Ricardo Goulart


Ricardo Goulart Pereira or simply Ricardo Goulart, is a Brazilian-born Chinese footballer who plays for Guangzhou Evergrande as an attacking midfielder.
Goulart started his career with Brazilian club Santo André with 2008 and stayed there till 2011, when he was loaned to Internacional. He played the 2012 season Goiás in the second tier, before joining Cruzeiro the following year. Here he cemented a place in the first team, and during his two-year stint, he made a total of 99 appearances and scored 34 times. He won the 2014 Brasileiro with the club. His personal awards include the 2014 Bola de Ouro, besides featuring in the team of the season. In 2015, he entered Asian football by signing for Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande, where he won the Chinese Super League and AFC Champions League in his first season.
Goulart made his international debut for the Brazil national football team against Colombia in 2014.

Club career

Early career

Goulart kicked off his career with Santo André in 2008. In the following year, he was the top scorer of São Paulo Junior Football Cup, scoring three goals. He was then promoted to the first team, but the club ended the season being relegated from the first tier. He made his debut against Corinthians on 30 July 2009. In that match, he came as a 68th-minute substitute for Osny Almeida. He scored his only goal in the season against Grêmio.

Internacional (loan)

The following season, Goulart was loaned off to Internacional for a year. He made his Serie A debut against Santos. He also scored a goal against Figueirense.

Goiás

At the end of 2012, he was transferred to Goiás of Serie B. He played 34 times for the club, scoring 12 goals. This included braces against Ipatinga and Guaratinguetá.

Cruzeiro

In January 2013, Goulart signed for Cruzeiro. He made his Serie A debut against his former club Goiás. He played 33 times for the club, starting in 28, as he ended his first season with his new club scoring 10 league goals. He was then targeted by French club Monaco which was turned down by his club. The following season, Goulart scored 4 goals for the club in Copa Libertadores. This included a hat-trick against Chilean club Universidad Chile, where he found the net in the 34th, 43rd and 85th minute. He remained an important part of the team, as he played 26 matches, and starting in all but one. He started his goal scoring against Coritiba, scoring regulalarly as he ended the season with 15 league goals. Goulart along with Everton Ribeiro scored a goal each in the last match of the season against Goias, as Cruzeiro won the 2014 Brasileiro. He was also included in the team of the season. Besides, he also won the Bola de Ouro award.

Guangzhou Evergrande

In early January 2015, Goulart was linked to a move away from Cruzeiro to China and Mexico. On 13 January, he ultimately signed for Chinese Super League club Guangzhou Evergrande for € 15 million, on a four-year contract. He was issued the no 11 jersey. It was the highest transfer fee paid by a Chinese club. He made his debut against Shandong Luneng in Chinese Super Cup in which his club lost by penalties. In that match, he came as 74th-minute substitute for Renê Júnior. He scored his first goal for his club in an AFC Champions League match against FC Seoul. He then scored a hat-trick in the same competition, against the defending champions Western Sydney Wanderers. For his performance he was praised by manager Fabio Cannavaro who said "Goulart is undoubtedly a great player. As an individual player or as a team player he is helping us significantly". Goulart's goal scoring form continued, as he again found the net by scoring a brace against Japanese club Kashima Antlers.
On 22 February 2016, Goulart extended his contract with Guangzhou Evergrande to 31 January 2020.
Goulart became a naturalised Chinese citizen on 17 July 2019.

International career

On 19 August 2014, Ricardo Goulart was called up to the Brazilian national team for two matches against Colombia and Ecuador by new manager Dunga. He was an unused substitute against Colombia. He made his official debut for Brazil on 9 September 2014 in a 1–0 victory against Ecuador.
Having only played a friendly match for Brazil, he was subsequently naturalized as a Chinese citizen, being one of the six football players as of July 2020 who have no Chinese ancestry to have been naturalized as Chinese citizens, with another notable player being Elkeson, another former Brazilian. Ricardo Goulart is waiting if FIFA clears him to represent China for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification or not.

Style of play

A versatile, tenacious, and physically strong attacking midfielder, with an eye for goal, Goulart is also capable of playing as a forward, through the centre, or as a winger, on either flank. He is known in particular for his powerful ball striking, and his ability to make attacking runs into the area. While playing for Cruzeiro in a friendly against MLS side Chivas USA, he scored a goal from his own half. After Cruzeiro won the 2014 Brasileiro, Yahoo Sports described him as a player with "enough talent" in an "increasingly mediocre and boring" league.

Personal life

In 2009, he married Diane. Goulart's brother Juninho is also a footballer and plays for the MLS club LA Galaxy.

Club statistics

Honours

Club

Cruzeiro
Guangzhou Evergrande