Cristiano Marques Gomes

He is more widely known by his nickname Cris, is a Brazilian footballer, plays as a central defender.

Cristiano Marques Gomes, more widely known by his nickname Cris, is a Brazilian footballer born on 3 June 1977 in Guarulhos, Brazil. He currently plays for Olympique Lyonnais as a central defender and has also represented his country. Also nicknamed "the policeman" by way of reference to his authoritarian nature on the pitch. Gifted with a great sense of anticipation he is regarded as one of the best central defenders currently playing in Europe, or even the world. Winner of 22 international caps, he has also won Ligue 1 With Olympique Lyonnais in 2005 and 2006, the Brazilian Championship in 1998 with Corinthians and 2003 with Cruzeiro Esporte Clube. A successful career has also seen him win the Copa do Brasil in 1995 with Corinthians and 2000 with Cruzeiro EC and the Copa America in 2004 with Brazil.
Cris spent a three year spell in Sao Paulo playing for SC Corinthians (1995-1998) before joining Cruzeiro EC. There he won his first cap for the national team, playing on 4 April 1999 against theU.S.A in Brasilia (a match won 7-0 by Brazil). In 2000, the Brazilian magazine Placar named Cris as the leading player in his position during the Brazilian Championship, awarding him the Silver Ball title.
In 2002 he secured a transfer to Europe, moving to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. However, this move did not prove successful as he struggled to adapt to his new surroundings both on and off the field. The following year saw him return to his native country, rejoining Cruzeiro EC as part of their Brazilian Championship winning team of that year.
In August 2004 he left Brazil once more, this time moving to Olyimpique Lyonnais for a transfer fee close to three million euros. Having been involved in a brawl during a match in June earlier that year Cris ran the risk of a six month suspension that the Brazilian Football Federation eventually decided not to extend to matches outside of Brazil. This affair along with the physical duel he enjoyed with Thierry Henry during the France-Brazil international at the Stade de France on 20 May 2004 (a match that finished goalless), earned Cris the reputation of a rough, rugid defender.
After an unconvincing first spell in Europe Cris quickly imposed himself at the heart of Olympique Lyonnais' defence, proving himself an international class defender. His first season in Ligue 1 saw the club crowned league champions and Cris was selected in the Ligue 1 Players' team of the year. His second season was one of consolidation : Cris again had an excellent season with Lyon leaving no doubt as to his overall class. He was crowned "étoile d'or"" (Gold Star) by the magazine France Football. The newspaper L'Equipe considered him the best defender of the 2005-2006 season and he was once more voted into the Ligue 1 team of the year by his fellow professionals. This excellent season earned him an upwardly revised salary as well as a one year extension to his contract, tying him to the French club until 2010. Cris recently extended his contract an additional year keeping him at Lyon until 2011.
He was also rewarded for his magnificent club form on 15 May 2006 by Carlos Alberto Parreira who selected him in the national squad for their World Cup 2006 Campaign in Germany. However, in spite of his club form he did not receive any playing time during the tournament.

Lyon
3 June 1977
Source: Wikipedia