A culé hero arrived in Spain 20 years ago

20 years ago and without making a sound, Juliano Haus Belletti landed in Spain with Villarreal. The ‘yellow submarine’ was made with the promising Brazilian side, who was going to succeed in Europe after doing it in Brazil.

On June 20, 2002 (the day of his birthday) the La Plana team announced the hiring of the 25-year-old Brazilian, a player who helped the yellow team grow to heights never reached before.

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In that first season in Vila-real, Belletti took over the right lane of the team playing a total of 31 games in the League, all of them as a starter.

In the League, the team barely gave up and finished the season in 15th position, although its best face was seen in the Intertoto, a competition that it won to win the UEFA Cup ticket.

Villarreal managed to reach the semi-finals of that UEFA, where he was eliminated by Valencia, ultimately champion. In the league he finished eighth, but the achievement of another Intertoto would classify him again for the second continental competition.

His stage in the FC Barcelona

By then, and after shining like yellow, Belletti had already packed his bags for the Camp Nouwhere he would experience a glorious period winning two league titles in a row (2004-2005 and 2005-2006), as well as two Spanish Super Cups (2005 and 2006).

Also, Belletti was decisive in the 2006 Champions League final, disputed in Paris between FC Barcelona and the English Arsenal. The azulgrana managed to come back to lift their second Champions League in their history thanks to a Brazilian winger goalwho had jumped onto the field in the second half.

That target raised him like one of the best sides of the momentalthough he would go to Chelsea a year later to also succeed in England, where he won two FA Cups, a Community Shield and a Premier League.

What was Belletti like?

Belletti was a lateral with clear offensive vocation. It was coming with power from behind that he managed to surprise the rival, providing depth on the flank to his teams.

He never shone defensivelyalthough his speed and physique allowed him to protect his position and lavish himself in attack, where he contributed the most.

Of a reserved nature, he was never known for a tone outing that negatively affected his teams.