César Martins

César Martins
Personal information
Full name César Henrique Martins
Date of birth (1992-12-28) 28 December 1992 (age 31)
Place of birth Mairinque, Brazil
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
Grêmio Novorizontino
Number 37
Youth career
2011 Atlético Sorocaba
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2013 Atlético Sorocaba 0 (0)
2013Ponte Preta (loan) 17 (0)
2014 Ponte Preta 10 (1)
2014–2018 Benfica 3 (0)
2015 Benfica B 2 (0)
2015–2016Flamengo (loan) 23 (0)
2016–2017Nacional (loan) 27 (1)
2017–2018Vitória de Setúbal (loan) 5 (0)
2018Juventude (loan) 6 (0)
2018–2020 Santa Clara 48 (3)
2020–2021 Farense 16 (1)
2021–2022 Club Bolívar 44 (4)
2023– Grêmio Novorizontino 9 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 May 2023

César Henrique Martins (born 28 December 1992), sometimes known as just César, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Grêmio Novorizontino.

Club career

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Born in Mairinque, in the São Paulo state, César Martins started competing in hometown club Atlético Sorocaba in the Campeonato Paulista, where his performances sparked the interest of Ponte Preta which signed him on a loan deal on 26 April 2013.[1][2]

At Ponte Preta, César Martins assumed a starting position, helping the team reach the 2013 Copa Sudamericana Finals, lost to Lanús, moving permanently to Macaca side in December 2014.[3] As the Brazilian team sought to benefit financially from recent performances,[4] on 2 July 2014, they announced that César had signed a five-year deal with incumbent Portuguese champions Benfica for an undisclosed fee, later confirmed to be €2.2M for half of his economic rights.[5][6]

On 14 December 2014, he debuted in the Primeira Liga, in a Benfica 0–2 away win at Porto, replacing injured Luisão.[7] In late January 2015, he suffered a muscular injury, missing several months,[8][9] only reappearing on 2 May 2015, when he played for reserve side in a 1–0 home win against Braga B in Segunda Liga.[10]

On 18 July 2015, César Martins was loaned to Flamengo, until 30 June 2016.[11] Despite being regularly used, his spell was not without controversy. In May 2016, he was approached by Flamengo fans outside a shopping market, who verbally insulted him and threw rocks at his car, with his wife and child inside.[12][13] Two weeks later, in a match with Palmeiras, he stopped a Gabriel Jesus's goalbound shot with his hands, committing a professional foul, which carried a potential nine match ban.[14] Flamengo asked Benfica to retain him for another year, but they declined.[15][16]

Upon returning to Portugal, he was loaned to Nacional for one-year.[17] He played 30 games there, not avoiding relegation as the club finished last in Primeira Liga.[18] Nacional's President attacked him saying he was the worst centre-back he had ever saw.[18] César defended himself saying he always gave it all for the club and it was coward to name a culprit.[19] In July 2017, he went on his third loan at Benfica, now to Vitória de Setúbal.[20] Mid-season, César requested to return to Brazil and signed with Juventude from Série B.[21] Eight months later, he terminated his contract with Benfica and joined Santa Clara on a two-year deal.[22]

Honours

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Ponte Preta
Benfica

References

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  1. ^ "Ponte Preta encaminha a contratação de zagueiro do Atlético Sorocaba" [Ponte Preta has centre-back from Atlético Sorocaba ensured]. N Online (in Portuguese). 26 April 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  2. ^ "Ponte Preta contrata zagueiro 'ex-Atlético Sorocaba" [Ponte Preta hires centre-back from Atlético Sorocaba]. Esportes Terra (in Portuguese). 9 May 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  3. ^ "De férias da Ponte, zagueiro César vai a Sorocaba visitar amigos no Atlético" [On holiday from Ponte, defender César travels to Sorocaba to visit friends at Atlético]. Globoesporte (in Portuguese). 16 December 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Della Volpe pede criatividade para Ponte Preta se reinventar em 2014" [Della Volpe asks for Ponte Preta to reivent himself for 2014]. Globoesporte (in Portuguese). 16 December 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Negociação de César com o Benfica é concluída e zagueiro agradece torcida e instituição alvinegra: espero ter deixado meu nome na história deste grande time que é a Macaca" [Negotiations for the transfer of César to Benfica concluded, and the defender thanks the supporters and the club: "I hope, I've left my name in history".]. pontepreta.com.br. 2 July 2014.
  6. ^ "Relatório & Contas 2014/15" [2014-15 Financial Report] (PDF). CMVM (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 31 October 2015. p. 105.
  7. ^ "Porto - Benfica Statistics". Soccerway. 14 December 2014.
  8. ^ "César é a única baixa por lesão para Vila do Conde" [César is only player unavailable for Vila do Conde]. Record (in Portuguese). 20 March 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  9. ^ "Benfica: César tem lesão muscular e falha Barreiros" [Benfica:César has muscular injury and misses Barreiro]. Mais Futebol (in Portuguese). 16 January 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  10. ^ "Benfica B - Braga B match report". Liga Portugal (in Portuguese). Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  11. ^ "Flamengo oficializa empréstimo de César" [Flamengo confirms César loan] (in Portuguese). A Bola. 18 July 2015. Archived from the original on 19 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  12. ^ "Flamengo confirma tentativa de agressão a César Martins e divulga nota de repúdio" [Flamengo confirms attempted assault to César Martins and releases renouncement note]. Istoé (in Portuguese). 27 May 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  13. ^ "Flamengo confirma tentativa de agressão a César Martins" [Flamengo confirms attempted assault to César Martins]. O Tempo (in Portuguese). 27 May 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  14. ^ "César Martins é denunciado pelo STJD por "defesa" e pode perder nove jogos" [César Martins is reported by STJD for "shot block" and could lose nine games]. GloboEsporte (in Portuguese). 7 June 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  15. ^ "Benfica não cede, e zagueiro César Martins deve deixar o Flamengo" [Benfica does not break, and centre-back César Martins should leave Flamengo]. O Globo (in Portuguese). 26 April 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  16. ^ "César Martins despede-se do Flamengo e regressa à Luz" [César Martins says goodbye to Flamengo and returns to Benfica]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 30 June 2016. Archived from the original on 2 August 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  17. ^ "César assina por uma temporada" [César signs for one year]. CD Nacional (in Portuguese). 19 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  18. ^ a b "Ex-Fla, César Martins é detonado em clube português: "Pior central que conheci"" [Former Flamengo, César Martins is blasted in Portugal: "Worst centre-back I ever saw"]. Globodesporte (in Portuguese). 22 May 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  19. ^ "César responde a Rui Alves: "É uma cobardia apontar um culpado"" [César responds to Rui Alves: "It is coward to choose a culprit"]. Diário de Noticias (in Portuguese). 23 May 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  20. ^ "Vitória FC assegura César e Gonçalo Paciência por um ano" [Vitória FC secures César for one year]. Vitória FC official website (in Portuguese). 21 July 2017. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  21. ^ "Zagueiro César Martins é o novo reforço do Verdão" [Centre-back César Martins signs with "Verdão"]. Juventude (in Portuguese). 26 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  22. ^ "OFICIAL: César deixa o Benfica e assina pelo Santa Clara" [Official: César leaves Benfica and signs with Santa Clara]. MaisFutebol (in Portuguese). 2 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  23. ^ Cunha, Pedro Jorge (17 May 2015). "Benfica bicampeão: 28 com as faixas e dois à espera" [Benfica back-to-back champion: 28 with the sashes and two await] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
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