Career
Grêmio
Rafael came to Grêmio in 2006, as an amateur player. He was promoted to the first team after captaining the youth side in the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior by the coach Vágner Mancini, but soon was relegated to the youth squad because of his lack of commitment in pre-season training. Before the beginning of the 2008 Brazilian Serie A, Mancini was fired and Rafael earned a new chance from the coach Celso Roth, the same coach who promoted Ronaldinho to the first team in 1998.
Appearing as a defensive midfielder, Rafael missed just one league match and received just five yellow cards during the season.
Spartak
In December 2008, joined Russian club Spartak Moscow on a five-year contract. Vasco
Foreign the 2010 season, Vasco da Gama loaned the Brazilian midfielder from Spartak Moscow for one year.
Atlético Mineiro
The midfielder joined Atlético Mineiro on August 13, 2014 on a year-long loan deal. Rafael"s loan deal with Atlético Mineiro was coming to an end in August, but the Brazilian club came to an agreement with Spartak Moscow for the purchase of 50% of the player"s rights for an undisclosed fee.
The deal meant a new contract for Carioca with Atlético, which now ends on August 2019.
In 2007, Carioca captained the Under-20 side and featured in the Sendai Cup for the Brazil Under-18 national team in the same year but was an unused substitute in the tournament. Atlético Mineiro
Copa do Brasil: 2014
Campeonato Mineiro: 2015.
