Lucas Domingues Piazon (born 20 January 1994) is a Brazilian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who plays for
Primeira Liga
The Primeira Liga (; English: Premier League, also written as Liga Portugal 1), also known as Liga Portugal Bwin for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of the Portuguese football league system. Organised and supervised by the Liga Portugal, ...
club
S.C. Braga
Sporting Clube de Braga () (), commonly known as Sporting de Braga or just Braga, is a Portuguese sports club from the city of Braga. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portuguese f ...
. He plays as a
second striker
Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...
or a
winger, as an
attacking midfielder
A midfielder is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As #Cent ...
.
[
He spent a decade at ]Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
, though he only played three games for them (one in the Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
), and was loaned to seven clubs in six countries.[
]
Early life
Piazon was born in São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
, to António Carlos Piazon, a commercial representative, and Marizabel Domingues, a lawyer. He had a financially secure upbringing that allowed him to focus on both school and football at the same time. Both of Piazon's parents took an active role in his career. He grew up with his sister Juliana, who is three years younger than him and was a Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
supporter from an early age, aspiring to play for them some day.
When he was young, Piazon's family moved to Paraná. Piazon's football skills began to blossom at age eight. He developed an interest in futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hardcourt, hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and Indoor soccer, indoor football.
Futsal is played between two teams of five players ...
(indoor football) like other Brazilian men's footballers (such as Zico and Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho () or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian retired professional footballer who played mostly as an attacking midfielder, but was also deployed as a winger. Wide ...
). He began playing for Coritiba
Coritiba Foot Ball Club, commonly known as Coritiba and colloquially referred to as "Coxa-Branca" or "Coxa", is a Brazilian football club from Curitiba, capital city of the Brazilian state of Paraná. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest f ...
. At the age of 11, Piazon made the switch from indoor
Indoor(s) may refer to:
*the interior of a building
*Indoor environment, in building science, traditionally includes the study of indoor thermal environment, indoor acoustic environment, indoor light environment, and indoor air quality
*Built envi ...
to the field.
Club career
Youth career
Piazon began his professional career with Coritiba
Coritiba Foot Ball Club, commonly known as Coritiba and colloquially referred to as "Coxa-Branca" or "Coxa", is a Brazilian football club from Curitiba, capital city of the Brazilian state of Paraná. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest f ...
. He made an impression with them becoming top scorer in every youth tournament he appeared in. In 2007, he moved to neighbouring club, Atlético Paranaense
Club Athletico Paranaense (commonly known as Athletico and formerly known as Atlético Paranaense) is a Brazilian football team from the city of Curitiba, capital city of the Brazilian state of Paraná, founded on March 26, 1924. The team ...
. He again turned out, as Atlético reached the finals of the U-15 Copa do Brasil in 2008, which they eventually lost to São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
. São Paulo became very impressed with his performance and made an offer. At the age of 14, Piazon left his family behind in Curitiba and joined São Paulo. In May, he began to attract the attention of international scouts when he helped guide São Paulo through the Brazilian qualifiers for the Premier Cup
The Manchester United Premier Cup is a global youth football tournament that was established by Nike in 1993.
History
The tournament was established by Nike in 1993 as the Nike Premier Cup and featured 624 teams from 15 European countries. Th ...
(Nike Cup). It was around this time that he was also called up by Brazil's U-15s. In August, São Paulo travelled to Manchester for the Premier Cup finals. In the Group stage, Piazon scored in the 3–0 win versus Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
. São Paulo then went on to beat Werder Bremen
Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen (), Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen, Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, they are be ...
in the final match.
Chelsea
In early 2011, Chelsea secured the services of Piazon by means of a pre-contract, having to fight off the interest from a number of the world's leading clubs, including Italian team Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
. On 15 March 2011, São Paulo announced that Piazon could only play for the Chelsea senior team after 20 January 2012 when he became eligible to obtain a work visa, but he would join in the 2011 summer transfer window. Chelsea announced ten days later with Piazon passing a medical in London in early March 2011. It was reported that Chelsea paid in the region of £5 million to acquire Piazon, which could rise to £10 million depending on several clauses. He was transferred to Chelsea during the 2011 summer transfer window and started playing for the reserves. In an interview, he stated, " chose Chelsea becauseI like the Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
. I think my way of playing and my skills are more suited to the Premier League."
