Alessandro Soares

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Alessandro Soares

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|2|5|df=y}}

| birth_place = Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

| height = 1.74 m

| position = Forward

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1996–1997

| clubs1 = Montes Claros

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1997–2001

| clubs2 = Kalamata

| caps2 = 98

| goals2 = 26

| years3 = 2001–2004

| clubs3 = OFI

| caps3 = 84

| goals3 = 20

| years4 = 2004–2005

| clubs4 = → AEK Athens (loan)

| caps4 = 25

| goals4 = 11

| years5 = 2005–2006

| clubs5 = AEK Athens

| caps5 = 28

| goals5 = 2

| years6 = 2006–2007

| clubs6 = Anorthosis Famagusta

| caps6 = 23

| goals6 = 3

| years7 = 2007–2008

| clubs7 = Alki Larnaca

| caps7 = 23

| goals7 = 5

| years8 = 2008–2009

| clubs8 = Ermis Aradippou

| caps8 =

| goals8 = 7

| years9 = 2009–2010

| clubs9 = Chalkanoras Idaliou

| caps9 =

| goals9 = 18

| years10 = 2011–2013

| clubs10 = Funorte

| years11 = 2013–2014

| clubs11 = Montes Claros

| totalcaps =

| totalgoals =

}}

Alessandro Soares (born 5 February 1973) is a former Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. He is known in Greece by the nickname "Giannis" which given to him by his then coach in Kalamata, Jacek Gmoch. He himself was so "tied" to this nickname that he baptized his little son who was born in Greece with the name "Giannis".

Club career

Soares started his professional career in Montes Claros. In 1997, the contacts and connections of the then major shareholder of Kalamata, Stavros Papadopoulos, with the Brazilian market of football players, and suggested hid transfer to Greece. After a tryout by the then coach of the Messinians, Babis Tennes, he signed for the club playing with the team for four seasons.

In 2001 he was signed by OFI, where he played until 2004. In the summer of 2004, he caught the interest of Panathinaikos and AEK Athens. Eventually, the coach of the "greens", Zdeněk Ščasný suggested the acquisition of another striker, thus on 23 July 2004 he was signed by AEK, initially with a season-long loan and then by a permanent transfer.{{cite news|url=https://de.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/019f-0ea6da6458a1-7cafb9a6cf20-1000--kreta-verkauft-soares-an-aek|title=Kreta verkauft Soares an AEK|date=23 July 2004|access-date=25 August 2020|website=UEFA|language=German}} On his first season with the yellow-blacks he emerged as the club's top scorer, while playing 7 matches in the UEFA Cup scoring once against Gorica on 30 September 2004. {{Cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/79597--aek-vs-gorica/|title=AEK-Gorica UEFA Europa League 2004/05|website=UEFA}} He repeatedly tried to obtain Greek citizenship but three times he fell victim to the change in legislation and the increase of the years of residence required for its granting.{{Cite web|url=http://www.aekpedia.com/2015/05/24/%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%83%CE%AC%CE%BD%CF%84%CF%81%CE%B5-%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%BD%CE%B7%CF%82-%CF%83%CE%BF%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%B5%CF%82/|title=Αλεσάντρε "Γιάννης" Σοάρες|website=aekpedia.com}}

In the summer of 2006 he moved to Cyprus and Anorthosis Famagusta.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sport-fm.gr/article/podosfairo/superleague1/46400|title=Στην Ανόρθωση ο Σοάρες|website=sport-fm.gr}} On 12 May 2007, he won Cypriot Cup scoring in the 3–2 final against Omonia.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/cyp07.html#cup|title=Cyprus 2006/07|website=RSSSF}} In the summer of 2007 he signed for Alki Larnaca, where he played for a season. In 2008 he also played for Cypriot Second Division side, Ermis Aradippou, helping them win promotion to the Cypriot First Division in 2009.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/cyp09.html#second|title=Cyprus 2008/09|website=RSSSF}} Afterwards, he moved to Chalkanoras Idaliou, where he helped them win the Cypriot Third Division in 2010 by finishing as first scorer of the league with 17 goals.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/cyp2010.html#third|title=Cyprus 2009/10|website=RSSSF}}