Weligton

Weligton Robson Pena de Oliveira (born 26 August 1979), known simply as Weligton, is a Brazilian former footballer who played as a central defender.[1]

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Pena and the second or paternal family name is de Oliveira.
Weligton
Weligton in 2010
Personal information
Full name Weligton Robson Pena de Oliveira
Date of birth (1979-08-26) 26 August 1979
Place of birth Fernandópolis, Brazil
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–1998 Olímpia
1998–2000 Campinense
2000–2001 Jalesense
2001–2002 Barretos
2002–2003 Paraná 9 (0)
2003–2006 Penafiel 90 (0)
2006–2008 Grasshoppers 30 (1)
2007–2008 → Málaga (loan) 38 (0)
2008–2017 Málaga 217 (9)
Total 384 (10)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He started playing professional football already well in his 20s, and spent the vast majority of his career with Málaga. He also competed in Portugal and Switzerland.

Club career
Weligton in action for Málaga in 2012

Weligton was born in Fernandópolis, São Paulo. He started his professional career with Paraná Clube at the age of already 23, joining Portugal's F.C. Penafiel on 13 August 2003 with the club in the second division.[2] After helping it achieve promotion to the Primeira Liga, he was first choice for a further two seasons, with relegation befalling in 2006.

Subsequently, Weligton signed with Grasshopper Club Zürich. After just one season in Switzerland, he was loaned to Spanish second level side Málaga CF,[3] and was an essential defensive unit in another career promotion, only missing four league games out of 42.

The move was made permanent on 18 June 2008, as Weligton agreed to a four-year deal. He scored his first goal for the Andalusians on 17 May of the following year against Sporting de Gijón, in a 1–2 away loss.[4]

An undisputed starter again in 2009–10, Weligton suffered a serious ankle injury on 14 March 2010 in a 0–1 defeat at UD Almería, going on to miss the rest of the campaign.[5] He made his 100th league appearance for the club on 16 October, alongside teammate Apoño, in a 1–4 home loss against Real Madrid.[6]

After the summer signing of Joris Mathijsen, Weligton found himself more often than not as a substitute.[7][8] His first league appearance in 2011–12 was on 11 December 2011, in a 1−1 home draw against CA Osasuna.[9] On 15 May 2012, he renewed his contract for a further year.[10]

Weligton broke his collarbone in a 2013 pre-season friendly with Aston Villa after a shoulder barge from opposing player Christian Benteke. He was sidelined for several weeks,[11][12] and on 8 October he agreed to a further two-year extension to keep him at the La Rosaleda Stadium until June 2015.[13]

Weligton missed the vast majority of the 2016–17 season, due to a meniscus injury to his right knee.[14] In May 2017, the 37-year-old announced his retirement from football.[15]

References
  1. Papo sem chuteira: Weligton medium.com
  2. "Relatório de transferências internacionais" [International transfers report] (in Portuguese). Brazilian FA. 10 December 2004. Archived from the original on 8 December 2004. Retrieved 1 August 2007.
  3. Góngora, Antonio (21 June 2007). "El Málaga llega a un acuerdo con el central brasileño Weligton, del Grasshopper suizo" [Málaga reach agreement with Brazilian stopper Weligton, from Switzerland's Grasshopper]. Diario Sur (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  4. "Sporting Gijón 2−1 Málaga". ESPN Soccernet. 17 May 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  5. "Weligton se pierde lo que queda de temporada" [Weligton loses remainder of season]. Marca (in Spanish). 15 March 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  6. "Apoño y Weligton cumplirán ante el Real Madrid su partido número 100 con el Málaga" [Apoño and Weligton to play 100th game with Málaga against Real Madrid] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 14 October 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  7. "Weligton o Mathijsen" [Weligton or Mathijsen] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  8. Gámez, Miguel (7 March 2012). "Weligton: ´El club me ofrece un año y tengo ofertas de tres años´" [Weligton: ´The club offers me one year and I have three-year offers´]. La Opinión de Málaga (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  9. "Crónica del Málaga-Osasuna, 1−1" [Málaga-Osasuna match report, 1−1] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  10. "Weligton y Gámez amplían sus contratos con el Málaga" [Weligton and Gámez extend their contracts with Málaga]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 16 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  11. "Aston Villa 3–2 Málaga: Weligton cae lesionado en la derrota en Villa Park" [Aston Villa 3–2 Málaga: Weligton falls to injury in Villa Park defeat] (in Spanish). Goal. 10 August 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  12. "Weligton se fractura una clavícula y será baja varias semanas" [Weligton fractures clavicle and will miss several weeks]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 10 August 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  13. "Weligton extends his contract with Málaga CF until 2014/15". Málaga CF. 8 October 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  14. "Weligton, operado del menisco de la rodilla derecha" [Weligton, underwent surgery to right knee meniscus]. Marca (in Spanish). 21 September 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  15. "El último tributo a los capitanes eternos" [The last tribute to the eternal captains] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
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