Piazon made his debut for the reserve team against Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
, thereafter saying, "I am able to play in the Youth Cup now. Everybody knows I am here to play, so my main aims for the season are to play as many youth games as possible and hopefully feature in the reserves as well, and I want to win the Youth Cup." He also stated, "I am enjoying the company of Ramires
Ramires Santos do Nascimento (; born 24 March 1987), known as Ramires, is a Brazilian former professional footballer. A midfielder, he was comfortable playing in either the centre or right midfielder position. He normally played as a box-to-box ...
, Alex
Alex is a given name. It can refer to a shortened version of Alexander, Alexandra, Alexis.
People
Multiple
*Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people
* Alex Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people
*Alex Harris (disambiguation), multiple pe ...
and, of course, David Luiz
David Luiz Moreira Marinho (born 22 April 1987) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Flamengo. Primarily a centre back, he can also be deployed as a defensive midfielder.
After starting out at Vitoria, David Luiz moved to Ben ...
is my best friend here. He is so funny and always joking so it's nice." Piazon scored his first reserve goal in an away victory against Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
, just before full-time with a solo effort, inside the box before firing it into the net. He scored twice in five games for the reserves and once in six for the youth team, most notably the winner in the FA Youth Cup
The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under-18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part. It ...
tie against Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club play their home games at ...
.
He won the FA Youth Cup on 9 May 2012 against Blackburn, although failing to score in the match.
On 20 January 2012, his 18th birthday, Piazon obtained a work visa and became eligible to play for the Chelsea senior team. On 26 January 2012, he signed a contract extension that would keep him with the club until 2017. After impressing at Under-18 and Reserve level, Piazon was given the number 35 shirt, which was previously worn by Juliano Belletti
Juliano Haus Belletti (born 20 June 1976) is a Brazilian association football, football Coach (sport), coach and former player who mostly played as a right back (association football), right back. He is the current coach of São Paulo Futebol Cl ...
. He was an unused substitute on the Chelsea bench, on 31 January 2012, in their 1–1 league draw against Swansea City
Swansea City Association Football Club (; cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their ho ...
and on 5 February 2012, in the 3–3 draw against Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
. Chelsea manager André Villas-Boas
Luís André de Pina Cabral e Villas-Boas (; born 17 October 1977) is a Portuguese football manager, who most recently was the manager of Ligue 1 club Marseille. He is one of a growing number of top-level managers who have never played football ...
said, after the Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
game, "He iazonhas trained more with the first team, which is very good for him. He's made great progress since arriving and in the last two games was on the bench. Unfortunately, he had no opportunity to enter, but has done a great job in the reserves team. He is a player that we have high hopes for."
On 10 May 2012, Piazon was named Chelsea Young Player of the Year in his first season. He was part of the side that won the FA Youth Cup Final 24 hours earlier. "I am very happy and I didn't expect this. It has been a fantastic week for me. David Luiz and Ramires have helped me a lot here as when I came in I was alone. I hope to be at Chelsea a long time and I will keep working." he said. Later that week, he was named on the bench on the final day of the season, in a home game against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
which Chelsea won 2–1, but was not involved in the game. He stated that he was looking forward to continuing his development and would like to make the breakthrough into the senior side, saying "I hope to be in the main group, train with them every day and if I have a chance to play some games." He went on to say that he had "always dreamed of playing for Chelsea."
2012–13 season
The pre-season prior to the start of the 2012–13 season, Piazon was given a chance to prove himself by Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo
Roberto Di Matteo (; born 29 May 1970) is an Italian professional football manager and former player.
During his playing career as a midfielder, he played for Swiss clubs Schaffhausen, Zürich and Aarau before joining Lazio of Italy and Chelse ...
after being taken on tour in the United States, came on as a substitute in three of the four matches, making his senior debut in the 4–2 win over Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's association football, soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club w ...
. He scored his first goal in his second senior Chelsea appearance, the equaliser to earn Chelsea a 1–1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...
at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer.
Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the origi ...
. Afterwards, he spoke of his delight: "It was good for me, it was special, to score in my second game", said the forward. Piazon came on in the 3–2 defeat to the MLS All-Stars in the 2012 MLS All-Star Game
The 2012 Major League Soccer All-Star Game, held on July 25, 2012, was the 17th annual Major League Soccer All-Star Game, a soccer match involving all-stars from Major League Soccer. The game was played at PPL Park, now known as Subaru Park, in C ...
and was an unused substitute in the following fixture, with Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz (; born 20 March 1984) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a striker. He is the current manager of Atlético Madrid Juvenil A. Due to his consistent goalscoring rate as a young player, ...
taking his place in a 1–0 loss to Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
.
