Manchester City, Premier League
Who On Earth Is… Geovanni?
As Sven-Göran Eriksson’s re-building of the Manchester City squad continues, in comes Geovanni to bolster the midfield. Geovanni is an attacking midfielder who can play on the right, a position Manchester City have struggled to fill since the departure of Shaun Wright-Phillips. A quiet character, he was nicknamed Soneca (’Sleepy’) at Benfica, which should be a [...]
As Sven-Göran Eriksson’s re-building of the Manchester City squad continues, in comes Geovanni to bolster the midfield.
Geovanni is an attacking midfielder who can play on the right, a position Manchester City have struggled to fill since the departure of Shaun Wright-Phillips. A quiet character, he was nicknamed Soneca (’Sleepy’) at Benfica, which should be a welcome change in the wake of a certain J. Barton.
A steadying but purposeful presence in midfield might be just what Manchester City need
Geovanni emerged at Barcelona in the early 00s having joined from Belo Horizonte club Cruzeiro, but struggled to build on early promise and was often kept out of the first team by Luis Enrique and Gabri de la Torre. At Benfica, though, he was a key part of the team that caused Manchester Utd’s early departure from the UEFA Champions League in 2005. Popularity at Eastlands should be ensured with the knowledge that it was he who scored the equalizer in Benfica’s 2-1 win at the Estádio da Luz that knocked Manchester Utd out of the tournament.
Geovanni is 27 and therefore has time ahead to establish himself as one of City’s key players. He has been capped four times by Brazil, although his involvement in the 2001 Copa América was not a happy one, as a shambolic Brazil side were knocked out in the quarter finals by the unfancied Hondurans.
Geovanni is a coveted player; after his Benfica contract expired in 2006 there was interest from Arsenal, Lens, Udinese (who had just competed in the UEFA Champions League) and Everton. What clubs value in him is his tremendous experience of top-level European football at the Camp Nou and Estádio da Luz; the fiery atmosphere of a North-West derby is unlikely to phase his calm and collected personality. A steadying but purposeful presence in midfield might be just what Manchester City need.
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