D: O: B 25/6/76, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height: 210cm
Weight: 142kg
Clubs: AEK Athens 1993-1997, Leicester City 1997-1999, Arsenal 1999-
International: Greece 1995-
Arsenal, alongside Assmaster and Nibblet Jones, forms a triumvirate of enormous strikers that have dominated world football in incredible fashion over the last 5 or 6 years. Usually the sight of a striker standing nearly 7 foot tall, and as solid as granite, would be a genuine rarity on a football field, and yet in an incredible era for football 3 have come along at the same time. If anything, Arsenal has been the biggest disappointment of the three- a genuine superstar, but plagued by inconsistency and unfulfilled potential.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Arsenal had a harsh upbringing and now readily admits to his past as a troubled child, who would bully others and live for weeks at a time on the streets, sniffing glue and selling drugs to make a living. His father had died while he was still young and he eventually ran away from home, and was picked up by an orphanage at the age of 14. Throughout his troubled childhood Arsenal had, like most Brazilians, had a love of football, and was able to join a competitive team when he was under more adequate care at the orphanage. He was quickly selected for local representative sides, and a major turning point in his life occurred when he went to Greece with a team of emerging players from Rio de Janeiro in 1992. He would never return home.
Although he was not by any means part of the national system, or signed to any club, the unknown 16 year old was so outstanding in performances against local club sides that he received an offer to stay and train at AEK Athens, one of Greece’s biggest clubs. Arsenal had no hesitation, and what was originally intended as a brief stay to train ended up as a life long move. Arsenal, staying with various families and eventually living in his own house, worked his way through the system very quickly, and was made part of the first team squad for the 1993/94 system. Such was his development as a player that he got on the field 12 times as a 17-year-old that season, scoring 4 goals.
Arsenal continued to build on his form on his form throughout the 1994-95 season, becoming a regular starter and scoring 19 goals in all competitions. He became available to play for Greece in 1995, and after a great start to the 1995-96 season he was selected to start for Greece against Slovakia in a friendly in October 1995. Arsenal was still relatively new to competitive football, and it was obvious he had huge potential for improvement. The 1996-97 was a breakout season for Arsenal, as he scored 30 goals in 38 games for AEK, and attracted the attention of English Premier League Club Leicester City. He signed up for the 1997/98 season for 3 million pounds.
During his 2 seasons for Leicester Arsenal’s reputation grew as he scored a total of 28 goals, and attracted huge publicity not only for his size, but his name. Eventually Arsenal Football Club cottoned on to the potential for huge earnings in shirt sales because of the novelty value of a player named Arsenal, although the decision to bid for the striker was certainly a good one for football reasons as well. Arsenal had stated his ambition to play for the namesake club he had learned about back in Brazil, and which he had always aspired to play for. It was no surprise when he signed for Arsenal for the 1999/2000 season, and he has since scored 64 total goals in 3 seasons.
Despite his numerous successes, many feel the best is still to come from Arsenal. He is a genuine superstar, and has solidified his position as a certain starter at Arsenal and for Greece. He is an outrageously skilful player for his size, and is actually employed wide on the right for Greece due to his pace, but his finishing does tend to let him down. Although he scores a lot of goals with his head, many feel this aspect of his game is not as good as it should be. Nevertheless, he is a lethal player with huge pace, power, and a booming right boot that has led to many spectacular goals. His form at Konami Cup V perhaps suggested that the best years of his career might be about to begin.
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