Diego Ribas Biography

Diego Ribas nationality

is Brazilian. The Brazilians are popular for their great talent in football. The same goes for Ribas as well. The footballer is a product of Brazilian club Santos which is based in Vila Belmiro a bairro in the city of Santos. Ribas worked hard and made a name for himself at the club while getting attention from big clubs with his great performance.

Over the course of his career Ribas earned a lot of honors for the clubs he served. An agile player with a unique style of play which made him a tough opponent to go up against on the pitch. His creativity and accurate passing on the pitch along with other features have turned him into an important player. Find out all the details about Diego Ribas life story in this article.

Details About Diego Ribas Biography You Probably Didn’t Know 

Ribas is well known for his tricks like feints on the field. In the terms of football, feint means when a footballer deceives the opponent by making him believe that he will pass, shoot or move in a certain way. As a result, the footballer gets the advantage to make his move and win the ball. Find out the details you are looking for about Diego Ribas biography in the following.

Diego Ribas Information

Before we get into the details of

Diego Ribas childhood

and early life we will fill you in with the details of his bio and other information.  

Diego Ribas Bio

• Full name: Diego Ribas da Cunha

Personal Information

• Diego Ribas date of birth: 28 February 1985

• Zodiac sign: Pisces

• Place of birth: Ribeirao Preto, Brazil

• Diego Ribas religion: Christian

• Father’s name: Djair Ribas da Cunha

• Mother’s name: Cecilia Ines Ribas da Cunha

• Diego Ribas Nationality: Brazilian

• Marital status: married

• Marriage date: 2010

• Wife’s name: Bruna Leticia Ribas da Cunha

• Children: Davi and Matteo and Leticinha

Body measurements

• Hair color: Light brown

• Eye Color: Dark brown

• Height: 173 cm

• Weight: 73 kg

Football Information

• Position: Attacking midfielder, central midfielder

• Debut in profession: Santos (2002)    

• Clubs served: Porto, Werder Bremen, Juventus, VfL Wolfsburg, Atlético Madrid (loan), Atletico Madrid, Fenerbahce, Flamengo                                  

Diego Ribas Early Life 

The footballer was born on 28 February 1985 in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil to Brazilian parents Djair Ribas da Cunha and Cecilia Ines Ribas da Cunha. According to

Diego Ribas date of birth

his zodiac sign is Pisces. As a child Ribas was very passionate about football and chased the ball almost 24/7 in the neighborhood with his childhood friends. He dreamed of one day becoming a professional footballer.

Ribas trained at Comercial FC in Ribeirao Preto while he was six years old and showcased his great talent in football. His family encouraged him to make a career for himself in football. As a result, he fully dedicated himself to fulfill his dream and make a name in the football industry. At the age of nine he went on and joined Sao Carlos hoping for a better future.

Diego Ribas Profile

Over the years the footballer came a long way and established himself as a professional footballer. According to

Diego Ribas bio

he plays as an Attacking midfielder and central midfielder on the pitch. We have gathered all the information you need about the footballer’s club career in the following. Join us in this journey and let’s begin.

Santos

At the age of 12 Ribas was signed by the Brazilian club

. He worked hard on his performance at the club’s youth team. He debuted for the first team while he was 16 years old during the Rio-Sao Paulo Championship back in 2002 and in the same year won the domestic Campeonato Brasileiro championship. At the time Diego Ribas along with his teammates

, Elano and Alex formed a group together in the club which was a famous group.

Porto

In July 2004, the footballer reached an agreement with Porto and replaced Deco. However, Ribas couldn’t perform as well as he did in his former club Santos. He debuted for the side in a 1-1 draw with Uniao de Leiria on 22 August. Later on 30 October, he aimed the net for his first goal in a 2-2 draw with Nacional. Porto left the pitch as a winner during the Intercontinental Cup over Once Caldas via a penalty shootout.

