Mário Jardel

Mário Jardel de Almeida Ribeiro (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈmaɾiu ʒaʁˈdɛw]; born 18 September 1973) is a Brazilian retired footballer. He was most noted for his positioning on the field and his heading ability. He was a legend for Grêmio, playing a major part in the squad that won the 1995 Copa Libertadores. With his exceptional positioning ability, he was able to become one of Europe's most prolific strikers during his time at FC Porto, Galatasaray, and Sporting CP, scoring 266 goals in 274 games for those clubs.
After leaving Sporting in 2003, at 29 years old, Jardel had a succession of brief and unsuccessful stints at clubs in England, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Argentina and Australia. He then played for several smaller clubs in Brazil before retiring in 2011.
Jardel made his debut for the Brazil national football team in 1996, making a total of 10 appearances and being selected for the 2001 Copa America.

Brazil

Jardel played first for Vasco da Gama, but moved in 1995 to Grêmio, where he won the 1995 Copa Libertadores.

Porto

In 1996, he was linked to several teams, and after failing to transfer to Benfica and Rangers (due to the strict British rules involving non-EU players), he signed with Portuguese side FC Porto, where with help from players such as Zlatko Zahovič, Sérgio Conceição, and Ljubinko Drulović, he was the top goalscorer in Europe for three years (1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02), with a goal average of slightly over one goal per match (130 goals in 125 games, avg: 1.04). Although he was top scorer three times, due to the use of coefficients based on each European league's standards, he only won twice, the 1998–99 and 2001–02 European Golden Boots. He lost out to Kevin Phillips in 1999–2000 despite Phillips having scored six fewer goals than Jardel.

Galatasaray

Before the 2000–01 season he was sold to the Turkish club Galatasaray, winners of UEFA Cup in 2000 as the club activated his release clause.

Scoring five goals in his debut match suggested he would adapt well to his new club, but towards the end of the season injuries and growing personal problems hinted he was soon going to leave Turkey. Regardless, he was part of the Galatasaray team that won the UEFA Super Cup, himself scoring twice to beat Real Madrid 2–1 in the SuperCup final, and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, with Jardel scoring six goals in the competition in victories against teams such as Milan and Real Madrid. He ended the season with 22 goals.

Sporting CP

In 2001–02, he returned to Portugal. Sporting Clube de Portugal signed him on the last day of transfer windows and offered a contract worth €11 million in 3 seasons. Sporting also gave Galatasaray Mbo Mpenza, Robert Spehar, Pavel Horváth, (valued €3.4 million) and US$5 million cash.

The 2001–02 season proved hugely successful to Jardel – he scored 42 goals in 30 games (17 scored through penalties), and Sporting won both the Portuguese Liga and the Portuguese Cup. He also won the Prize "Player of the Year" by the Portuguese newspaper Record – one of the only two foreign players to achieve this, the other being the Argentinian Lisandro López.

Decline

While the 2001–02 season was arguably the best of Jardel's career, the following 2002–03 season proved to be the beginning of the end. Left off the Brazilian national team again, this time for the 2002 FIFA World Cup (despite his tremendous goal-scoring abilities he was rarely called up), and unfit at the start of the season, he spent the most of it on the injury list.

In the Christmas break, he returned to his native Fortaleza, where he injured his knee in a swimming pool fall. He scored only nine goals that season. He was granted, alongside Deco, Portuguese citizenship on February 2003.

In August 2003, he moved to English side Bolton Wanderers. Sporting would receive a transfer fee up to €1.5M based on his performance in 2003–04 and 2004–05 season. However he failed to score a league goal for the club. He did, however, score three goals in the English League Cup, where Bolton were eventually losing finalists. These goals came in games against Walsall, where Jardel scored twice, and against Liverpool at Anfield. During the winter break, he moved to Italian side Ancona, but could not convince the staff of his physical capabilities. Ancona supporters called him lardel (a pun on the Italian "lardo", meaning lard) due to him being overweight; an Italian journalist, about his debut opposite Milan, said "We stretch a veil of silence in respect of what he has been"

In August 2004, Jardel signed a contract with Rosario side Newell's Old Boys in Argentina, for which Bolton did not receive any fee.

In September 2005, Jardel signed a contract with Brazilian first-division side Goiás Esporte Clube until 31 December 2006.

Jardel was signed by Beira Mar for the 2006–07 season for an undisclosed fee. Despite arriving at the club overweight, he worked hard and trained specifically to lose weight and gain physical form and scored one goal on his debut for Beira-Mar in a 2–2 draw against Desportivo das Aves. In the winter transfer season, Jardel signed for the Cypriot team Anorthosis Famagusta.

On 14 July 2007, Jardel played for Scottish Premier League club St Mirren, as a trialist in a 3–0 win over first division side Stirling Albion.

