Quick Facts
Biography
Alex Sandro Lobo Silva, or simply Alex Sandro (born 26 January 1991), is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Italian club Juventus and the Brazil national team as a left back. A quick, energetic and offensive minded defender who is also a strong tackler and a good reader of the game, Sandro is capable of playing anywhere along the left flank; he has also been used as a wing back and as a wide midfielder. He has been described as a player who is a "powerful runner, can beat opponents one-on-one and is an excellent crosser of the ball". His playing position and playing style have drawn comparisons with compatriot and 2002 FIFA World Cup-winner Roberto Carlos.
At club level, Alex Sandro began his career with Atletico Paranaense, and later also played for Santos on loan. In 2011, he joined Porto for €9.6 million, alongside teammate and countryman Danilo, who plays as a right back. He joined Juventus in 2015, winning the domestic double in his first season.
At international level, Alex Sandro also plays for the Brazil national football team, where he has gained 6 caps so far. At youth level, he also represented the Brazil national under-20 football team, winning both the South American Youth Championship and the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2011, as well as the Brazil national under-23 football team, with which he won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Club career
Atletico Paranaense
After winning an impressive amount of honours with the Atletico Paranaense youth setup and a very good performance in the Copa Parana with the U23 side, Alex Sandro earned his first call up to the senior side in October 2008. He played one game in the Brasileiro, taking on Internacional on 18 October.
In 2009, Alex Sandro played a role in Atletico's championship run in the Campeonato Paranaense, playing in eight matches. He scored his first goal on 25 January against Rio Branco, passing the ball to himself around the keeper. As of October 2009, he has played in nine Brasileiro matches, playing a total of 269 minutes.
Santos
Alex Sandro was signed by Santos in 2010 on a two-year loan deal. Atletico Paranaense sold him to the investors, using Uruguayan club Deportivo Maldonado as a proxy to hold the registration rights. According to Atletico Paranaense's 2010 financial report, the club received R$1,114,000 from Deportivo Maldonado for transaction(s) of unnamed player(s).
Porto
On 23 July 2011, Portuguese Primeira Liga club Porto signed Alex Sandro for €9.6 million from the proxy club Deportivo Maldonado. He signed a five-year contract with a release clause of €50 million.
Juventus
On 20 August 2015, Alex Sandro joined Italian Serie A champions Juventus for €26 million on a five-year contract. He made his club debut on 12 September 2015 in a 1–1 home draw against Chievo in Serie A. On 21 November 2015, he assisted Paulo Dybala with a fine cross, helping Juventus beat Milan 1–0. Four days later, on 25 November, he assisted another winning goal, for Mario Mandžukić, in a 1–0 home win over Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League to secure the club a spot in the round of 16. On 17 January 2016, Alex Sandro scored his first Juventus goal – and his first in Serie A – from the top of the 18-yard box in the 42nd minute of a 4–0 away win over Udinese. On 17 February, it was confirmed Alex Sandro would be sidelined for ten days after he picked up an injury to his rectus femoris muscle in his left thigh during training at the Juventus Center the day before, forcing him to miss out on the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League on 23 February against Bayern Munich.
International career
Alex Sandro is a part of the golden Atlético Paranaense youth setup, which has produced a great amount of defenders in very little time, with Raul, Manoel, Ronaldo Alves, Carlão and Bruno Costa all making themselves known in 2009. After being a part of the Brazil under-18 setup, Alex Sandro was called-up to the under-20 side in August 2009, alongside teammates Raul, Renan Foguinho and Gabriel Pimba. He made his debut in a friendly match at 18 years of age. He was a member of the teams that won the 2011 South American Youth Championship in Peru, as well as the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia, also featuring in the final of the tournament against Portugal, which Brazil won 3–2 in extra-time. He also represented the Brazil under-23 side, at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where he made 3 appearances, including one in the final against Mexico, in which Brazil was defeated 2–1.
Alex Sandro made his senior international debut on 10 November 2011 in a 2–0 away win over Gabon.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Atlético Paranaense | 2008 | Série A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 | 1 | 24 | 1 | |||
| Total | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 | 1 | 25 | 1 | |||
| Santos | 2010 | Série A | 24 | 1 | 4 | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 29 | 3 | |
| 2011 | 6 | 0 | – | 11 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |||
| Total | 30 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 53 | 3 | ||
| Porto | 2011–12 | Primeira Liga | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| 2012–13 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 36 | 1 | ||
| 2013–14 | 26 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 47 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 87 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 135 | 3 | ||
| Juventus | 2015–16 | Serie A | 22 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 32 | 2 | |
| 2016–17 | 27 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 3 | ||
| Total | 49 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 74 | 5 | ||
| Career Total | 183 | 9 | 18 | 1 | 55 | 0 | 31 | 2 | 287 | 12 | ||
International
| Brazil national team | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals | ||
| 2011 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2012 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2013 | – | – | ||
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2015 | – | – | ||
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 6 | 0 | ||
Honours
Club
- Campeonato Paranaense: 2009
- Campeonato Paulista: 2010, 2011
- Copa do Brasil: 2010
- Copa Libertadores: 2011
- Primeira Liga: 2011–12, 2012–13
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2013
- Serie A (2): 2015–16, 2016–17
- Coppa Italia (2): 2015–16, 2016–17
International
- South American Youth Championship: 2011
- FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2011
- Summer Olympic Games: Silver medal 2012
Individual
- Bola de Prata: 2010
- O Jogo Team of the Year: 2012