Jean Paulista

Jean Paulista
Paulista training with Wisła Kraków in 2007
Personal information
Full name Jean Francisco Rodrigues
Date of birth (1977-11-28) 28 November 1977 (age 47)
Place of birth Sertãozinho, Brazil
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward / Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1997 Corinthians-AL
1997–1998 Taubaté
1998–2001 Farense 42 (3)
1999 → Braga (loan) 6 (0)
1999–2000 → Aves (loan) 9 (2)
2001 → Imortal (loan) 11 (2)
2001–2003 Vitória Setúbal 33 (1)
2003–2004 Aves 32 (7)
2004–2005 Maia 30 (7)
2005–2008 Wisła Kraków 54 (10)
2008–2010 APOEL 18 (2)
2010–2011 AEK Larnaca 8 (1)
2011–2012 Polonia Bytom 21 (4)
2012 LZS Piotrówka 5 (0)
2013 Skra Częstochowa 11 (1)
2013–2014 Polonia Bytom 11 (0)
Total 291 (40)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jean Francisco Rodrigues (born 28 November 1977), commonly known as Jean Paulista, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a forward or an attacking midfielder.

Club career

Born in Sertãozinho, São Paulo, Paulista played with modest Sport Club Corinthians Alagoano and Esporte Clube Taubaté in his country. In 1998, he moved to Portugal where he remained for the following seven years, representing S.C. Farense, S.C. Braga and Vitória F.C. in the Primeira Liga and C.D. Aves, Imortal D.C. and F.C. Maia in the second division. His best personal output, in the country and overall, came in the 2003–04 season, when he scored seven goals to help Aves to the eighth position.

From 2005 to 2008, Paulista competed in Polish Ekstraklasa with Wisła Kraków, netting five times in 27 appearances in his second year. In July 2008, he signed a two-year contract with APOEL FC in the Cypriot First Division, making his official debut for his new club in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Cup; also in that competition, against Red Star Belgrade, he suffered a serious injury which sidelined him for almost a year.

Paulista returned to full fitness in the 2009–10 season, scoring twice to help APOEL to the second position. He made three appearances in that campaign's UEFA Champions League.

After spending the 2010–11 season with AEK Larnaca, Paulista returned to Poland where he played in the lower leagues, starting with Polonia Bytom, until his retirement at the start of 2014.