Piazon was named in Chelsea's 22-man Champions League squad, along with fellow Brazilians Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology), ...
, David Luiz and Ramires and was chosen ahead of Florent Malouda
Florent Johan Malouda (born 13 June 1980) is a French football coach and former professional player.
A left winger, he spent most of his career at Lyon and Chelsea, winning four consecutive Ligue 1 titles with the former and the UEFA Champions ...
. Piazon made his competitive debut for Chelsea, starting in their League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
, which ended a 6–0 win for the Blues, also assisting the goal for Ryan Bertrand
Ryan Dominic Bertrand (born 5 August 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Premier League club Leicester City.
Bertrand began his youth career at Gillingham, before signing for Chelsea in July 2005. He gradu ...
. On 31 October 2012, Piazon played his second game in the League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
against Manchester United, which ended 5–4 win for Chelsea after extra time with Piazon being substituted in the 55th minute for Eden Hazard
Eden Michael Walter Hazard (born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid. Known for his creativity, dribbling, passing and vision, Hazard is considered o ...
. Piazon netted a goal in the U-19's comprehensive 6–0 defeat of Molde
Molde () is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Romsdal. It is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord.
The administrative centre of the m ...
on 8 November in the NextGen Series
The NextGen Series was a European football club cup competition for under-19 footballers. It was designed to provide players with the opportunity to match themselves against other elite European footballers of their agegroup in a competitive envi ...
.
On 23 December, he made his Premier League debut in an 8–0 win against Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
, during which he assisted a goal for Ramires and took a penalty kick which he had won, only for it to be saved by Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan
Bradley Edwin Guzan (; born September 9, 1984) is an American professional Association football, soccer player who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Atlanta United FC.
A college soccer second ...
.
Loan to Málaga
During the 2013 January transfer window, Piazon was loaned to Spanish La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men's ...
side Málaga
Málaga (, ) is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most pop ...
until the end of the season. He made his debut for Málaga on 24 January 2013, coming on as a substitute in the 4–2 home defeat in the Copa del Rey
The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey or simply La Copa and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–36) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–76), is an annual knockout footbal ...
quarter-final against Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
. On 16 February, he assisted Javier Saviola
Javier Pedro Saviola Fernández (; born 11 December 1981) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a forward.
He represented both Barcelona and Real Madrid, also having notable spells with Benfica and Olympiacos, and was na ...
's winner in a 1–0 home win against Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club ( eu, Bilboko Athletic Kluba; es, Athletic Club de Bilbao), commonly known as Athletic Bilbao or just Athletic, is a professional Association football, football club based in the city of Bilbao in the Basque Country (autonomous com ...
. On 9 March 2013, Piazon made his second assist for Málaga with a ball from a free-kick that found Martín Demichelis
Martín Gastón Demichelis (; born 20 December 1980) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played usually as a centre-back, although he could also operate as a defensive midfielder. He is the current head coach of River Plate.
Dem ...
, who headed to score in a 1–1 draw against Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D., or simply Real Valladolid () or Valladolid, is a professional football club based in Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain that competes in La Liga, the top tier of the Spanish league system.
The club colo ...
.
Loan to Vitesse
On 9 August 2013, Piazon was loaned to Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
club Vitesse until the end of the 2013–14 season. On 17 August 2013, he made his debut for Vitesse in a 1–1 draw at Roda JC
Sportvereniging Roda Juliana Combinatie Kerkrade (; Ripuarian: ), also known as Roda JC Kerkrade () or commonly Roda JC or Roda, is a Dutch professional football club based in Kerkrade, Netherlands. Roda JC Kerkrade plays in the Eerste Divisie. ...
. On 22 September, Piazon scored his first goals in his professional career and for Vitesse, scoring a brace in the 3–0 win at home to PEC Zwolle
PEC Zwolle is a Dutch football club based in Zwolle, Netherlands. They play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football, following relegation from the Eredivisie in the 2021–22 season. They have played in the Eredivisie for a total ...
. In the following Eredivisie fixture, against NEC
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. The company was known as the Nippon Electric Company, Limited, before rebranding in 1983 as NEC. It prov ...
, Piazon scored the winner for Vitesse in the 92nd minute, from outside the box, which ended 3–2 on 29 September. On 19 October 2013, he scored a brace and assisted Patrick van Aanholt
Patrick John Miguel van Aanholt (; born 29 August 1990) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Eredivisie club PSV, on loan from club Galatasaray, and the Netherlands national team.
