On the morning of 15 September 2012 - in Yoğurtçu Park, Istanbul, directly across from Fenerbahçe’s Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, a crowd gathers in reverent anticipation. It is not the announcement of a signing nor a trophy celebration that has drawn them. Instead, they are there to witness the unveiling of a bronze statue — a rare honour for any footballer, rarer still for one still active and foreign-born. The man immortalized in alloy is Alexsandro de Souza, better known simply as Alex.
Tears welling in his eyes, the modest Brazilian addresses
the crowd with disbelief:
“I don’t know how I became an idol for the Turks. I didn’t
do anything different from what I did in Brazil… I was just playing football
and fulfilling my duties as well as I could.”
But the truth lies beyond humility. What Alex offered
Turkish football — and Fenerbahçe in particular — transcended duties. His
artistry, vision, and humanity combined to create not just a footballer but a
phenomenon.
Origins in Curitiba: The
Making of a Maestro
Born in Curitiba, capital of Paraná, on 14 September 1977,
Alex made his professional debut for Coritiba in 1995. A precocious 18-year-old
with intuitive ball control and positional awareness, he was instrumental in earning
the club promotion to Brazil’s top flight.
Soon after, Palmeiras came calling. In 1999, Alex led the
São Paulo giants to their first **Copa Libertadores title, recording two goals
in the semi-finals against River Plate and an assist in the final against
Deportivo Cali. He repeated similar feats the following year, only to see
Palmeiras fall to Boca Juniors in the final.
Though his brief European stint with Parma in 2001 ended in
frustration, it led to a decisive chapter upon his return to Cruzeiro. There,
under Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Alex captained a record-breaking side that claimed
a historic domestic treble in 2003 — including the Brasileirão, Copa do Brasil,
and the Campeonato Mineiro.
“He was head and shoulders above the rest,” recalled
Brazilian football expert Tim Vickery. “Like a chess master who could see what
was going to happen five moves ahead.”
That same year, he earned the Bola de Ouro, Brazil’s award
for the best player in the league, and was named captain of the Seleção for the
2004 Copa América, where he helped Brazil clinch the title.
A Journey East: The
Birth of a Legend in Kadıköy
At 26, Europe no longer beckoned with open arms, but a
different destiny awaited — one far from the traditional footballing capitals. In
2004, Alex signed with Fenerbahçe, Turkish champions at the time, for £5
million. It was a move that would redefine both his legacy and Turkish
football.
His debut season was an emphatic success: 24 goals, 16
assists, and a Süper Lig title. The fans had found their number ten. The next
season, he improved, still contributing to 47 goals in 43 games— yet was
controversially omitted from Brazil’s 2006 World Cup squad.
This would become a recurring theme: recognition from
Fenerbahçe’s faithful and Turkish media, but a puzzling lack of validation from
Brazil’s selectors. The likes of Ronaldinho, Kaká, and Zé Roberto were tough
competition, yet Alex’s omission in favor of lesser-known players like Mineiro
and Ricardinho remains a point of contention.
Captain, Architect,
Champion
After assuming the captaincy in 2007, Alex became the first
non-European foreign player to lead Fenerbahçe. That season, he guided the club
to its best-ever Champions League run — reaching the quarterfinals and
tallying six assists, the most in the
competition.
Domestically, his precision never dulled. Though Fenerbahçe
went trophyless between 2008 and 2010, Alex’s personal output — double-digit
goals and assists year after year — did not falter.
In 2010-11, under new manager Aykut Kocaman, Alex flourished again, scoring 28 league goals, his highest tally, which helped Fenerbahçe secure their third
title during his reign. That same season, he was named Turkish Footballer of the
Year for the second time.
His talents were undiminished by age, his brilliance less
about sprinting past defenders and more about seeing the game before it
unfolded. Whether from set pieces, deft through balls, or inspired movement, Alex
redefined the role of the trequartista — a cerebral artist orchestrating chaos.
A Sudden Fall:
Tragedy Without Closure
In an ideal world, Alex would have retired a champion in the
yellow and navy he came to personify. Instead, 2012 marked a bitter and abrupt
end.
A growing rift with Kocaman saw Alex dropped from key
fixtures and ultimately excluded from the first team. The most symbolic rupture
came when the Brazilian, substituted in a league match, chose to sit among fans
rather than next to his manager.
On 1 October 2012, Alex terminated his contract.
“It was the saddest signature of my life,” he tweeted.
“Fenerbahçe has lost a player but gained a supporter.”
Thousands gathered outside his home. Galatasaray and
Beşiktaş shirts were spotted in the crowd — a nation united not by tribalism,
but by reverence.
Beyond the Field: A
Footballing Ambassador
Alex’s influence stemmed not just from statistics — though
his 136 Süper Lig goals and multiple
Asist Kralı titles speak volumes — but from his conduct. He learned Turkish,
integrated with local culture, and carried himself with dignity.
Where many foreign stars in Turkey have passed through, Alex has planted roots. He became a symbol of continuity and humility, embodying football's emotional power.
Legacy: The Eternal
Number 10
Though Alex returned to Brazil to retire with Coritiba in 2014, the bond with Fenerbahçe remains unbroken. Rumours occasionally swirl of a return, perhaps in a coaching role, but even if that never materializes, his place in Turkish football is unassailable.
His statue stands not only as a tribute to his feats, but also to a football romance few others have written about. In a land 11,000 kilometres from
home, Alex de Souza did something extraordinary — he became one of their own.
"A footballer of vision, grace, and devotion — a
foreigner who became family."
In Turkish football, no import stands taller — not even
those cast in bronze.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
