José Kléberson

Atlético Paranaense

Kléberson was born and raised in the provincial town of Uraí in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná. He began his football career with Atlético Paranaense. There, Kléberson won the Paraná State League in 2000 and 2001, and the Brazilian Série A title in 2001. His performances for Atlético Paranaense led to Luiz Felipe Scolari calling him up to the Brazil national team for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan. In January 2003, Leeds United manager Terry Venables wished to use the funds from the £7 million sale of Robbie Fowler to sign Kléberson for £4 million, covering the departures of Lee Bowyer and Olivier Dacourt. Kléberson said he would not leave Brazil until he got married on 14 February, later clarifying that he intended to be presented in England and then return to Brazil for his wedding. Fowler's move to Manchester City was delayed, leaving Leeds with insufficient funds. Newcastle United manager Sir Bobby Robson then intended to sign Kléberson as well as Leeds' Jonathan Woodgate, but negotiations collapsed as Atlético Paranaense president Mário Celso Petraglia considered a bid of US$2 million to be insulting.

Manchester United

On 12 August 2003, Manchester United signed Kléberson for a fee of £6.5 million on 12 August 2003. He became the first Brazilian to sign for United, and replaced Juan Sebastián Verón, who had signed for Chelsea. He made his debut on 27 August in a 1–0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, in…

Kléberson made his first international appearance for Brazil in a friendly match against Bolivia on 31 January 2002. He also marked his debut by scoring Brazil's fourth goal in a 6–0 win. He also scored against Iceland in March 2002. He was subsequently selected by Luiz Felipe Scolari for Brazil's squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He was initially relegated to the bench for the first four matches in the tournament. He was brought into the starting line-up for Brazil's game against England, with Scolari feeling his tenacity would help counter the high work-rate of the English side. His tackle on his future teammate Paul Scholes led to Brazil's equaliser before Brazil ended up winning 2–1. He then was included in the starting lineup for the rest of the tournament. Brazil defeated Germany in the final, with Kléberson setting up one of the two Brazilian goals, as well as hitting the bar with a shot, as Brazil won the World Cup for a record fifth time. After the World Cup, Kléberson retained his starting position in Brazil's team under the new coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and was also included in Brazil's squad for 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, where Brazil were eliminated in the group stage. That summer, Kléberson moved to Europe to join Manchester United. He failed to achieve regular playing time with his club, and as a result he lost his position in the national team. He managed to be included in Brazil's squad for the 2004 Copa América. He made five appearances in the…

Kléberson was a midfielder who was known for his passing ability with either foot, which allowed him to create chances for his teammates. His playing style was based on speed, getting forward on the counterattack, and distributing the ball to other players. He was also a powerful shooter from outside the box.

In 2017, Kléberson rejoined the Philadelphia Union as a coach in the youth academy. In 2022, he was promoted to assistant coach of Philadelphia Union II for their inaugural season in MLS Next Pro. On 20 July 2022, Kléberson joined New York City FC as their assistant coach. He departed the club at the end of the 2023 season, and became a technical director at América Mineiro on 15 June 2024. On 18 December 2024, América announced Kléberson's departure. On 24 August of the following year, he was appointed head coach of Campeonato Mineiro newcomers North for the upcoming season, in what would be his first experience in the role. His debut on 11 January was a goalless draw away to fellow promoted club URT. His side finished their group as runners-up to Cruzeiro and qualified for the Troféu Inconfidência, where they defeated URT 3–1 on aggregate in the final.