The 32 year old Fabio Aurelio (born in Sao Paulo, Brazil on 24th September, 1979) who can play either Left Back or even as a left winger, was offered a 6 year contract at Valencia, Spain after the Sydney Olympics of 2000. Before the Olympics, Aurelio played in Brazil for Sao Paolo. A product of the Sao Paolo youth system, he has also represented Brazil at the U-17 and U-20 levels.
The timing for Fabio was brilliant as that was just around the time, when Rafa Benitez took the reins at Valencia into his hands and led them to their first La Liga Championship in 31 years in the 2001/02 season. Those years saw Aurelio grow into one of the most promising Left-Backs in the League. He scored 8 league goals in the 2002-03 season. However this is when his long run of injuries kicked in. He missed most of the 2003-04 season that saw Valencia win yet another La Liga title as well as the UEFA Cup.
In the 2006-07 season, Rafa Benitez brought Aurelio to Anfield by means of a free transfer. At Liverpool, Aurelio did not fail to impress the Kopites. He played an important role in the squad as Liverpool continued challenging the title. During his time at Anfield he played at Left-Back and during the Benitez era, also as a holding-mid on numerous occasions. He scored his first goal for Liverpool FC in the 2007-08 season against Bolton Wanderers. Quite a scorching volley, it was. In his entire career at LFC he scored just three goals but the two others being incredible left footed free kicks.
Lets go to the first one. They say that no one can silence Old Trafford. That is mainly because they don’t make any noise out there in the first place. When Fabio Aurelio put the ball in the back of the net, the Merseysiders out there went ballistic! If you are a Liverpool FC supporter, I’m sure you’ve watched the game and that free kick many times, cried with joy at the sight and possibly employed many more mediums of expression of happiness. I love this particular video that was taken from the stands. Captures the rapture.
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Pepe Reina’s celebration is brilliant!! The goal was indeed very important as it sealed the game. They couldn’t possibly come back from there.
Moving on to the second free kick. This is another immortal free kick. Aurelio beat Darth Vader himself. Cech was ball watching as the ball entered the goal. Sheer presence of mind and supreme technique.
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The one man Chelsea wall is almost laughable in his half-hearted jump as he wonders why the ball is flying in the direction that is least expected. So brilliant was the free-kick that in the video, the commentator bellows out loudly, ” He has absolutely F*CKED Petr Cech.” Whether or not commentator really said that, we all know that Aurelio, by the means of that free-kick, had absolutely f*cked Petr Cech.
Apart from these two free-kicks, Aurelio played brilliantly for LFC and was most certainly a valued member of the squad. He was one of the many amazing players Rafa Benitez signed during his reign at Anfield (at incredibly low prices.) But lets not get into that now.
However, Aurelio remained plagued by injuries which is why he couldn’t contribute as much as we all would have liked him to. Dossena was touted to be his replacement. Do you remember him? Yes, the one who scored the fourth goal at Old Trafford. That is all that everyone remembers.
As a part of the big time restructuring that is happening at the club currently, Aurelio’s move away was inevitable. Moreover we have rising talent that goes by the name of Jack Robinson. In such a situation, the management is left with no choice but to part ways with a wonderful player who will always be respected at Anfield. We all wish him good luck for his future.
Big things are destined for Liverpool FC this season. The winds of change will usher in a new era of success and victories. But it has always been the Liverpool way, that we never forget our past.
Fabio Aurelio, We’ll never forget how good a player you are. How well you played for us and how you fought for us on the field. We’ll never forget those two incredible free kicks. We’ll never forget that you were once a Red.
Fabio Aurelio, You’ll Never Walk Alone.
