Leftback
4 Goals
87 Appearances (as of the end of 2008-2009)
Signed from Valencia in 2006 for free!
BACKGROUND BEFORE LFC
Fabio Aurelio had a good career before coming to Liverpool, first as a star for Sao Paolo and then for Rafa’s Valencia. He has played six times for the Brazilian national side, all before joining the Reds. His finest part of his career, though, was definitely for three seasons during the early 00s, where he was a star left-sided player for Rafa. In 2002-2003, in particular, he was a dynamic player who scored 10 goals, most of which came from his famous set-pieces. In 2003-2004, though, Aurelio had some major injury problems and only played in 2 matches. These injury problems would continue with us, as well, but there was no denying that the kid had talent!
SIGNING FOR, AND SETTLING INTO, LFC
Rafa was able to grab Fabio Aurelio on a Bosman (free) during the summer of 2006, and both were excited to be reunited with one another after a successful few seasons (including the UEFA Cup) together. Fabio Aurelio did not instantly win over the supporters, though, with many people wondering what happened to the Fabio from Valencia! But the Brazilian soon found his feet, and was an impactful player throughout the winter of 2006/2007, where he was one of our best performers during a time where we were scoring goals and winning matches. Then came that day against Arsenal, where he twice set up Crouch and provided one for Agger in our 4-1 win. Three assists against the Gunners was great, but Lady Luck decided to take a crap on him, and he ruptured his achilles against PSV Eindhoven. Having suffered the same injury myself (a year and a half later, as it turns out), I realize how damaging it is and how long it takes to recover. The fact that Aurelio came back even stronger will always serve as inspiration for me.
STYLE OF PLAY
Fabio Aurelio is a player who relies more on technique and footwork rather than pace or power. Typically Brazilian, Fabio Aurelio possesses one crazy good foot, which for him happens to be his left peg. He is a master of the cross and the set-piece, delivering excellent balls either towards his teammates or towards goal (as Manchester United would attest!). He is a very unselfish player, and works very hard out on the pitch. His positioning is not one of his strong suits, but his ability to link up on the flank and give us width definitely are. He loves to push forward and give options, and when Crouch was with us, the two of them played very well together.
BEST MOMENTS
Recovering from his achilles injury is one, but my favorite moment of Fabio Aurelio is undoubtedly his free kick special against Manchester United at Old Trafford. What a goal. From 30 yards out and at a difficult angle, Aurelio curled the ball delightfully over the wall into the upper near post corner, completely flat-footing Edwin Van Der Sar. Other great moments were his 3 assists against Arsenal, his half-volley at Bolton, and the goal that brought us back into it against Portsmouth. And, oh yeah… that cheeky free-kick against Chelsea where he completely embarrassed Petr Cech in the Champions League from no less than 40 yards and at an insane angle. Winning back the supporters in 2009 was also a good moment for our Brazilian hero.
TOUGH TIMES
Fabio Aurelio has had a constant battle against injuries, despite bouncing back well on all of these occasions. The achilles rupture was without a doubt the worst of them all, though, and it took him out for a good six months, which is absolutely outstanding… as that is a VERY fast recovery for the injury that he suffered. By the time he returned, though, an out-of-form Riise was in his place, and the two battled it out. Just when it seemed like he’d won his place, he got another injury. This would be the cycle Fabio Aurelio would go through until the spring of 2009, when he finally got a solid run out. Now, in the summer, he is hurt again, but for only a few months… UGH!
2008-2009 SEASON VERDICT
Of the three seasons he has been at Liverpool, 2008-2009 was definitely Aurelio’s best. He was an important part of our season, scoring three goals and providing countless moments to savor. Goals against Chelsea, Manchester United, and Portsmouth were excellent- all on set-pieces- and his ability to hook up with both Riera and Benayoun on the left was fun to watch. He regained that spark he had in the middle of the 2006-2007 season, and was very deserving of his place in the squad. Fabio definitely kept the more expensive Andrea Dossena out of the team, and this was earned through his good performances and steady displays.
LFC CAREER VERDICT
Injuries aside, and you’d have to say it has been a good career so far. Not oustanding, but good. But you have to consider the injuries, and that has been a major source of frustration. A consistent run of matches from Aurelio would have us see the best of him, and the best of him is very, very good. When he’s on song, not many leftbacks in the country can provide the kind of service and interplay than Aurelio can. All of that said, if Liverpool are going to push for the title, perhaps we need someone with a bit more pace and defensive positioning than Fabio. But I still respect him and enjoy having him in the squad. And his career really has been good at times.
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