Rafinha (footballer, born April 1993)

Rafael Lima Pereira (born 1 April 1993), commonly known as Rafinha is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Mexican club Cafetaleros as a winger.

Rafinha
Personal information
Full name Rafael Lima Pereira[1]
Date of birth (1993-04-01) 1 April 1993[1]
Place of birth Porto Franco, Brazil[1]
Height 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)[1]
Position(s) Winger[1]
Club information
Current team
 club The Strongest
Youth career
Flamengo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2018 Flamengo 21 (0)
2014 → Bahia (loan) 19 (0)
2015 → Atlético Goianiense (loan) 7 (0)
2015 → Daejeon Citizen (loan) 7 (0)
2016 → Metropolitano (loan) 15 (1)
2017 → Thai Honda (loan) 26 (5)
2018 Avaí 0 (0)
2019– Cafetaleros 0 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 09:21, 25 December 2018 (UTC)
This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is Lima and the second or paternal family name is Pereira.

After graduating from the youth team of Flamengo, Rafinha broke into the first team in 2013. After a series of loan deals, he left the club and joined Avaí in 2018.

Club career

Born in Porto Franco, Rafinha represented CFZ, CFZ Brasília and Flamengo as a youth.[2] After winning the 2011 Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, he was given the nickname "Neymar da Gávea" (Neymar of Gávea).[1] On 27 February 2013, he was promoted to the main team, signing a deal which would keep him at the club till 2018. His contract termination fee was set at R$130 million (approx £26 million at January 2018) for foreign clubs and R$23 million (approx £5m) for Brazilian clubs. He also thanked Zico, saying that he was grateful to him not only as a player but also as a person.[3] Rafinha's monthly salary was increased from R$3,000 (£660) to R$20,000 (£4,400),[4] a salary hike of 566%.[5]

Rafinha scored his first goal for Fla in a 4–2 victory against Vasco da Gama. He played 44 matches in the season with his side winning the 2013 Copa do Brasil.[1]

On 7 January 2014, Rafinha joined Bahia on a year long loan deal, which saw Feijão moving to the opposite side.[6] In the following January he was loaned to Atlético Goianiense after becoming surplus to Flamengo's requirements.[7] He made his Goiano debut against Anapolina, scoring a goal in the 1–0 victory. However, his form dipped since then and he failed to cement his position in the first team; resulting in the club releasing him on 1 July.[8]

On 4 July 2015, Rafinha was loaned to South Korean club Daejon Citizen.[9] On 23 January 2016, he was loaned to Metropolitano.[10] In 2017, he was loaned off again, this time on a six-month deal to Thai club Thai Honda.[11] On 3 January 2018, Rafinha moved to Avaí.[12]

On 24 December 2018, Rafinha moved abroad and joined Mexican club Cafetaleros.[13]

Career statistics
As of match played on 1 April 2018
Club Season National League State League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Flamengo 2013[14] Série A 21015271—433
Bahia (loan) 2014[14] Série A 190601134[lower-alpha 1]0343
Atlético Goianiense (loan) 2015[14] Série A 7014340—253
Daejeon Citizen (loan) 2015[14] K League Classic 70—00—70
Metropolitano (loan) 2016[14] Catarinense A1 —15100—151
Thai Honda (loan) 2017[14] Thai League T1 265—00—265
Avaí 2018[14] Série B 008000—80
Career total 8055862244016415
  1. Appearances in Copa Sudamericana

Honours
Flamengo

References
  1. "Bahia anuncia o atacante Rafinha" [Bahia announces striker Rafinha] (in Portuguese). Goal. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  2. "Atacante Rafinha é o primeiro reforço do Avaí para 2018" [Rafinha is the first reinforcement of Avaí for 2018] (in Portuguese). CBN Diario. 22 December 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  3. "Fla assina com Rafinha, e multa para clubes de fora é de R$ 130 milhões" [Fla signs with Rafinha, and fine for clubs outside is $ 130 million] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  4. "Rafinha assina renovação com o Fla até 2018; multa rescisória é de R$ 130 milhões" [Rafinha signs renewal with Fla until 2018; termination fine is R $ 130 million] (in Portuguese). Esporte. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  5. "Novo xodó do Fla, Rafinha tem aumento de 566% no salário em um mês e ganha até funk" [New Flavio, Rafinha has 566% increase in salary in one month and earns up funk] (in Portuguese). UOL. 15 February 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  6. "Rafinha é o novo reforço" [Rafinha is the new reinforcement] (in Portuguese). Esporte Clube Bahia. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  7. "Ex-atacante do Bahia, Rafinha vai para o Atlético-GO" [Former striker from Bahia, Rafinha goes to Atlético-GO] (in Portuguese). Correio 24 Horas. 9 January 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  8. "Atlético-GO devolve Rafinha ao Flamengo" [Atlético-GO returns Rafinha to Flamengo] (in Portuguese). Falando de Flamengo. 1 July 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  9. "De volta ao Fla, Rafinha é emprestado para o Daejeon Citizen, da Coreia" [Back in the Fla, Rafinha is loaned to the Daejeon Citizen of Korea] (in Portuguese). Terra. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  10. "Por empréstimo junto ao Flamengo, Metrô contrata o atacante Rafinha" [On loan to Flamengo, Metrô hires striker Rafinha] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 23 January 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  11. "Flamengo empresta Rafinha ao Thai Honda FC" [Flamengo lends Rafinha to Thai Honda FC] (in Portuguese). Fla Resenha. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  12. "Apresentados reforços para a temporada" [Reinforcements presented for the season] (in Portuguese). Avaí Futebol Clube. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  13. "Atacante Rafinha, ex-Flamengo, é anunciado como reforço pelo Cafetaleros, do México" [Rafinha striker, former Flamengo, is announced as reinforcement by Cafetaleros, Mexico] (in Portuguese). Extra. 26 December 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  14. "Rafinha". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
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