Education
Born in Dracena, São Paulo, Dracena graduated with Guarani"s youth setup.
Born in Dracena, São Paulo, Dracena graduated with Guarani"s youth setup.
Guarani
He made his professional debut in 1999, in a 1–2 loss against Matonense, aged just 17. Dracena established himself in the club"s starting XI in the following years, impressing in 2002. Olympiacos
On 2 July 2002 Dracena was loaned to Olympiacos in a season-long deal.
Cruzeiro
Shortly after his return to Guarani, Dracena signed for Cruzeiro on 8 February 2003, as a replacement for Lyon-bound Cris.
He appeared regularly for the club, winning the year"s League and Cup. Dracena fell through the pecking order in 2005, mainly due to an injury which ruled him out for seven months.
In 2006, he was appointed Cruzeiro"s captain, winning the state league. Fenerbahçe
In August 2006, Dracena transferred to Fenerbahçe for a €5.7 million fee.
On 19 May 2007, he scored Fenerbahçe"s 500th goal against rivals Galatasaray.
Dracena rescinded his link with the club on 24 August 2009, after being mainly used as a backup during the 2008-2009 season. Santos
On 16 September 2009 Dracena signed a three-year-deal with Santos Football Club, being sidelined during his first year due to a knee injury. However, he struggled with two serious knee injuries which sidelined him for long periods.
On 15 January 2015, after the club"s financial trouble, Dracena rescinded his link.
Corinthians
On 21 January, Dracena signed a two-year deal with Santos" fierce rivals Corinthians. Dracena played for the Brazil U-20 team in 2001, participated in the 2001 U-20 World Cup.
In June 2003, Dracena received his first call up to the Brazilian senior team for the 2003 Confederations Cup. However, he did not make his international debut during the competition.
Four years later, Dracena was called up to play a friendly match against United States and Mexico on 9 and 12 September 2007.
He played 45 minutes as a substitute against United States, which marked his first international cap, followed by a place in the starting line-up against Mexico.