Alcides
Personal information
Full name	Alcides Eduardo Mendes Araújo Alves
Date of birth	March 13, 1985 (1985-03-13) (age 24)
Place of birth	Mira Estrela, Brazil
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
Number	21
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2002–2003 2003 2004 2004–2008 2004–2006 2007–2008 2008–	EC Vitória Schalke 04 Santos Chelsea → Benfica (loan) → PSV Eindhoven (loan) Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk	06 00(0) 06 00(0) 02 00(0) 00 00(0) 21 00(0) 30 00(2) 13 00(0)
National team2
2009–	Brazil	1 (0)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of August 2, 2009. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of April 6, 2009. * Appearances (Goals)

Alcides Eduardo Mendes de Araújo Alves, simply Alcides (born March 13, 1985 in Mira Estrela, São Paulo State), is a Brazilian footballer who is currently with FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.

He can appear as either a right or central defender, and speed is his main asset.

[edit] Club career

A product of Salvador da Bahia-club EC Vitória's youth system, Alcides had a short loan spell with FC Schalke 04 in Germany in 2003-04, returning the following season to Europe, where he appeared for SL Benfica, playing seven times as the Reds won the league after an 11-year wait. At this time, he was already owned by Chelsea FC, which he never represented.

In January 2007, Alcides moved to PSV Eindhoven, going on to work with former Benfica boss Ronald Koeman, who said of him: "He [Alcides] is an extra re-inforcement for the defence and he can play in several positions at the back. He is tall, very thin and extremely fast." On February 3, 2007, he played his first league match for PSV against AZ Alkmaar. Having helped the side win the 2007 championship, he sometimes appeared at left back in the following campaign (playing in 21 matches and netting once).

In 2008-09, Alcides signed with Ukraine's FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, it was announced by PSV on Thursday, 9 August 2008.

[edit] International career

Alcides helped Brazil win the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. On March 2, 2009, he received his first senior callup, courtesy of manager Dunga.

[edit] Personal

Alcides was kidnapped in Brazil, but was released after he convinced his kidnappers he was not a football player.^[1]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Stats and profile at Zerozero