However, Diego was ruled out of the game due to swearing at goalkeeper Juan Carlos Henao. During his first season with the club he managed to score two goals. But overall Diego found it hard to cope with life at Porto and he didn’t perform well. As a result, he parted ways with the club and switched to Werder Bremen. Find out more details about

Diego Ribas biography

in the following. 

Werder Bremen

In 2006, the Brazilian footballer reached an agreement with the German Bundesliga side

for the estimated amount of €6 million. He debuted for the side in the DFB-Ligapokal. On August 5 the side won the cup and defeated Bayern Munich. Diego settled well in the club and easily found his place. He aimed the net for his first goal and later grabbed a brace in a 4-2 victory against Hannover 96, on 13 August. Diego made a lot of wonders at the club and secured his position as a key role player.

His great performance didn’t go unnoticed and he won the August Player of the Month award. During his

season he grew well with the team and made a name for himself as one of the most important footballers of Werder Bremen. Diego formed a friendship with Torsten Frings on the midfield and together they were nicknamed the “two motors of Bremen's midfield”.

Three-Time Winner of Player of the Month Award 

In October 2006, he managed to win the player of the month award for the second time. Later he won the award for the third time in December 2006. During the Group A in the Champions’ League group stages, Werder Bremen secured its position in the third place and they got qualified for the UEFA Cup. Thanks to Diego’s remarkable performance the side made its way to the semifinals following their win against AZ in the quarter-finals.

In the first champion’s league group stage matchday, the side was defeated 2-1 by

however the footballer’s performance drew attention of Bernd Schuster coach of Real Madrid. At the same time there were rumors of the Diego’s departure. But he put an end to all rumors by extending his contract until 2011. In September once again he was voted Player of the Month. Later he grabbed a brace in the UEFA round of 16. However, Bremen was defeated by Rangers. The footballer’s last season at the club was his best season. Overall, he scored 20 goals which was more than his two first seasons at Werder Bremen.

Juventus

On 26 May 2009, Diego reached an agreement with the Italian side Juventus. He signed a contract worth more than €4 million with the side which included an option to add more than €2 million in case of achieving the club’s goals in the future five years. Diego debuted for the side in a game over Seongnam which was a 3-0 victory. In the first half of the match the footballer provided an assist for

’s goal. In the second half of the game he aimed the net for a goal.

Later Diego recorded his first Serie A goal by grabbing a brace in a 3-1 win over Roma on 30 August 2009. One of the greatest moments of Diego on the field was when he provided an assist for Alessandro Del Piero's goal over Genoa. The Brazilian footballer also scored in the 2010 TIM Trophy over Milan. Later Diego had a few disagreements with the side and Juventus declared that the Brazilian footballer will leave the club. German clubs such as VfL Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich and his former club Werder Bremen showed interest in signing with him. Find out more details about

Diego Ribas biography

in the following.

Diego Ribas Controversies at VFL Wolfsburg

On 27 August 2010, the Brazilian footballer reached an agreement with

for the estimated amount of €15 million which was a record transfer fee. During his debut for the side Diego aimed the net for his first goal in a 3-4 loss to Mainz 05. On 5 February 2011, Diego won a penalty for the side and took the ball by force from Patrick Helmes who was assigned to take the penalty. At the end of the game Wolfsburg lost the match and Steve McClaren decided to fine him for not following orders.

Later Diego was informed that he will not be included in the first team for the upcoming game. On 14 May the footballer made another controversy as he left the hotel which the team was staying at prior to a crucial relegation. The side went on the field with only six footballers on the bench. They won 3-1 against 1899 Hoffenheim without Diego and secured their place to feature in another Bundesliga season. The footballer was fined €500,000 for his actions. Learn more details about

Diego Ribas biography

in the following.

Diego Magical time at Atletico Madrid

For the 2011-12 season Diego joined Atletico Madrid on a loan. He debuted for the side in a game over Valencia. He scored his first goal for Madrid during a UEFA Europa League match over Celtic. He also provided an assist for

. Thanks to him the game was a 2-0 victory. The footballer scored his first league goal in a 3-2 victory against Levante on 20 November 2011. Diego remarkable performance and goal scoring abilities didn’t go unnoticed and he made a name for himself at the club as a key role player.

