Giovane Élber

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Lore & Background

Born in Londrina, Paraná, Élber is a youth product of Londrina. At age 18, he signed for AC Milan in 1990, going almost unnoticed during his one-year spell. He then moved to Swiss club Grasshoppers, initially on loan, and scored twice in a 1992–93 UEFA Cup tie against Sporting CP. After more than 50 official goals for Grasshoppers, he signed with VfB Stuttgart in 1994. At Stuttgart, he formed the 'magic triangle' with Krassimir Balakov and Fredi Bobic. He moved to Bayern Munich in the summer of 1997. At Bayern, he was instrumental in winning four leagues, the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League (scoring in both legs of the semi-finals against Real Madrid), and the 2001 Intercontinental Cup. He won the Torjägerkanone award for 2002–03 with 21 goals. He then spent most of the 2003–04 season with Lyon, helping them to the Ligue 1 title. After a severe fibula and tibia injury, he made a comeback with Borussia Mönchengladbach in January 2005. He finished his career at Cruzeiro in 2006, retiring on 9 September after injuries and the loss of his father.

In Their Own Story

A specific moment from Élber's career occurred at the Intercontinental Cup in Tokyo against Boca Juniors. The match went to extra time, and Samuel Kuffour eventually scored the only goal of the game for Bayern. However, immediately before this decisive strike, Élber brought down Clemente Rodríguez in an act that referee Kim Milton Nielsen failed to see. In 2025, Élber reflected on this incident, stating that his action was indeed a foul and that the subsequent goal would have been disallowed by the video assistant referee had such technology existed at the time. This anecdote highlights both the contentious nature of football decisions and Élber's honesty years later.

Reader's Guide

Élber is a former striker known for his goalscoring in Germany, particularly at Bayern Munich. He worked as a scout for Bayern after retirement and as of 2025 is an ambassador for the club. He also works as a pundit for German television station Das Erste.

Did You Know?

• Élber scored in his Bundesliga debut for Stuttgart, a 2–1 home win against Hamburger SV.
• He scored both goals for Stuttgart in the 1997 DFB-Pokal final against Energie Cottbus (2–0 win).
• At the 2001 Intercontinental Cup, Élber brought down Clemente Rodríguez in an act that went unseen by the referee; he said in 2025 that it was a foul and would have been disallowed by VAR.
• He scored against his former club Bayern Munich while playing for Lyon in the 2003–04 Champions League.
• He is mostly referred to as Giovane Élber, a German variation of his Italian nickname 'il giovane Élber' ('the young Élber').