Toró

Rafael Ferreira Francisco (born April 13, 1986 in Rio de Janeiro), usually known by the nickname Toró, is a Brazilian defensive midfielder, currently playing for Helsinki IFK.

Toró
Personal information
Full name Rafael Ferreira Francisco
Date of birth (1986-04-13) April 13, 1986
Place of birth Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
 HIFK
Number 50
Youth career
2004 Fluminense
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005 Fluminense 4 (1)
2006–2010 Flamengo 97 (4)
2011–2012 Atlético Mineiro 9 (1)
2012 → Figueirense (loan) 13 (0)
2013 Bahia 2 (0)
2014–2016 Sagamihara 38 (3)
2016 → Anápolis (loan) 0 (0)
2017 Goiás 2 (0)
2018 Sagamihara 9 (0)
2019– HIFK 7 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of August 12, 2011
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of August 12, 2011

Career

Fluminense

Revealed by Fluminense youth team, Toró was expected to be next Pelé of the team. His nickname "Toró" (Storm, in Brazilian Portuguese) was created during his indoor soccer times when he used to "storm the goalkeepers with goals after goals."

However, when he made his debut in the pro team, in 2004, he did not repeat the same performances from his youth years.

Flamengo

In 2006, Flamengo decided to bet on the player's potential and was hired by Toró Dearest Brazil and future status of ace. Still, the youngster showed his no good football and was barred, only gaining a new opportunity in the role of playing second wheel in the final of the Copa do Brasil that year, and the opportunity was seized as well as Toró helped Flamengo win the title and climbed into the concept of the fans and the coach Ney Franco.

With Ney's departure and arrival of Joel Santana, Toró finally live its peak in Topsail. Dubbed by "Torózinho" coach, the player finally found himself as the wheel and started to gain more credibility, so that by year's end, the player was first summoned to the Brazil squad and played a match against Championship Selection Brasileiro 2007 in Engenhão: Brazil 0 x 3.

In 2008, when he finally won the undisputed title, Toró, by then headed by Caio Junior became one of the biggest ball stealers of the 2008 Brazilian Série A and central to the regular performance of Fla that year. However, some bruising just chasing the player so much that year, as next year, so that Toró was not continued and ended up participating as "reinforcing luxury" of the sixth national title in the club.

In 2010, after much negotiation on the contract renewal, without agreement, Toró left Flamengo.

Atlético Mineiro

After leaving Flamengo signed with Minas Gerais club Atlético Mineiro. The deal was closed in December 2010.

Club statistics
(Correct as of August 25, 2011)
Club Season Carioca League Brazilian Série A Copa do Brasil Copa Libertadores Copa Sudamericana Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
Fluminense 2005 ---41?20?------60?
Flamengo 2006 70?170?20?------2601
2007 20?211?---------2311
2008 141?2310---61?---4333
2009 8002202500------3502
2010 15001420---700---3620
Total 461?974?70?131?---16367
Atlético Mineiro 2011 ---910100---1001110
Total ---?910100---1001110
Career total 461?1106?100?131?1001808?

according to combined sources on the Flamengo official website[1] and Flaestatística.[2]

Honours
Flamengo

References
  1. Flamengo official website (in Portuguese)
  2. Flaestatística red star (in Portuguese)
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