Quick Facts
ScorpioBiography
Bruno César Zanaki (born 3 November 1988) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Portuguese club Sporting Clube de Portugal. He can play as an attacking midfielder, second striker or left back.
Club career
Early career
César began his professional career with Ulbra in 2009, before moving on to Noroeste in the same season. At Noroeste, he made his senior debut against Ituano in the Campeonato Paulista, where he came on as a 64th-minute substitute.
Following the end of the 2009 Campeonato Paulista, César moved to Campeonato Brasileiro Série A side Santo André. At Santo André, he made his professional league debut away to Coritiba. His professional league debut saw him score Santo André's fourth in a 4–2 away win. For the 2010 season, he managed to breakthrough into Santo André's starting eleven where he managed seven goals in 21 appearances and helped his side reach the 2010 Campeonato Paulista final where his side lost to Santos over two legs.
Corinthians
César would join Corinthians from Campeonato Brasileiro Série B side Santo André in May 2010. César debuted for the Timão on the 27 May in a Campeonato Brasileiro Série A game against Grêmio Barueri. He marked his first team debut with a goal which would tie the game 2–2. His debut season with Corinthians saw him score 14 goals in 31 games, which helped his side finish third in the league, thus granting his side qualification to the 2011 Copa Libertadores first stage. His impressive first season with Corinthians would see him be awarded by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), with the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Best Newcomer award.
His second season with Corinthians would see him feature regularly in Corinthians' 2011 Campeonato Paulista campaign, where he helped his side reach the final of the competition where they were beaten by Santos. Prior to start of the 2011 league campaign, César would be transferred to Benfica.
Benfica
On 28 March 2011, Benfica announced the acquisition of Bruno César on a transfer fee reported to be 6 million euros, with César moving to the Encarnados in the summer.
César made his Benfica debut against Trabzonspor in a UEFA Champions League third round qualifying match. On the 20 August, César made his league debut against Feirense at the Estádio da Luz, where he marked his debut with a goal in injury time. His goal scoring form in the league would continue in the next several games with goals against Nacional and Académica de Coimbra.
His goal scoring form would see Benfica coach Jorge Jesus select him in his starting line-up. Jesus' selection of César in Benfica's first eleven would pay off as he would score in Benfica's second UEFA Champions League group stage match against Oțelul Galați. César would continue to demonstrate his goal scoring form, by netting in a third round cup tie against Portimonense. In Benfica's next UEFA Champions League game, César would play a pivotal role in an important win. He helped his side pick up an important away win at Basel, by scoring Benfica's first goal in a 2–0 win at the St. Jakob-Park.
Following his excellent goal scoring form, César suffered a two-month goal scoring drought through November and December. He ended his scoring drought by netting in an away match to União de Leiria. The several few months following January saw César play an important role in Benfica's end-of-season fortunes. Despite Benfica losing the league title to rivals Porto, César helped his side claim the Taça da Liga title for a fourth consecutive season, as well helped the Encarnados reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League where they were beaten by eventual winners Chelsea.
The arrivals of Eduardo Salvio and Ola John saw César feature less for his club side in the domestic league campaign for the 2012–13 season. César would be utilized by Jorge Jesus primarily in the Taça de Portugal, Taça da Liga and the UEFA Champions League campaigns. The first half of the 2012–13 season would see César make 16 appearances of which six were league appearances. The short amount of playing time during the first half of the season would see him leave in January 2013.
Al-Ahli
On the 21 January 2013, César joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli Jeddah on a €5.5 million transfer fee.
He made his debut for his new club against Al-Wehda in a Saudi Professional League fixture. He made his continental debut for Al-Ahli in a 2013 AFC Champions League group stage match, against Qatari side Al-Gharafa on the 27 February. César would score his first league goal against Ettifaq on the 3 March, in a 4–1 away win.
The following week would see César score again, this time a brace against Najran, which would help his side demolish the opposition 5–1. César's goal scoring form would continue, as he netted three times in continental competitions against Iranian side Sepahan Isfahan (twice) and Qatari side El Jaish.
Sporting CP
On 31 July 2015, he joined Estoril from Al-Ahli Jeddah on a €2 million transfer fee. On 14 November 2015, after just 11 matches for Estroill, he joined Sporting CP on a free transfer and signed a four years contract until June 2020. He scored 2 goals in debut for Sporting against Vitória Setúbal. The match was ended by 6 goals in Sporting's favours. At the end of the season, he played 18 matches in all competition, scored 4 goals.
International career
César received his first international call up by Brazil manager Mano Menezes for international friendlies against the Gabon and Egypt in November 2011.
César debuted for the Canarinha on the 10 November in a 2–0 win against Gabon. His second cap came four days later against Egypt in another 2–0 win.
Statistics
Club
- As of 29 April 2017
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Paulista | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ulbra | 2009 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
| Noroeste | 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 1 | 12 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 1 | 12 | 1 | |
| Santo André | 2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 21 | 7 | 21 | 7 | |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 22 | 7 | |
| Corinthians | 2010 | 31 | 14 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 31 | 14 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 19 | 1 | |
| Total | 31 | 14 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 50 | 15 | |
| Benfica | 2011–12 | 26 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 2 | — | — | 44 | 13 |
| 2012–13 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 | |
| Total | 32 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 2 | — | — | 60 | 13 | |
| Al-Ahli | 2012–13 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 7 | 3 | — | — | 19 | 8 |
| 2013–14 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 4 | |
| 2014–15 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | — | — | 19 | 3 | |
| Total | 26 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 4 | — | — | 48 | 15 | |
| Palmeiras (loan) | 2014 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Total | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| Estoril | 2015–16 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 1 |
| Total | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 1 | |
| Sporting CP | 2015–16 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 4 |
| 2016–17 | 27 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | – | – | 38 | 5 | |
| Total | 43 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | – | – | 55 | 9 | |
| Career totals | 142 | 40 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 36 | 6 | 59 | 9 | 256 | 59 | |
International
Honours
Club
- Grêmio
- Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-20: 2008
- Taça Belo Horizonte de Juniores: 2008
- Corinthians
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2011
- Benfica
- Taça da Liga: 2011–12
- Al Ahli
- Saudi Crown Prince Cup: 2014–15
Individual
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Best Newcomer: 2010