Sometimes we see freak cases where goalkeepers score goals, whether it be from a kick within the box that ends up in the opposite net or a last minute set piece. Rarely do you see a goalkeeper taking a free kick or a penalty kick. Even rarer do you see a keeper with over 100 goals. Because there’s only one. The man, the myth, the legend, Rogerio Ceni.
Goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni retired yesterday after scoring 131 career goals. Here's his 100th career goal. Legend. https://t.co/STouU3s7iH
— Super 6 (@Super6) December 8, 2015Since making his debut for São Paulo in 1993, Rogerio Ceni has scored 131 goals and worn his club’s jersey more times than anyone else has for their respective club. After years of flirting with the idea of retirement, Rogerio Ceni finally decided it was time last month.
A further look at his goals shows 69 were from penalties, 61 were from free kicks and this one was from a free kick, but technically considered a regular goal:
Rogerio Ceni had two games where he scored two goals, and his highest scoring season was in 2005 with 21 goals, including 10 from the Brazilian league and five from the Copa Libertadores.
European soccer fans might barely know him, but in South America he’s a legend for leading his São Paulo team through various Copa Libertadores campaigns and winning the 2005 title.
Liverpool fans might remember him from when he made this spectacular save off a Steven Gerrard free kick in the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup Finals, which São Paulo went on to win 1-0.
Photo: @DiarioSP | Twitter
2005 to 2008 would prove to be Ceni’s best years, with 52 goals, the Copa Libertadores and Club World Cup titles in 2005, and three straight Brazilian Championships from 2006-2008 – which included a São Paulo team that only allowed 19 goals in 38 games in 2007.
There was always a risk when Ceni went up to take a free kick or penalty that something might go wrong and the opposition might put together a counterattack to catch him off guard. Once, he actually scored off a free kick and celebrated, but the other team quickly restarted the match and scored.
While he never made it big on the Brazilian national team, he has 17 caps and was part of the team that won the 2002 World Cup as the backup goalkeeper.
On December 11, São Paulo gave Rogerio Ceni a farewell match, which included many of his teammates from throughout his career.
Photo: @FIFAcom | Twitter
It was a fitting sendoff for a once in a lifetime player.
