Cláudio Mejolaro (born 8 January 1982), commonly known as Pitbull, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Associação Desportiva Cabofriense.

Cláudio Pitbull
Personal information
Full name Cláudio Mejolaro
Date of birth (1982-01-08) 8 January 1982 (age 42)
Place of birth Porto Alegre, Brazil
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Cabofriense
Youth career
1997–1999 Grêmio
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2004 Grêmio 84 (22)
2002Juventude (loan) 20 (6)
2005–2010 Porto 5 (0)
2005–2006Ittihad (loan)
2005Santos (loan) 11 (2)
2006Fluminense (loan) 23 (2)
2006–2007Académica (loan) 9 (1)
2007–2008Vitória Setúbal (loan) 25 (7)
2008–2009Rapid București (loan) 18 (1)
2009–2010Marítimo (loan) 15 (1)
2010–2012 Vitória Setúbal 38 (9)
2012 Manisaspor 4 (0)
2012 Bahia 7 (1)
2013–2014 Gil Vicente 2 (0)
2018– Cabofriense
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 June 2014

Football career

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After fine displays at Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, Pitbull was acquired by Portugal's FC Porto in the January 2005 transfer window.[1] Unable to settle with the club, he was loaned several times for the duration of his contract, mainly in that country.

On 4 February 2007, Pitbull played his first Primeira Liga match with Académica de Coimbra, against Associação Naval 1º de Maio.[2] For the 2007–08 season he was loaned again, this time to Vitória de Setúbal,[3] where he was the team's top scorer as they overachieved despite facing serious financial problems; in March 2008, he helped the Sadinos to win the newly created League Cup in a penalty shootout against Sporting Clube de Portugal,[4] also being named the tournament's best player.[5]

In July 2008, alongside teammate João Paulo Andrade, Pitbull was loaned to Romanian side FC Rapid București, on a season-long move. After that sole Liga I campaign he returned to Portugal, being loaned for the seventh time by Porto, to C.S. Marítimo.

Pitbull returned to Setúbal for a second spell in 2010–11,[6] scoring nine goals in 26 games to help the team again avoid relegation. In late January 2012 he switched clubs and countries again, joining Manisaspor in the Turkish Süper Lig.

Honours

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Grêmio
Setúbal

References

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  1. ^ "Porto look to Brazil once more". UEFA.com. 17 January 2005. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  2. ^ "Joeano garante primeiro triunfo fora de portas" [Joeano confirms first away win]. Correio da Manhã (in Portuguese). 5 February 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  3. ^ "F.C. Porto cede Cláudio Pitbull ao V. Setúbal e Bruno Vale ao Varzim" [F.C. Porto loan Cláudio Pitbull to V. Setúbal and Bruno Vale to Varzim] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 30 August 2007. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  4. ^ "Vitória de Setúbal é o primeiro vencedor da Taça da Liga" [Vitória de Setúbal is the first winner of the League Cup]. Público (in Portuguese). 22 March 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Cláudio Pitbull o melhor jogador da Taça da Liga" [Cláudio Pitbull best player of the League Cup] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 24 March 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Pitbull comes back home". PortuGOAL. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
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