He began his professional career ...
's winner, as Vitesse came from 2–0 down to win 3–2 at Heerenveen
Heerenveen (, fry, It Hearrenfean ) is a town and municipality in the province of Friesland (Fryslân), in the Northern Netherlands. In 2021, the town had a population of 29,790 (1 January) while the municipality had a population 50,859 (1 July). ...
. On 24 November, Piazon scored two penalties at Go Ahead Eagles
Go Ahead Eagles () are a Dutch professional football club from the city of Deventer. They play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football, having achieved promotion from the second tier Eerste Divisie in the 2020-21 season. The club's h ...
in a 3–0 win. In Vitesse's fixture away to PSV on 7 December, Piazon scored another goal as Vitesse convincingly won 6–2 to stay at the top of the Eredivisie table.
Loan to Frankfurt
On 24 July 2014, Piazon joined Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
on loan for the 2014–15 season. On 2 August, he scored his first goal in a 4–2 friendly win against Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa.
The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, ...
.
On 23 August, Piazon made his debut in the Bundesliga against SC Freiburg
Sport-Club Freiburg e.V., commonly known as SC Freiburg () or just Freiburg, is a German football club, based in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg. It plays in the Bundesliga, having been promoted as champions from the 2. Bund ...
, a 1–0 victory. His first Bundesliga goal came on 28 September against Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein e.V. (), commonly known as Hamburger SV () or Hamburg (), is a German sports club based in Hamburg, with its largest branch being its football section. Though the current HSV was founded in June 1919 from a merger of three ...
; having came off the bench in the 86th minute for Stefan Aigner
Stefan Aigner (born 20 August 1987) is a German former professional footballer who played as a midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up at ...
, in the 90th minute he struck a free-kick from nearly 30 yards out to seal a 2–1 victory.
Loan to Reading
On 31 August 2015, Piazon joined Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
on a season-long loan deal. On 11 September, he made his debut and provided an assist to Oliver Norwood in a 5–1 triumph against Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...
coming on as a 77th-minute substitute for Matěj Vydra
Matěj Vydra (, born 1 May 1992) is a Czech professional footballer who plays as a striker for Viktoria Plzeň and the Czech Republic national team.
Vydra previously played for FC Chotěboř, Vysočina Jihlava, Baník Ostrava, Club Brugge, Udi ...
. Fifteen days later, he scored his first goal for Reading in a 2–1 win against Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
. Piazon returned to Chelsea on 28 April 2016, a week before his loan deal was due to expire.
Loan to Fulham
On 31 August 2016, Piazon joined Fulham on a season-long loan, joining Chelsea teammate Tomáš Kalas
Tomáš Kalas (born 15 May 1993) is a Czech professional footballer who plays for Bristol City and the Czech Republic national team. He plays as a centre-back, but has also been played as a right-back.
Having begun his career at Sigma Olomouc ...
. He made his Fulham debut and scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 EFL Cup
The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
defeat against Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
on 21 September.
On 17 January 2017, Piazon's loan at Fulham was extended until the end of the season. On 14 July 2017, Piazon's loan was extended for a further season.
On 15 August 2017, Piazon suffered a fracture-dislocation of his right ankle after a tackle from Leeds player Conor Shaughnessy
Conor Glynn Shaughnessy (born 30 June 1996) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a central defender for club Portsmouth.
He is also able to operate as a central midfielder. He has represented the Republic of Ireland national footb ...
in their 0–0 draw at Elland Road. He had successful surgery and rehabilitation.
Loan to Chievo
In January 2019, he joined Chievo Verona
Associazione Calcio ChievoVerona, commonly referred to as ChievoVerona or simply Chievo , is a former professional Football in Italy, Italian football club named after and based in Chievo, a suburb of 4,500 inhabitants in Verona, Veneto, and o ...
on loan. He played four times before returning to Chelsea.
Loan to Rio Ave
In September 2019, he joined Rio Ave
Rio Ave Futebol Clube, commonly known as Rio Ave (), is a Football in Portugal, Portuguese professional Association football, football club based in Vila do Conde, that competes in the Primeira Liga. The club is named after the Ave River, which ...
on loan, until the end of the 2020–21 season.
Braga
On 14 January 2021, Piazon signed for Portuguese side Braga
Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants (in ...