On 9 May 2012, he went on and aimed the net in a victory over

in the Europa League Final while securing Atletico Madrid’s win for the second time in three years. The footballer later stated about the match: “We played against a tough rival like Athletic, but we played an almost perfect match, it was a difficult match, we never said it was going to be easy. I have to thank God for this victory.” Diego had a magical time with Madrid and he later revealed: “This season was positive on both an individual and collective level and I'm delighted.”

Fenerbahce

Following Diego’s spell at Madrid he returned to VfL Wolfsburg then he signed a contract with Atletico Madrid for one season. On 11 July 2014, he reached an agreement with the Turkish club Fenerbahce and signed a three-year contract. He debuted for the side in the first game of the season while replacing Emmanuel Emenike in a 3-2 victory against Karabukspor.

Diego went on and made amazing performances at the club however on 24 November 2014 during a 1-1 draw over Bursaspor he suffered from a crucial muscle tear which prevented him from featuring in the future games. After three weeks he came back to play over Altınordu in the Groupstage of Turkish Cup. He managed to score in a 1–1 draw on 23 December 2014. Overall Diego made a lot of wonders at the Fenerbahce. Learn more details about Diego Ribas biography in the following.

Flamengo

Over the years the Brazilian club

was eager to sign a contract with the footballer and finally on 19 July 2016 as Diego signed a contract with the side. The footballer made powerful appearances at the club and quickly became the team's most important midfielder. He made his debut for the side on 21 August 2016 during a Brazilian Série A game over Gremio.

He managed to score the winning goal. During the 2019 Copa Libertadores Final, the midfielder made a remarkable appearance as he provided assists for both of

's goals and Flamengo defeated River Plate 2–1. In 2020, the footballer extended his contract with the side for another year.

International Career 

Diego debuted on international level in 2003 during a friendly game over Mexico. Later he joined Brazil under-23 team that competed in 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup alongside Santos' teammate Robinho. For the 2008 Olympics in Beijing he was included in the Brazil U-23 team. In 2017, Tite then coach called him to feature in a friendly game over Colombia. Overall Diego made 34 appearances on International level. Learn more details about Diego Ribas biography in the following.

Style of play 

Diego Ribas is a talented midfielder with a unique style of play. He is well known for his dribbling skills, vision and excellent passing abilities. He is capable of playing as a supporting forward or on the wing on occasion. Aside from all of these features Diego is capable of scoring goals. Over the course of his career he showed amazing talent in aiming the net for the clubs he served at. As we mentioned before the footballer is also known for trickery and ball-skills, such as his use of back-heels, feints and overhead kicks, among an assortment of other tricks.

Reception

Diego made his breakthrough at Werder Bremen. He showed remarkable skills on the pitch and football pundits praised him for his amazing performance. He managed to make a name for himself and was considered a key role player at the club. He won the Player of the Month Award for three consecutive times. At the end of the 2006-07 season the footballer won the Bundesliga Player of the Season award which was organized by popular magazine kicker. Over fifty percent of the fans voted for him however Werder Bremen didn’t win the Bundesliga after finishing third in the table, behind champions VfB Stuttgart and

.

Goal Celebration

When it comes to celebrating his goals, the footballer runs in joy with an open arm as a sign of victory.

Diego Ribas Life Outside Football 

As for Diego’s life outside football he is an outdoor person and a family guy.

Diego Ribas religion

is Christian and he spends most of his time with his family when he is not chasing the ball on the pitch. The footballer puts his family first and is a dedicated husband who is not afraid to show his love f on social media. Diego is widely followed on Instagram. Nearly 5 million people follow him on this platform.

Diego Ribas Personal Life 

The footballer is originally Italian. Both of his paternal great-grandparents moved to Brazil from Italy. His great-grandfather, Carlo Lazzari, was from Ferrara, and his great-grandmother, Maria Concetta Viola, was from Naples. Find out more details about

Diego Ribas life story

in the following.

