Leeds United’s false prophet – the Roque Júnior saga

Leeds United of the early 2000s was a formidable team, boasting the likes of Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell and a number of England internationals including Rio Ferdinand, David Batty and Robbie Fowler.

They were Champions League semi-finalists in 2001 and Premier League table-toppers at Christmas later that year, yet they could never seem to transfer their strength into silverware.

Amidst financial mismanagement, the club began to rapidly decline and, after miraculously avoiding relegation in 2003, manager Peter Reid had a significant challenge to keep Yorkshire’s largest club in the Premier League for another season.

Many first team players had left over the summer and, with very little cash to spend, Reid had to look to the loan market to try and strengthen the squad.

A number of players were brought in from Ligue 1 in France, including a young Zoumana Camara who, perhaps as a surprise to Leeds’ fans, would achieve a lot of success with PSG at the start of their current dominance of French football.

None of these signings remotely turned into success for Leeds. However, one was clearly the biggest disappointment.

Roque Júnior cut his teeth with Palmeiras, winning a number of trophies including the Copa Libertadores. He was brought to Europe by AC Milan for around €10 million.

He was a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, only missing one group match against Costa Rica as the Verde-Amarela marched on to a record fifth world title. Several months before arriving at Elland Road he won the Champions League with AC Milan.

Leeds fans could scarcely believe their luck.

Roque had been earning roughly €60,000 a week at Milan but the Italians agreed to subsidise his wages while at Leeds.

No transfer fee was involved but Leeds had to pay £200,000 to arrange the deal, which was later investigated by football authorities as it emerged it had been brokered by an unlicensed Italian agent.

Roque was only in England for a matter of hours after featuring in Brazilian World Cup qualification games in South America when he made his Leeds debut in a Monday night game away to Leicester.

Roque partnered Camara in defence as the Foxes comfortably won 4-0. He received a booking during the second half and was later substituted.

Five days later he was sent off after receiving two yellow cards during a 2-0 home defeat to Birmingham City.

In his next appearance against Everton he was outplayed by Scotland’s Duncan Ferguson who was starting a Premier League game for the first time in three years.

It was another 4-0 thrashing and signing the Brazilian was already looking like a terrible mistake. He was then left out of the squad as Leeds recorded their first league victory in a month over Blackburn.

He only played two more league games for Leeds, heavy defeats against Arsenal and Portsmouth.

The only highlight of his time in Yorkshire was a surprising brace in a 2-3 League Cup defeat at home to Manchester United.

In total, Roque Júnior played in five Premier League games for the Whites, during which time 20 goals were conceded. He arrived in September and was sent back to Milan by late November.

Alongside his disappointing performances on the pitch, the language barrier was reportedly also a difficult obstacle for Roque to integrate into the set-up.

What many people expected to be the salvation of Leeds contributed to their demise. The club were relegated that season.

After Leeds, Roque lurched from club to club with brief spells in Italy, Germany, Qatar and his native Brazil.

He won the Confederations Cup with Brazil in 2005 but his club career never recovered and he eventually retired in 2010.