. He agreed to a four-year contract with the club. On 23 May 2021, he scored a goal in a 2–0 win over Benfica in the Taça de Portugal Final.
Loan to Botafogo
On 10 March 2022, Piazon returned to his home country after 11 years, as he was announced at Botafogo
Botafogo (local/standard alternative Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: ) is a beachfront neighborhood (''bairro'') in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a mostly upper middle class and small commerce community, and is located between the hills of M ...
on loan until June 2023.
International career
Piazon has represented Brazil at both under-15 and under-17 levels. At under-15 level, he helped his team to second place in the South American Under-15 Football Championship
The South American U-15 Championship, also known as the Campeonato Sudamericano Sub15, is a South American association football competition held every two years contested by male players under the age of 15 and is organized by CONMEBOL, the govern ...
of 2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
in Bolivia, being the top goalscorer with ten goals.
At the under-17 level, during an international game for Brazil's U17 squad against Paraguay, Piazon scored an extraordinary goal when he kicked the ball with such force that it broke through the side netting of the goals, in a game which they went on to lose 2–1. In the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup
The 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup was the fourteenth tournament of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, and the eleventh played since the change in age limits from under 16s to Under 17s in 1991. It was held in Mexico with games being played amongst various venues ...
, he scored in a 3–3 draw against the Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
.
Style of play
A tactical player, Piazon is known for his flair, passing, powerful shooting, free-kicks, penalty kick
A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...
s, reading of the game and clinical finishing. Piazon commented on his playing style, "I'd say my playing style is different from typical Brazilian forwards. When you think about these, you think about dribbles and flashy moves. My football is simpler and more direct. It's more like a midfielder playing up front. I like to pass quickly. I don't hog the ball and I don't tend to run with it."
The media have often drawn comparisons between Piazon and Brazilian playmaker Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (; born 22 April 1982), commonly known as Kaká () or Ricardo Kaká, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. In his prime as a playmaker at AC Milan, a period marke ...
, as the pair possess similar attributes and natural technical finesse. Piazon also somewhat resembles Kaká. However, Piazon has rejected comparisons saying: "I don't think e are similar
E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plura ...
, Piazon says of Kaká. "My style and his style are different because I am a winger, or a second striker
Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...
, and he is a central midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
. He went on to say, "I don't think the comparison is because of our style. I think it is because we both played at São Paulo and maybe we can look similar on the pitch sometimes."
Career statistics
Honours
Chelsea U18
*FA Youth Cup
The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under-18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part. It ...
: 2011–12
Fulham
*EFL Championship play-offs
The English Football League Championship play-offs are a series of play-off matches contested by the association football teams finishing from third to sixth in the EFL Championship table and are part of the English Football League play-offs. , t ...
: 2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
Braga
*Taça de Portugal
The Taça de Portugal (; "Cup of Portugal") is an annual association football competition and the premier knockout tournament in Portuguese football. For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Taça de Portugal Placard since the 2015–16 seaso ...
: 2020–21
The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...
Brazil U17
*South American U-17 Championship
The South American U-17 Championship (; ) is a football competition held every two years for South American under-17 teams. The tournament was born in 1985 out of a need for a classification tournament for the newly created FIFA U-16 World Cup (no ...
: 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
Brazil U20
*Toulon Tournament
The Toulon Tournament (officially the Festival International "Espoirs" – Tournoi Maurice Revello) is a football (training match) tournament, which traditionally features invited national teams composed of youth players from U-17 to U-23 level. ...
: 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
Individual
* Chelsea Young Player of the Year: 2011–12
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piazon, Lucas
1994 births
Living people
Footballers from São Paulo
Brazilian people of Italian descent
Brazilian men's footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in England
Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands
Expatriate men's footballers in Germany
Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal
Brazilian expatriate men's footballers
Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in England
Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Germany
Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Men's association football forwards
Chelsea F.C. players
Málaga CF players
SBV Vitesse players
Eintracht Frankfurt players
Reading F.C. players
Fulham F.C. players
AC ChievoVerona players
Rio Ave F.C. players
S.C. Braga players
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas players
Premier League players
La Liga players
Eredivisie players
Bundesliga players
English Football League players
Serie A players
Primeira Liga players
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A players
Brazil men's youth international footballers
Brazil men's under-20 international footballers
Footballers at the 2015 Pan American Games
Pan American Games bronze medalists for Brazil
Pan American Games medalists in football
Medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games