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| General |
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| Juninho | ||
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| Personal information | ||
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| Full name: | Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. | |
| Date of birth: | 30 January 1975 | |
| Place of birth: | Recife,  Brazil
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | |
| Playing position: | Attacking midfielder | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| 1991–1992 | Sport
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| Senior clubs | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls) |
| 1993–1994 1995–2001 2001–2009 2009–2011 2011–2012 2013 2013 Total |
Sport Vasco da Gama Lyon Al-Gharafa Vasco da Gama New York Red Bulls Vasco da Gama
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24 (3) 121 (27) 248 (198) 40 (15) 50 (11) 13 (0) 21 (2) 517 (256) |
| National team | ||
| 1999–2006 | Brazil
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40 (6) |
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Júnior (born 30 January 1975), commonly known as Juninho Pernambucano or simply Juninho, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who was most recently the sporting director of French club Lyon. A dead-ball specialist noted for his bending free kicks, in particular the knuckleball technique which he developed, Juninho holds the record for the highest number of goals scored through free kicks and is considered by many to be the greatest free-kick taker of all time.
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Júnior, widely known as Juninho Pernambucano, is a legendary Brazilian footballer born on January 30, 1975, in Recife, Pernambuco. He began his professional career at Sport Club do Recife before moving to CR Vasco da Gama, where he achieved significant success, including winning the Copa Libertadores and multiple domestic titles. Juninho gained international fame during his tenure at Olympique Lyonnais from 2001 to 2009, where he was instrumental in the club's dominance in French football, securing seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles. Renowned for his exceptional free-kick ability, particularly his innovative knuckleball technique, he holds the record for the most free-kick goals in football history. After stints in the Qatar Stars League and MLS, Juninho returned to Vasco da Gama before retiring in 2013. Post-retirement, he served as the sporting director at Lyon, further solidifying his legacy in the sport.
International Career[]
On 7 September 1999, Juninho played two top-level matches in two different countries in the same day. He represented his country in the second half of the friendly match between Brazil and Argentina in Porto Alegre, which Brazil won 4–2, playing about fifteen minutes. In spite of a delayed flight to Montevideo, he managed to arrive in Uruguay in time to feature in the second half of the Copa Mercosur match between Vasco and Nacional. He took part at the 2001 Copa América with Brazil.
Although Juninho had a period of prolonged domestic success during the 2000s, that contributed to him being considered one of the best Brazilian players in the world at the time, he was not selected for the Brazilian squad that featured at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2004 Copa América, missing both because of a recurring knee injury. Brazil would win both tournaments. He was however a member of the Brazil squad that won the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup, scoring a free kick against Euro 2004 champions Greece.
In the 2006 FIFA World Cup Juninho scored a knuckleball goal in open play against Japan in a group stage match. Following Brazil's defeat to eventual runners-up France in the quarter-finals of the tournament, he announced his international retirement, so as to make way for younger talents coming through the ranks in Brazil, in order to build for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Post-Retirement Activities[]
After retiring from professional football, Juninho Pernambucano transitioned into various roles that allowed him to continue influencing the sport. He took on a position as a football commentator and analyst, where his insightful observations and deep understanding of the game earned him respect among fans and peers alike. In 2019, Juninho returned to Olympique Lyonnais, this time off the pitch, as the club's sporting director. During his tenure, he focused on nurturing young talent and implementing strategic changes aimed at strengthening the team's competitive edge. Juninho's leadership and vision were instrumental in shaping the club's future direction. Beyond his administrative roles, he has also been involved in philanthropic efforts, using his platform to support various charitable causes in Brazil, particularly those focused on education and sports development for underprivileged youth. Through these endeavors, Juninho continues to leave a lasting impact on both football and society.
Career Statistics[]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sport Recife | 1993 | Série A | 12 | 1 | — | — | — | 12 | 1 | |||
| 1994 | Série A | 12 | 2 | — | — | — | 12 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 24 | 3 | — | — | — | 24 | 3 | |||||
| CR Vasco da Gama | 1995 | Série A | 22 | 4 | — | — | — | 22 | 4 | |||
| 1996 | Série A | 25 | 5 | — | — | — | 25 | 5 | ||||
| 1997 | Série A | 23 | 6 | — | — | — | 23 | 6 | ||||
| 1998 | Série A | 21 | 4 | — | — | 6 | 1 | 27 | 5 | |||
| 1999 | Série A | 18 | 3 | — | — | 7 | 1 | 25 | 4 | |||
| 2000 | Série A | 26 | 6 | — | — | 10 | 3 | 36 | 9 | |||
| Total | 135 | 28 | — | — | 23 | 5 | 158 | 33 | ||||
| Olympique Lyonnais | 2001–02 | Ligue 1 | 34 | 8 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 38 | 9 | ||
| 2002–03 | Ligue 1 | 33 | 9 | — | — | 6 | 3 | 39 | 12 | |||
| 2003–04 | Ligue 1 | 32 | 11 | — | — | 10 | 4 | 42 | 15 | |||
| 2004–05 | Ligue 1 | 35 | 10 | — | — | 10 | 4 | 45 | 14 | |||
| 2005–06 | Ligue 1 | 34 | 9 | — | — | 7 | 3 !!41 !!12 | |||||
| Olympique Lyonnais | 2006–07 | Ligue 1 | 29 | 9 | — | — | 6 | 1 | 35 | 10 | ||
| 2007–08 | Ligue 1 | 27 | 9 | — | — | 8 | 2 | 35 | 11 | |||
| 2008–09 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 10 | — | — | 7 | 1 | 31 | 11 | |||
| Total | 248 | 75 | — | — | 58 | 19 | 306 | 94 | ||||
| Al-Gharafa | 2009–10 | Qatar Stars League | 21 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 28 | 7 | |
| 2010–11 | Qatar Stars League | 19 | 8 | 3 | 1 | — | 5 | 0 | 27 | 9 | ||
| Total | 40 | 15 | 4 | 1 | — | 11 | 0 | 55 | 16 | |||
| CR Vasco da Gama | 2011 | Série A | 21 | 4 | — | — | 5 | 1 | 26 | 5 | ||
| 2012 | Série A | 29 | 7 | — | — | 20 | 6 | 49 | 13 | |||
| Total | 50 | 11 | — | — | 25 | 7 | 75 | 18 | ||||
| New York Red Bulls | 2013 | MLS | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 0 | ||
| CR Vasco da Gama | 2013 | Série A | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 531 | 136 | 7 | 1 | — | 117 | 31 | 655 | 168 | |||
Honours[]
Clubs[]
Sport
- Campeonato Pernambucano: 1994
- Copa do Nordeste: 1994
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1997, 2000
- Campeonato Carioca: 1998
- Torneio Rio-São Paulo: 1999
- Copa Libertadores: 1998
- Copa Mercosur: 2000
- Ligue 1: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
- Coupe de France: 2008
- Trophée Des Champions: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
- Qatar Stars League: 2010
- Qatari Stars Cup: 2009
- Qatar Crown Prince Cup: 2010, 2011
Country[]
- Toulon Tournament: 1995
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 2005
- Lunar New Year Cup: 2005
External links[]
| Brazil
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