Leonardo Rocha (footballer)

Leonardo Miramar Rocha (born 23 May 1997) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Polish club Radomiak Radom as a forward.

Leonardo Rocha
Personal information
Full name Leonardo Miramar Rocha
Date of birth (1997-05-23) 23 May 1997
Place of birth Almada, Portugal
Height 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Radomiak Radom
Number 17
Youth career
2006–2007 Amora
2007–2008 Colégio Guadalupe
2008–2010 Belenenses
2010 Vitória Setúbal
2011 Boavista
2011–2012 Pescara
2012 Ituano
2013–2014 Barra
2014 Amora
2015–2017 Monaco
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016 Monaco B 1 (0)
2017 Vicenza 0 (0)
2017–2018 Leganés B 10 (3)
2018 → Ontinyent (loan) 9 (3)
2018–2019 Lommel 32 (19)
2019–2022 Eupen 19 (0)
2020–2021 → RWDM47 (loan) 13 (7)
2022–2023 Lierse 17 (12)
2023– Radomiak Radom 18 (7)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 August 2023

Football career

Born in Almada to a Brazilian father,[1] Rocha represented nine different clubs during his youth career, and finished his formation with AS Monaco FC. He made his senior debut with the B-team on 26 November 2016, playing the last 11 minutes in a 2–1 loss against US Colomiers for the CFA championship.

Rocha terminated his contract with Monaco on 30 January 2017, and joined Serie B side Vicenza Calcio on 1 February.[2] He did not play for the club during his six-month spell, and subsequently moved to Spain with CD Leganés, being assigned to the reserves in Tercera División.[3]

Rocha scored his first senior goal on 1 October 2017, scoring his team's third in a 3–1 home defeat of CDF Tres Cantos. The following 31 January, after three goals in ten matches, he was loaned to Segunda División B side Ontinyent CF until June.[4]

On 19 July 2018, Rocha switched teams and countries again after signing for Lommel SK in the Belgian First Division B.[5] He made his professional debut on 3 August, starting in a 1–0 home win against Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.[6]

Rocha scored his first professional goal on 17 August 2018, netting a last-minute winner in a 2–1 away success over KV Mechelen. On 6 October, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 home win against K.S.V. Roeselare.[7] He finished the campaign with 19 goals, being the division's top goalscorer as his side narrowly avoided relegation.

Remaining in Belgium, Rocha signed a three-year contract with First Division A side KAS Eupen on 23 July 2019. The fee was €500,000.[8] In 2020–21, he was loaned back to the second tier at RWDM47 where he was the club's top scorer.[9] On 10 October 2020, he scored a hat-trick for the Molenbeek-based club in an 8–1 win at Union Rochefortoise in the fifth round of the national cup.[10]

On 16 August 2022, Rocha signed a two-year contract with Lierse.[11]

On 13 January 2023, Rocha joined Polish Ekstraklasa side Radomiak Radom until June 2026, becoming their record signing for a reported fee of approximately €150,000.[12]

Career statistics
As of 25 June 2019.[13]
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Monaco B 2016–17 CFA 10—10
Vicenza 2016–17 Serie B 0000——00
Leganés B 2017–18[14] Tercera División 103—103
Ontinyent 2017–18 Segunda División B 93———93
Lommel 2018–19 Belgian First Division B 261612—6[lower-alpha 1]33321
Career total 46221200635327
  1. Appearance(s) in Relegation play-offs

Honours

Individual

References
  1. "1B-topschutter Leandro Rocha: 21 jaar, 12 clubs in 7 verschillende landen" [1B top scorer Leandro [sic] Rocha: 21 years, 12 clubs in 7 different countries] (in Dutch). Knack.be. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  2. "Vicenza, ecco il colpo Leonardo Miramar" [Vicenza, here is the hot shot Leonardo Miramar] (in Italian). Tutto Mercato Web. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  3. "El Leganés B ya se prepara de cara a una temporada ilusionante" [Leganés B get ready for a hopeful season] (in Spanish). CD Leganés. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  4. "Leonardo Rocha, altura i futur per a la davantera" [Leonardo Rocha, height and future for the forward lines] (in Catalan). Ontinyent CF. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  5. "Leonardo Rocha versterkt de aanval" [Leonardo Rocha bolsters the attack] (in Dutch). Lommel SK. 19 July 2018. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  6. "Lommel vs Union Saint-Gilloise 1-0". Soccerway. 2018-08-03. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  7. Ver Elst, Bart (6 October 2018). "Leonardo Miramar Rocha bezorgt Lommel met een hattrick de zege tegen Roeselare" [Leonardo Mirarmar Rocha gives Lommel the win with hat-trick against Roeselare] (in Dutch). Voetbal Krant. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  8. Walckiers, Johan (23 July 2019). "Dan toch 1A-oplossing voor vlotscorende spits? Eupen durft het risico wel nemen" [Then 1A solution for a fast-scoring striker? Eupen dares to take the risk] (in Dutch). Voetbal Krant. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  9. Sterpigny, Sébastien (15 June 2021). "Leonardo Rocha ne prolongera pas au RWDM" [Leonardo Rocha will not extend deal at RWDM]. La Dernière Heure (in French). Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  10. "Le RWDM déroule contre l'Union Rochefortoise (1-8) et poursuit son aventure en Coupe" [RWDM relax against Union Rochefortoise (1-8) and pursue their adventure in the Cup] (in French). BX1. 10 October 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  11. "LEONARDO ROCHA NAAR HET LISP!!!" [Leonardo Roach to Het Lisp] (in Dutch). Lierse. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  12. "Radomiak pobił swój rekord transferowy". goal.pl (in Polish). 13 January 2023.
  13. Leonardo Rocha at Soccerway
  14. Leonardo Rocha at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 June 2019.
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