Léo Kanu

Léo Kanu
Personal information
Full name	Leonardo Medeiros da Silva
Date of birth	14 January 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth	Porto Alegre, Brazil
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Position(s)	Centre back
Team information
Current team	Internacional de Lages
Youth career
2001	Vasco da Gama
2002–2004	Internacional
2005–2006	Pedrabranca
Senior career*
Years	Team
2006	Ponte Preta
2007	São José
2008–2011	Cruzeiro-RS
2009	→ Esporte Clube Taubaté(loan)
2011–2013	Benfica
2011–2012	→ Belenenses (loan)
2012	→ Ponte Preta (loan)
2013	→ Grêmio Osasco (loan)
2014	Náutico
2015	São José-PA
2015	Passo Fundo
2016	Avenida
2016	Aimoré
2017	Treze
2017	Inter de Lages
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 June 2017

Leonardo Medeiros da Silva (born 14 January 1988), known as Léo Kanu, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Internacional de Lages, as a central defender.

Career

After a series of good performances at the Campeonato Gaúcho, he was bought by Benfica for 996 thousand euros.^[1]

He was immediately loaned to Belenenses for one season, and he managed to gain his space at the starting eleven, playing the fifth round of the Taça de Portugal against Sporting CP. However, with the arrival of new manager, Marco Paulo, he lost his place. Later in the season, he criticized the club on Twitter and was suspended.^[2]

On 24 July 2012, he returned to Brazil, to play at Ponte Preta on loan from Benfica,^[3] but couldn't break into the first team so on 17 December 2012, he moved to Grêmio Esportivo Osasco in Campeonato Paulista Série A3.^[4] In 2014, he signed with Náutico in permanent basis, but only managed one appearance before being released.^[5] In February 2015, he signed with São José-PA in the Campeonato Gaúcho.^[6] After eight months with them, he moved to another team in the Campeonato Gáucho, Passo Fundo.^[7] Kanu changed teams again in April 2016, when he signed with Avenida.^[8] In July 2016, he moved to Aimoré,^[9] and in early 2017, to Treze.^[10]

Kanu continued on his journeyman career at Internacional de Lages.^[11]

Honours

Best central defender from the 2011 Campeonato Gaúcho by Federação Gaúcha de Futebol

References

^ "Leo Kanu no Benfica" [Leo Kanu signs with Benfica]. Futebol Portugal (in Portuguese). 13 April 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
^ "Léo Kanú suspenso e sob alçada disciplinar" [Léo Kanú suspended and under disciplinary hearing]. SAPO Desporto (in Portuguese). 9 May 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
^ "Leo Kanu emprestado ao Ponte Preta" [Leo Kanu loaned to Ponte Preta]. Record (in Portuguese). 24 July 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
^ "Paulista A2: Grêmio Osasco apresenta ex-Ponte Preta Léo Kanu" [Paulista A2: Grêmio Osasco presents ex-Ponte Preta, Léo Kanu]. futebolinterior.com.br (in Portuguese). Retrieved 20 July 2016.
^ "Diretoria do Náutico oficializa dispensa do zagueiro Léo Kanu" [Náutico releases Leo Kanu]. globoesporte (in Portuguese). 13 March 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
^ "Inter recebe São José-RS, em jogo que pode promover estreia de Vitinho" [Inter receives São Jose-RS, in game that can promote the debut of Vitinho]. O Globo (in Portuguese). 4 February 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
^ "Zagueiro assinou para disputar o Gauchão 2016" [Centre-back signed to play Gauchão 2016]. O Nacional (in Portuguese). 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
^ "Zagueiro Léo Kanu é apresentado pelo Avenida nos Eucaliptos" [Centre-back Léo Kanu announced by Avenida at Eucaliptos]. Gaz.com (in Portuguese). 12 April 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
^ "Vaza lista com alguns jogadores que defenderão o Aimoré na Copinha" [Leaked list of players that will defend Aimore]. ndiocapile.net (in Portuguese). 25 July 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
^ "Treze confirma mais cinco reforços" [Treze confirms five more signings]. soesporte.com.br. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
^ "Inter de Lages contrata volante Luan e zagueiro Leo Kanu para reforçar o time no returno do Catarinense" [Leo Kanu in Inter de Lages]. Jornal de Santa Catarina (in Portuguese). 27 February 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2017.

External links

Léo Kanu at ForaDeJogo (archived)
Léo Kanu at Soccerway

[1] "Leo Kanu no Benfica" [Leo Kanu signs with Benfica]. Futebol Portugal (in Portuguese). 13 April 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2012.

[2] "Léo Kanú suspenso e sob alçada disciplinar" [Léo Kanú suspended and under disciplinary hearing]. SAPO Desporto (in Portuguese). 9 May 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2016.

[3] "Leo Kanu emprestado ao Ponte Preta" [Leo Kanu loaned to Ponte Preta]. Record (in Portuguese). 24 July 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2016.

[4] "Paulista A2: Grêmio Osasco apresenta ex-Ponte Preta Léo Kanu" [Paulista A2: Grêmio Osasco presents ex-Ponte Preta, Léo Kanu]. futebolinterior.com.br (in Portuguese). Retrieved 20 July 2016.

[5] "Diretoria do Náutico oficializa dispensa do zagueiro Léo Kanu" [Náutico releases Leo Kanu]. globoesporte (in Portuguese). 13 March 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2016.

[6] "Inter recebe São José-RS, em jogo que pode promover estreia de Vitinho" [Inter receives São Jose-RS, in game that can promote the debut of Vitinho]. O Globo (in Portuguese). 4 February 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2016.

[7] "Zagueiro assinou para disputar o Gauchão 2016" [Centre-back signed to play Gauchão 2016]. O Nacional (in Portuguese). 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2016.

[8] "Zagueiro Léo Kanu é apresentado pelo Avenida nos Eucaliptos" [Centre-back Léo Kanu announced by Avenida at Eucaliptos]. Gaz.com (in Portuguese). 12 April 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.

[9] "Vaza lista com alguns jogadores que defenderão o Aimoré na Copinha" [Leaked list of players that will defend Aimore]. ndiocapile.net (in Portuguese). 25 July 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2017.

[10] "Treze confirma mais cinco reforços" [Treze confirms five more signings]. soesporte.com.br. Retrieved 2 June 2017.

[11] "Inter de Lages contrata volante Luan e zagueiro Leo Kanu para reforçar o time no returno do Catarinense" [Leo Kanu in Inter de Lages]. Jornal de Santa Catarina (in Portuguese). 27 February 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2017.

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