Juninho - Boro's best ever player?
Osvaldo Giroldo Jnr also known as Juninho or Juninho Paulista is a Middlesbrough Football Club legend.
Signed by Bryan Robson for £4.75Million in October 2005, Boro pulled off a coup in landing the diminutive Brazilian who had just been awarded the Brazilian Player of The Year. A full Brazilian International, the 22 year old was being tracked by a number of top European clubs but Robson and Middlesbrough moved quickly and beat them to his signature.
Juninho had 3 spells with the club culminating in him being part of the team that won the club's first ever trophy at Cardiff in 2004.
Signed by Bryan Robson for £4.75Million in October 2005, Boro pulled off a coup in landing the diminutive Brazilian who had just been awarded the Brazilian Player of The Year. A full Brazilian International, the 22 year old was being tracked by a number of top European clubs but Robson and Middlesbrough moved quickly and beat them to his signature.
Juninho had 3 spells with the club culminating in him being part of the team that won the club's first ever trophy at Cardiff in 2004.
Juninho's first spell - 1995 to 1997
Juninho's first period at Middlesbrough from 1995 to 1997
After an average start (by his standards), The Little Fella as he would come to be known by Boro fans came into his own in his second season. Robson building a team around him added the talents of Emerson and Ravanelli to produce some of the most exciting football ever seen at Middlesbrough.A leaky defence combined with a 3 point deduction resulted in Boro being relegated. Juninho, who at times had looked to be singlehandedly trying to save the team, was reduced to tears as Boro were relegated at Elland Road.
In an up and down season (ending in a massive down!) Juninho lead the club to both cup finals, but they were beaten in both.
Juninho's close control, beautiful passing range and ability to ghost past opponents coupled with his passion to see the team succeed won the hearts of the Boro fans.
His desire to remain in the Brazil squad and the need to be competing at the highest level saw Juninho leave Boro in a £12Million deal to Atletico Madrid.
Juninho's second spell - 1999 to 2000
Juninho arrived back at Middlesbrough in September 1999 on loan from Atletico Madrid. The brilliant Brazilian had not had the best of time in Madrid. After a good start he picked a bad injury and struggled to work his way back into the side.
In reality he was sent on loan to Boro in a bid to regain some match fitness and he did look out of sorts when he first arrived. There were flashes of the brilliance Middlesbrough fans had come to expect but his short spell was over and he returned to Madrid.
In reality he was sent on loan to Boro in a bid to regain some match fitness and he did look out of sorts when he first arrived. There were flashes of the brilliance Middlesbrough fans had come to expect but his short spell was over and he returned to Madrid.
Juninho related products
Talking Middlesborough: George to Juninho
Amazon Price: (as of 11/07/2009) 
Juninho
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Celtic Juninho Sports Poster Print, 24x36
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 11/07/2009)
Juninho's Third spell - 2002 to 2004
Juninho began his third spell with Middlesbrough in the summer of 2002, when he permanently left Atletico Madrid for £3.8m.He spent two years back at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium, and helped the club win the 2004 English league cup, the club's first ever major trophy. In a post match interview live on TV Juninho said that winning the league cup with Middesbrough ment more to him than winning the 2002 FIFA world cup with Brazil.
In December 2007 he was voted by Boro fans in a PFA fan's poll as Middlesbrough's greatest ever player and is still revered on Teesside as footballing idol.
Is Juninho Boro's greatest ever player?
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Reader Feedback
sg1981 wrote...
strange, it wasn't me who posted that first comment. Must be a glitch somewhere?
Posted October 01, 2008
sg1981 wrote...
Awesome player and my favourite all time Boro player. I'm not a boro fan but loved watching him especially in his first spell
Posted October 01, 2008
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