João Leite (politician) explained

João Leite
Office:State Deputy of Minas Gerais
Term Start:February 1, 1995
Office1:City Councillor of Belo Horizonte
Term Start1:January 1, 1993
Term End1:December 16, 1994
Birth Name:João Leite da Silva Neto
Birth Date:13 October 1955
Birth Place:Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Party:PSDB (2006–present; 1992–2004)
Otherparty:PSB (2004–06)
Profession:Former football player
Module:
Embed:yes
Height:1.87m (06.14feet)
Position:Goalkeeper
Youthclubs1:Alvorada
Youthclubs2:América Mineiro
Youthclubs3:Atlético Mineiro
Years1:1976–1988
Clubs1:Atlético Mineiro
Years2:1988–1989
Clubs2:Vitória de Guimarães
Years3:1989
Clubs3:Guarani
Years4:1990
Clubs4:América Mineiro
Years5:1991–1992
Clubs5:Atlético Mineiro
Nationalyears1:1979–1982
Nationalteam1:Brazil
Nationalcaps1:6
Nationalgoals1:0

João Leite da Silva Neto, known simply as João Leite (Pitangui, October 13, 1955), was a politician in the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais and a former Brazilian football goalkeeper who played for Atlético Mineiro in the decades of 1970, 1980 and 1990. [1]

Career

João Leite started and spent most of his career at Clube Atlético Mineiro, for which he holds the record for most appearances and most trophies won. João Leite first played for Atlético in 1977, substituting Ortiz. He also played in the Campeonato Brasileiro, with his team finishing the championship at second place after losing to São Paulo in the finals. In the 17 years that he played for the club, João Leite played a total of 684 matches,[2] won twelve Campeonato Mineiro and one Copa CONMEBOL.[3] [4]

He also played for Vitória de Guimarães, Guarani and América Mineiro, before returning to Atlético Mineiro and ending his career.

He was selected for the Brazil national team during the 1980 Mundialito[5] [6] [7] and the 1979 Copa América,[8] and played 5 official games in total with the Seleção between 1980 and 1981.

João Leite was one of the precursors of the Atletas de Cristo ("Christ's Athletes") movement, and he used to give bibles to the opposing players, becoming known as Goleiro de Deus ("God's Goalkeeper").[3] [9]

Nowadays João Leite is state deputy in Minas Gerais, and has been since 1995.[10] In January 2023 he requested retirement from politics along with nine other ex-colleagues.

Honours

Club

Atlético Mineiro

Individual

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fontes . Letícia . 2023-02-11 . Nove ex-deputados estaduais pedem aposentadoria na ALMG O TEMPO . 2023-12-06 . www.otempo.com.br . pt-BR.
  2. Web site: Recordistas do Clube Atlético Mineiro . January 5, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140106032215/http://www.atletico.com.br/site/cam/idolos/2 . January 6, 2014 .
  3. Web site: João Leite . UOL . January 5, 2014.
  4. Web site: Ídolo do Galo, João Leite relembra título da Conmebol 92: 'Uma batalha' . SporTV.com . January 5, 2014.
  5. Web site: Confederação Brasileira de Futebol - Mundialito 1980 . leballondrond.fr . 5 January 2014.
  6. Web site: João Leite - En Sélection Nationale . leballondrond.fr . 5 January 2014.
  7. Web site: Mundialito 1980 (Montevideo, Uruguay) . . . 5 January 2014.
  8. Web site: Copa América 1979 . . . 5 January 2014.
  9. Web site: Evangelicalism & Brazil: The religious movement that spread through a national team. Marcus. Alves. 22 March 2022. 22 March 2022. BBC Sport.
  10. Web site: Conheça os Deputados da 17ª legislatura . Meet the Members of the 17th Legislature . almg.gov.br . . 5 January 2014 . 2 May 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170502205227/http://www.almg.gov.br/deputados/biografia/index.html?idDep=7766&leg=17 . dead .