1. Overview
Marcelino Junior Lopes Arruda (born May 8, 1989), commonly known as Mazola, is a Brazilian footballer who primarily plays as a forward. Throughout his professional career, he has played for numerous clubs across Brazil, Japan, China, Portugal, South Korea, and Iran, experiencing various loan spells and transfers.
2. Early Life and Youth Career
2.1. Personal Information
Marcelino Junior Lopes Arruda was born on May 8, 1989, in Guarulhos, São Paulo, Brazil. He is known by his nickname Mazola. He stands at 69 in (176 cm) tall and weighs 165 lb (75 kg). His preferred foot is his left. In the J.League, he was registered under the name マゾーラMazōraJapanese, while in the K League, his registered name was 마졸라MajollaKorean.
2.2. Youth Clubs
Mazola developed his football skills during his formative years in several Brazilian youth academies. He was part of the basic categories of Portuguesa from 2000 to 2006, where he became a champion of the São Paulo child competition. In 2007, he moved to Ituano FC, and subsequently, from 2007 to 2008, he joined the youth setup of São Paulo FC.
3. Professional Career
Marcelino Junior Lopes Arruda's professional career began at São Paulo FC, followed by a series of transfers and loan spells that saw him play in multiple countries and leagues, demonstrating his versatility as a forward.
3.1. São Paulo FC
Mazola was hired by São Paulo FC for the period spanning from 2008 to 2011. During his initial stint, he participated in the Copa Sudamericana in 2008, though he did not score any goals. He was subsequently loaned out from São Paulo FC multiple times. He was loaned to Paulista FC in 2010 and later to Guarani FC in the same year. He returned to São Paulo FC for a brief period in 2010 and again in 2011, making one appearance in the Campeonato Paulista in both years without scoring. In an interview, Mazola expressed that he was happy to finalize a transfer away from São Paulo FC, as he felt he "had no chance to play" there. He also mentioned that his contract with Al-Jazira was made to facilitate Ricardo Oliveira's loan to São Paulo FC.
3.2. Paulista FC
In 2010, Mazola was loaned from São Paulo FC to Paulista FC to play until the end of the 2010 Campeonato Paulista. During his time with Paulista, he made 12 appearances and scored 2 goals.
3.3. Guarani FC
Following his loan spell at Paulista, Mazola was loaned again in 2010, this time to Guarani of Campinas, to compete in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A until the end of the year. He had a notable period with Guarani, scoring 6 goals in 29 appearances.
3.4. Urawa Reds
On January 29, 2011, Mazola moved to Japanese club Urawa Reds on a loan spell. The club described him as a "left-footed attacker with excellent speed and breakthrough power, capable of creating chances for others, and possessing a fierce determination to win." During his time at Urawa, he occasionally showcased his speed through dribbling and powerful left-footed shots. However, he struggled with conditioning and coordination, preventing him from securing a regular starting position. On December 25, 2011, his loan period ended, and his return to his parent club, São Paulo FC, was announced. He made 21 appearances and scored 3 goals in the J1 League, 3 appearances in the Emperor's Cup, and 2 appearances with 1 goal in the J.League Cup for a total of 26 appearances and 4 goals.
3.5. Hangzhou Greentown
In 2012, Mazola moved to Chinese Super League club Hangzhou Greentown, which was then managed by former Japan national team coach Takeshi Okada. He played two seasons on loan with Hangzhou Greentown, making 20 league appearances and scoring 3 goals in 2012, along with 2 cup appearances. In 2013, he played 22 league appearances but did not score. His combined total for Hangzhou Greentown was 44 appearances and 3 goals across all competitions.
3.6. Portimonense SC
From 2014 to 2015, Mazola played for the Portuguese club Portimonense SC. During his tenure, he made 7 appearances and scored 2 goals in the Segunda Liga.
3.7. Figueirense FC
On July 30, 2014, Mazola was loaned to Brazilian club Figueirense FC. He made 14 appearances and scored 3 goals during his loan spell. With Figueirense, he achieved a significant career honor by winning the 2015 Campeonato Catarinense title in 2015.
3.8. Ceará SC
On August 5, 2015, Mazola was again loaned, this time to Ceará SC. During this loan period, he played in 15 matches and scored 1 goal.
3.9. Guizhou Hengfeng
On February 29, 2016, Mazola transferred to Chinese club Guizhou Zhicheng (later known as Guizhou Hengfeng). He had a productive season with the club, making 28 appearances and scoring 14 goals.
3.10. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
In 2017, Mazola moved to South Korean club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, which was in urgent need of a winger following the transfer of Kim Bo-kyung. Expectations were high, and he was given the prestigious number 10 jersey. However, a pre-season injury that never fully healed prevented him from making any official appearances for the club. His contract was terminated on June 30, 2017.
3.11. CRB
In 2018, Mazola returned to Brazil and joined CRB. He made 20 appearances for the club and scored 1 goal.
3.12. EC São Bento
In 2019, Mazola played for Brazilian club EC São Bento. He did not make any appearances during his tenure with the club.
3.13. Tractor Sazi FC
From 2019 to 2020, Mazola played for the Iranian club Tractor Sazi FC. He made 9 appearances for the team but did not score any goals during this period.
3.14. Juventude-SP
In 2020, Mazola had a brief spell with Brazilian club Juventude-SP, where he made no appearances.
3.15. Caxias
In 2021, Mazola joined Brazilian club Caxias. He played 10 matches for the team without scoring.
3.16. São José-RS
From 2021 to 2022, Mazola played for another Brazilian club, São José-RS. He made 26 appearances and scored 4 goals during his time there.
3.17. Ypiranga-RS
As of 2023, Mazola is affiliated with Ypiranga-RS. He has made 1 appearance for the club.
4. Statistics
The following table provides a comprehensive overview of Marcelino Junior Lopes Arruda's career statistics, including appearances and goals across various clubs and competitions throughout his professional journey.
| Club | Season | League Apps | League Goals | Cup Apps | Cup Goals | League Cup Apps | League Cup Goals | Total Apps | Total Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| São Paulo | 2010 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Paulista | 2010 | 12 | 2 | 12 | 2 | |||||
| Guarani | 2010 | 29 | 6 | 29 | 6 | |||||
| São Paulo | 2011 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Urawa Reds | 2011 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 4 | |
| Hangzhou Greentown | 2012 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 3 | |||
| Hangzhou Greentown | 2013 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |||
| Portimonense SC | 2013-14 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | |
| Figueirense FC | 2014-15 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 3 | |||||
| Ceará SC | 2015 | 15 | 1 | 15 | 1 | |||||
| Guizhou Hengfeng | 2016 | 28 | 14 | 28 | 14 | |||||
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| CRB | 2018 | 20 | 1 | 20 | 1 | |||||
| EC São Bento | 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Tractor Sazi FC | 2019-20 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |||||
| Juventude-SP | 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Caxias | 2021 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |||||
| São José-RS | 2021-22 | 26 | 4 | 26 | 4 | |||||
| Ypiranga-RS | 2023 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Career total | 237 | 39 | ||||||||
5. Career Honors
- Campeonato Catarinense: 2015 (with Figueirense FC)