather than Belletti, and he had to make do with a place on the substitute bench. But when manager Frank Rijkaard brought him on for Oleguer, he scored the second goal in a 2–1 come-from-behind win which gave them the 2006 Champions League crown.

His third season was marked by injuries, and the new competition from Gianluca Zambrotta proved too much for him. He played very little in Barcelona's season that ended with nothing.

Chelsea

On 23 August 2007, Chelsea officially announced that Belletti had signed a three-year contract after the player agreed personal terms and passed a medical. He made his Premier League debut for Chelsea on 25 August, when he came on as a substitute for John Obi Mikel in the 64th minute of their home game against Portsmouth, with the game ending 1–0 to Chelsea.

He made his first start for Chelsea against Aston Villa at Villa Park. Despite a strong debut, Chelsea lost the game 2-0. Following the departure of José Mourinho, Belletti became a regular starter in the right-back position for Premier League, Champions League, and Carling Cup games, facing competition from Paulo Ferreira and Michael Essien for his place in the team. In his first season at Chelsea, Belletti scored two goals, both shots from long-range, the first away at Wigan Athletic in November 2007, and the second at Stamford Bridge against Tottenham Hotspur in January 2008. The latter was eventually voted by Chelsea supporters as "Chelsea Goal of the Season" in 2007–08.

José Bosingwa's arrival at Chelsea at the start of the 2008–09 season caused Belletti's relinquishment of the right-back position at Stamford Bridge. However, Luiz Felipe Scolari, gave Belletti playing time as a utility player, providing valuable back-up in the central midfield, defensive midfield, and right wing positions. His long-range shots have given him cult status among the Chelsea support. In October 2008, he added to his collection of spectacular goals with a powerful shot from 30 yards, in to the top corner, against Middlesbrough at the Riverside, for his fourth league goal for the club. Belletti scored his third goal of the 2008-09 season against Stoke City, scoring the leveling goal before teammate Frank Lampard scored the winner in the dying seconds.

He returned from an achilles injury to make his first appearance for Chelsea in the 2009–10 season against Burnley on 29 August. He replaced Bosingwa late in the second half.

Honours

Cruzeiro

• Minas Gerais State Championship: 1994

Atlético Mineiro

• Minas Gerais State Championship: 1999

São Paulo

• São Paulo State Championship: 1998, 2000
• Rio-São Paulo Tournament: 2001

FC Barcelona

• UEFA Champions League: 2006
• La Liga: 2004-05, 2005-06
• Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006

Chelsea

• FA Cup: 2009
• FA Community Shield: 2009

Brazil

• FIFA World Cup: 2002