Rodrigo Defendi

Rodrigo Defendi

Personal information
Full name	Rodrigo Defendi
Date of birth	(1986-06-16) 16 June 1986
Place of birth	Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Centre back
Team information
Current team	Estoril
Number	35
Youth career
2004	Cruzeiro
2004–2005	Tottenham Hotspur
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005–2007	Tottenham Hotspur	0	(0)
2006	→ Udinese (loan)	2	(0)
2006–2007	→ Roma (loan)	0	(0)
2007–2009	Avellino	15	(0)
2010	Palmeiras B	0	(0)
2011	Paraná	14	(1)
2011–2012	Vitória de Guimarães	23	(1)
2013	Botafogo	0	(0)
2014	Vitória	1	(0)
2014–2015	Vitória de Guimarães	7	(0)
2015	Shijiazhuang Ever Bright	3	(0)
2016–2017	Maribor	35	(1)
2017–2019	Aves	21	(3)
2019–	Estoril	12	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 September 2020

Rodrigo Defendi (born 16 June 1986) is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a central defender for Portuguese club Estoril.

Club career

Defendi was first spotted as a 16-year-old by the then Tottenham Hotspur Director of Sport Frank Arnesen. He was the first player signed under the Frank Arnesen and Jacques Santini era at Spurs from Cruzeiro for a fee of £600,000 on July 3, 2004, although he had to wait for his passport to arrive in August for the deal to be officially completed. He failed to make a first team appearance for Tottenham but featured in a number of reserve team matches.

He was deemed surplus to requirements by Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol, as he was first allowed to travel back to Brazil to seek a contract with a new club which proved unsuccessful, before he was farmed out on loan to Udinese Calcio in January 2006. He made two league appearances before leaving for A.S. Roma in August 2006, again on loan. He made an appearance in the Champions League and in the Coppa Italia for the capital club, but didn't manage to play a league game in Serie A.

Defendi returned to Tottenham Hotpur from Roma after his loan period ended. On August 9, 2007 Tottenham announced his departure to the Italian Serie B club Avellino on a permanent transfer.

Defendi became a free agent after the bankruptcy of Avellino and returned to Brazil. He joined the Palmeiras reserves in March 2010.

On 18 May 2011, Defendi signed a contract with Portuguese Primeira Liga side Vitória Guimarães.

On 10 January 2013, after nine years playing in Europe, Defendi was presented by Botafogo, his new side.

On 18 February 2015, Defendi signed a two-year contract with Chinese Super League side Shijiazhuang Ever Bright.

On 27 January 2016, he signed for Maribor in the Slovenian PrvaLiga.

Honours

Roma

• Coppa Italia: 2006–07

Vitória de Guimarães

• Taça de Portugal: 2012–13

Botafogo

• Campeonato Carioca: 2013

Maribor

• Slovenian Championship (1): 2016–17
• Slovenian Cup (1): 2015–16

External links

• Rodrigo Defendi at TuttoCalciatori.net (in Italian)
• Rodrigo Defendi at Soccerway
• Rodrigo Defendi at ForaDeJogo (archived)