Newcastle Jets

On 14 August 2007, Australian A-League side Newcastle United Jets officially announced at a press conference in Newcastle that they had signed Jardel on a one-year contract as their marquee player. Jardel was rumoured to join the club for weeks before the official announcement was made. He arrived in Australia on 12 August 2007 and traveled to Newcastle on 13 August.

Jardel worked hard on his fitness before arriving in Newcastle. He was unable to play for the Jets in the first three rounds as he was in Australia on a tourist visa. He eventually had his sport visa approved before the start of Round 4.

He made his debut as a substitute in the 70th minute at EnergyAustralia Stadium against Adelaide United in Round 4. Newcastle won the match 1–0 with a strike from Mark Bridge in the 81st minute.

After joining the Jets, Jardel saw little game time, usually making an appearance as a late substitute. Owner of Newcastle Jets Con Constantine, who brought Jardel to Newcastle, expressed his desire for Jardel to stay on the field for longer. Newcastle coach Gary van Egmond, however, was reluctant to give the Brazilian a larger role.

On 3 November 2007, Jardel played nearly 20 minutes against Sydney FC. He showed some positive signs, nearly equalising for Newcastle with a trademark header from a Joel Griffiths corner kick. Sydney keeper Clint Bolton saved the initial header before Jardel's follow-up was cleared off the line.

However, after showing glimpses of class, manager van Egmond perceived Jardel to be surplus to requirements and was told he could leave the club halfway through the season. He was reportedly being paid $3,000 a week by club owner Con Constantine. He left the club on 24 January 2008 to be with his sick mother in Brazil. The Jets went on to win the 2008 A-League Grand Final.

Brazil lower divisions (2008–10)

On 29 June 2008, Jardel joined Campeonato Brasileiro Série B club Criciúma. He scored four goals in the Brazilian Serie B season 2008. Unfortunately for Jardel his club, was relegated from Serie B; finishing 18th with 41 points from 38 games.

Jardel joined to Ferroviário on 4 February 2009. On 11 March 2009, Jardel made his Ferroviário debut with a very classy goal, a reminder of his past years of glory as one of the best finisher ever to play on the Portuguese Liga. In August 2009 he signed a 6-month contract with América de Fortaleza, but released on 30 October 2009.

On 20 January 2010, Jardel signed a contract until the end of 2010 Campeonato Piauiense with Esporte Clube Flamengo. He became a free agent on 10 June 2010.

Cherno More

On 27 June 2010, Jardel arrived in Varna, Bulgaria in order to negotiate terms with Bulgarian club Cherno More Varna. A day later, on 28 June 2010, Jardel signed a one-year contract with the Sailors and was officially presented as a new signing of the club. Jardel was welcomed by 500 fans at his presentation at the Ticha Stadium. He made his new club debut on 17 July, in a friendly match against Romanian side Victoria Brăneşti, with the match ending in a 2–2 draw.

Jardel made his competitive debut for the Sailors during the 2010–11 season on 7 August 2010 in a 0–2 away loss against Lokomotiv Plovdiv, coming on as a substitute for compatriot Marco Tiago. In the next round of A PFG Mário played 26 minutes as a substitute for a 1–0 home win against Akademik Sofia. On 31 October 2010, he scored his first goal for the Bulgarian team, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Lokomotiv Sofia. On 28 November 2010, it was reported that Jardel had left Cherno More, in part due to concerns pertaining to the cold weather conditions in Bulgaria.

Atlético Rio Negro Clube

On 21 December 2010, it was reported that Jardel signed a one-year deal with Atlético Rio Negro Clube from Manaus, Amazonas.

Jardel capped for the national team first when he was 19 years old. In March 1993, Jardel capped one time for the Brazil national under-20 football team during the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Australia. Brazil became champions of the tournament.

Jardel's debut for the Seleçao was as a substitute replacing Ronaldo during a friendly game against Russia in August 1996.

He was also a part of the national team squad during the Copa América tournament in 2001.

Club

Vasco da Gama

• Campeonato Carioca: 1992, 1993, 1994

Grêmio

• Copa Libertadores: 1995
• Recopa Sudamericana: 1996
• Campeonato Gaúcho: 1995, 1996

FC Porto

• Portuguese Liga: 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99
• Taça de Portugal: 1997–98, 1999–00
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 1996, 1998, 1999

Galatasaray

• UEFA Super Cup: 2000

Sporting

• Portuguese Liga: 2001–02
• Taça de Portugal: 2001–02

Newell's Old Boys

• Primera División Argentina: 2004

Goiás

• Campeonato Goiano: 2006

Anorthosis

• Cypriot Cup: 2007

Newcastle Jets

• A-League: 2007–08

International

Brazil U-20

• FIFA World Youth Championship: 1993

Individual

• Copa Libertadores Top Scorer: 1995
• Primeira Liga Top Scorer: 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2001–02
• Taça de Portugal Top Scorer: 1997-98, 1999-00, 2001–02
• European Golden Shoe: 1998–99, 2001–02
• UEFA Champions League top goalscorer: 1999–2000
• Portuguese Golden Ball: 1997, 1998