Claudinho (footballer, born 1997)
Cláudio Luiz Rodrigues Parise Leonel (born 28 January 1997), commonly known as Claudinho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as either an attacking midfielder or a forward for Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg. Club career. Early career. Born in São Vicente, São Paulo, Claudinho joined Santos' youth setup in 2003, aged six. In July 2015, after impressing with the under-17s, he signed a professional contract with Corinthians, being initially assigned to the under-20 squad. Corinthians. Claudinho was part of the squad that won the 2015 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, despite never playing and only being an  unused substitute. After losing the under-20s final from Flamengo in 2016 Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, he made his professional debut on 19 March of that year, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 4–0 Campeonato Paulista routing of Linense at the Arena Corinthians. Loans to Bragantino and Santo André. On 3 June 2016, Claudinho was loaned to Série B side Bragantino for the remaining of the season. He contributed with 18 matches, as the club suffered relegation. Claudinho spent the 2017 Campeonato Paulista on loan at Santo André, scoring four goals during the competition; his first  came on 12 February, as he scored the second in a 2–0 away win against his parent club Corinthians. Ponte Preta. On 18 May 2017, Claudinho signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Ponte Preta in the top tier, with the club acquiring 50% of his federative rights. He made his debut in the category (and for the club) ten days later, replacing Lins in a 2–2 away draw against Atlético Mineiro. Loans to Red Bull Brasil and Oeste. On 9 January 2018, Claudinho was loaned to Red Bull Brasil for the 2018 Campeonato Paulista, where he featured  regularly but scored just one goal. On 11 April, he moved to Oeste also in a temporary deal, but cut short his loan in August to return to Red Bull. Red Bull Bragantino. On 24 April 2019, after Red Bull Brasil's merger with Bragantino to create Red Bull Bragantino, Claudinho's loan was renewed until the end of 2020. He became a key unit for the club during the 2019 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, contributing with ten goals as the club achieved promotion as champions; in September, "RB Bragantino" bought the 50% of his federative rights belonging to Ponte  Preta, and he signed a contract until 2023. Claudinho was also a regular starter in the 2020 season, and scored his first Série A goal on 9 August, netting a last-minute equalizer in a 1–1 away draw against former club Santos. The following 6 January, after impressing in the league, he further extended his deal until 2024. Zenit. On 7 August 2021, after winning gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics with Brazil, Russian club FC Zenit Saint Petersburg announced the signing of Claudinho from RB Bragantino. On 13 August 2021, he signed a five-year contract with Zenit. International  career. On 17 June 2021, Claudinho was named in the Brazil squad for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Honours. Club. Corinthians Bragantino Zenit Saint Petersburg