Mota (footballer, born 1980)

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Soares and the second or paternal family name is da Mota. "Neto" is a generational suffix meaning "grandson", which is used for someone whose name is the same as their father and grandfather, like "III" in English.
Mota
Personal information
Full name João Soares da Mota Neto
Date of birth (1980-11-21) 21 November 1980 (age 43)
Place of birth Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Ferroviário
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–1998 Ceará 10 (4)
1999–2001 Mallorca B 19 (3)
2002–2003 Ceará 21 (11)
2003–2004 Cruzeiro 37 (15)
2004 Chunnam Dragons 22 (14)
2005 Sporting 5 (0)
2005–2009 Seongnam Ilhwa 79 (31)
2009 Ceará 16 (5)
2010–2011 Pohang Steelers 52 (19)
2012–2013 Ceará 87 (43)
2014 Bragantino
2017–2018 Ferroviário
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 May 2013

João Soares da Mota Neto (born 21 November 1980), also known as Mota, is a Brazilian football striker who last played for Ferroviário.

Career

Mota began his career with Ceará Sporting Club in 1998, then went to play for Spanish side RCD Mallorca B from 1999 to 2001. He was suspended by the club in April 2001 after a Royal Spanish Football Federation investigation into the veracity of his Portuguese passport that he was using to work in the European Union; he said that he was entitled to it due to having a Portuguese great-grandmother.[1] He was banned for a year by Spain's Court of Sport, which found that he obtained the passport illegally in 1998.[2]

Mota then went back to Brazil and played for Cruzeiro Esporte Clube scoring 32 goals in the league. In 2004, he went to the Far East where he played for South Korean professional league, K-League side Chunnam Dragons, finishing as the league's top scorer with 14 goals.

In early 2005, Mota joined Portuguese giant Sporting Lisbon. However, he could not make the same impact, and Mota returned to K-League in July. He now plays for Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. His agent, since his move from Ceará to Cruzeiro in 2003, is Emerson Damasceno, from Brazil.

As soon as he moved on to Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma he became the best player for his club, scoring 7 goals in 19 matches. However, he suffered from a broken left ankle in the match against Gyeongnam FC in 2006, which forced him to be out of the pitch for several months. He then came back from injury at the time of Play-off season, and scored the winning goal against FC Seoul in semi-final, and two goals in the final against Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

On 26 March 2009, Mota signed with Ceará until the end of the season, helping Ceará to be promoted to first division in Brazil.

On 28 December 2009, Mota came back to South Korea and joined Pohang Steelers.[3] After spending a two-year at Pohang, he returned to Brazil for his family.

In January 2012, Mota signed with Ceará Sporting Club, where he played for the third time in his career.[4]

Honors

Club

Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma

Individual

References

  1. ^ Cruz, X. (20 April 2001). "El Mallorca aparta a Da Mota hasta que acredite la veracidad de su pasaporte" [Mallorca separate themselves from Da Mota until he proves the veracity of his passport]. Última Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  2. ^ Cruz, Edson (December 2003). "Como se faz um campeão" [How to make a champion]. Placar (in Portuguese). p. 24. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  3. ^ www.gazetaesportiva.net/nota/2009/12/28/615710.html
  4. ^ "Ceará confirma acerto com Mota e descarta o retorno de Geraldo" (in Portuguese). GLOBOESPORTE. 7 January 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2012.