Family Children and Relationships 

They say behind every successful man there is a woman. The same goes for the successful midfielder as well. Diego Ribas is a married man. He married Bruna Leticia Araujo back in 2010, in a simple wedding ceremony. Bruna walked down the aisle looking stunning in a beautiful white wedding dress. The couple said their vows and tied the knot among their family and close friends. Diego has a special bond with his wife and they do almost everything together.

Bruna is a loving wife who supports her man in every up and down. Every time Diego has a game; she sits in the front row cheering for her husband. The couple is blessed with two boys. Davi was born in 2011 and his brother Matteo was born in 2013. On 14 July 2021, Bruna posted a video on her Instagram account sharing the beautiful moment of their daughter's birth. She captioned: “Welcome Leticinha! Thank god for the miracle in me.” Stay tuned for more details about Diego Ribas biography in the following.

Philanthropy

As far as we know the footballer hasn’t been part of charity work. 

Legal Issues

The footballer didn’t face any legal issues during the course of his career.

Diego Ribas Career Statistics

Diego Ribas made a name for himself as a talented midfielder with his amazing goal scoring abilities. We have gathered all the information about his appearances and the goals he has scored over the years in different clubs. Stay tuned for more details in the following.

Club 

Diego started his career with Santos back in 2002. He stayed there for three seasons while featuring in 127 games. He managed to score 35 goals for the side. Then he reached an agreement with Porto for the 2004-05 season. He played at the club for two

seasons and featured in 63 games while aiming the net for 7 goals. For the 2006-07 season he signed a contract with the German club Werder Bremen. Diego had his big break at this club and appeared in 132 games while scoring 54 goals for the side.

In 2009, he signed a contract with the Italian club

. He made 47 appearances at Juventus while aiming the net for 7 goals. For the 2010-11 season Diego switched to VfL Wolfsburg. He stayed there for three Bundesliga seasons and featured in 87 games while scoring 24 goals for the side. He made a name for himself as the key role player of the squad.

In 2011, he was loaned to Atlético Madrid for one season. The following season the club signed a contract with him however he remained at the club for only one season. For the 2014-15 season Diego reached an agreement with the Turkish club

. He stayed there for two seasons and made 75 appearances while scoring 8 goals. In 2016 he signed a contract with Flamengo. So far he has made 205 appearances and scored 39 goals for the side.

International

Diego Ribas made his first appearance on international level back in 2003 for Brazil. So far he has featured in 34 games and scored 4 goals for the side. 

Diego Ribas Honors

Over the years the footballer came a long way and made a name for himself as a talented attacking midfielder. We had gathered a list of all the achievements Ribas has accomplished both on club and international level, during the course of his career. Find out more details in the following.

Honors

Club

Santos

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2002, 2004

Porto

• Primeira Liga: 2005–06

• Supertaça de Portugal: 2004

• Intercontinental Cup: 2004

Werder Bremen

• DFB-Pokal: 2008–09

• DFB-Ligapokal: 2006

Atlético Madrid

• La Liga: 2013–14

• UEFA Champions League runners-up: 2013–14

• UEFA Europa League: 2011–12

Flamengo

• Copa Libertadores: 2019

• Recopa Sudamericana: 2020

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2019, 2020

• Supercopa do Brasil: 2020, 2021

• Campeonato Carioca: 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021

International

• Brazil Youth

• Olympic Bronze Medalist: 2008

Brazil

• Copa América: 2004, 2007

• CONCACAF Gold Cup runner-up: 2003

Individual

• Goal of the Year (Germany): 2007[94]

• VDV Bundesliga Player of the Season: 2006–07

• kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2006–07, 2007–08

• Bundesliga top assist provider: 2007–08

• UEFA Europa League top assist provider: 2011–12

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Year: 2016

• Campeonato Carioca Team of the Year: 2017

• Copa do Brasil Best Player: 2017

• CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI (Reserves): 2003

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