FCBARCELONA.CAT

03.06.2009 10:58

Five years of maximum professionalism

Roger Bogunyà

Sylvinho, one of Barca’s quietest, most committed and generous heroes, is leaving the club after five years of calm professionalism dedicated to FC Barcelona.

The fact that Sylvinho was always one of the team’s unsung heroes wasn’t due to any inability on the pitch, where the 35-year-old Brazilian regularly filled his role at left back with a quiet efficiency in defence and the attacking impulse expected from a player from his country, with many of his crosses leading to important goals.

Supersub

During his five years at the Nou Camp Sylvinho has more often been used as a replacement than as a regular starter, sharing the position with Giovani Van Bronckhorst from 2004 till 2007, before playing back up to Éric Abidal, over the last two campaigns.

Saving the best for last

It was as a stand in for Abidal that he made his last and possibly most rewarding appearance for the club in the Champions League final in Rome, when he kept first Park then Rooney under a tight rein. With his contract running out in the summer of 2008 that game was a very special send off for the popular squad member.

128 matches and three goals

Sylvinho joined the club on 13th July 2004 and three days later he made his debut in a friendly against Banyoles. His official debut came on 11th September at the Nou Camp in the 2-0 win over Seville. He went on to play a total of 128 times for the club, 89 in the league, 18 in the Cup, 17 in the Champions League, three in the Spanish Super Cup and 1 in the European Supercup.

Although scoring was never part of his job description at Barca, he has chalked up three goals: the first two came in the 2005/6 league season and the third in the final Group stage match against Shaktar(2-3) in December 2008.

Enviable honours

Not only a great player, Sylvinho has also shown himself to be an even better person, always willing to get involved in solidarity events and showing his commitment to the club by learning to speak Catalan. On the playing side he picked up 8 titles with the club: three Leagues Champions medals, two Champions Leagues, one Spanish Cup and a Spanish Supercup winners medal. Just as importantly he won the hearts and the respect of the Barca fans who will surely never forget him.