André Neles

Early career and Benfica

Born in Patrocínio in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Neles started at Uberlândia in 1996 and spent there two seasons. In 1998, he moved to Anápolis for a brief stint, before joining Villa Nova, where he attracted the attention of Atlético Mineiro, who signed him in early 1999. He made his debut on 18 July 1999 against a team from Itaúna and after displaying good performances in the Campeonato Mineiro, he gained recognition amongst the fans. On 11 May 2000, in the Round of 16 of the 2000 Copa Libertadores, Neles created a crucial goal for Marques, that allow Atlético Mineiro to take the game to penalty kicks. In December 2000, he signed with Benfica for a transfer fee reported by Record to be €2.5M for just half of his economic rights. He made his debut in a friendly match against CSKA Sofia on 10 January 2001, scoring the opening goal in a 1–1 draw. However, in competitive matches, Neles was only a reserve player and he struggled with the lack of playing time. With stiff competition from Pierre van Hooijdonk and João Tomás, he netted just once in nine appearances. In July 2001, Neles was sent on his first loan at Benfica, joining Marítimo for one year. He commented his dismissal by Toni saying: "I think I did not have a real opportunity at Benfica. Not even a league match in the starting line-up; only as an option from the bench. From the start of a game, only in friendlies. Of course it is difficult to perform like this." He also…

In 2007, Neles was offered two-hundred thousand dollars, plus an additional ten thousand per game, to change passport and represent Equatorial Guinea. Although he had a great-grandmother of African descent, he accepted to play for Equatorial Guinea because of the money offered by the Equatoguinean Football Federation. He made his debut in 2007 and according to him, played in 10 games and scored four goals. Two of those games were for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification. In February 2011, he returned to the national team after 2+1⁄2 years of international absence, for a friendly match against Chad.

International goals

Neles' younger brother, Átila Neles, is also a footballer – and a forward. He too spent most of his professional career in Brazil, where he played for Uberlândia. He confessed to drug use during his time at Palmeiras. His flamboyant lifestyle earn him the nickname, "André Balada". Since then, he entered the Presbyterian faith to overcome his problems. In his incursion in the religion, André Neles recorded a disc of gospel music, sung by himself. Neles died of a heart attack on 6 February 2020, aged 42, at his home in Uberlândia.

Atlético Mineiro Campeonato Mineiro: 2000 Vitória Campeonato Baiano: 2002 Fortaleza Campeonato Cearense: 2005 Grémio Barueri Campeonato do Interior: 2008 Botafogo-SP Campeonato do Interior: 2010