João Leite
State Deputy of Minas Gerais
Assumed office
February 1, 1995
City Councillor of Belo Horizonte
In office
January 1, 1993 – December 16, 1994
Personal details
Born
João Leite da Silva Neto

(1955-10-13) October 13, 1955
Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Political partyPSDB (2006–present; 1992–2004)
Other political
affiliations		PSB (2004–06)
ProfessionFormer football player
Association football career
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Alvorada
América Mineiro
Atlético Mineiro
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1976–1988 Atlético Mineiro
1988–1989 Vitória de Guimarães
1989 Guarani
1990 América Mineiro
1991–1992 Atlético Mineiro
International career
1979–1982 Brazil 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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.[2] In the 17 years that he played for the club, João Leite played a total of 684 matches,[3] won twelve Campeonato Mineiro and one Copa CONMEBOL.[2][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").[2][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. [1]

Honours

Club

Atlético Mineiro

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 Fontes, Letícia (2023-02-11). "Nove ex-deputados estaduais pedem aposentadoria na ALMG | O TEMPO". www.otempo.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  2. 1 2 3 "João Leite". UOL. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Recordistas do Clube Atlético Mineiro". Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Ídolo do Galo, João Leite relembra título da Conmebol 92: 'Uma batalha'". SporTV.com. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Confederação Brasileira de Futebol - Mundialito 1980". leballondrond.fr. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  6. ↑ "João Leite - En Sélection Nationale". leballondrond.fr. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "Mundialito 1980 (Montevideo, Uruguay)". RSSSF. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "Copa América 1979". RSSSF. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  9. ↑ Alves, Marcus (22 March 2022). "Evangelicalism & Brazil: The religious movement that spread through a national team". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  10. ↑ "Conheça os Deputados da 17ª legislatura" [Meet the Members of the 17th Legislature]. almg.gov.br. Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais. Archived from the original on 2 May 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2014.


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