{{short description|Brazilian footballer (born 1983)}} {{Portuguese name|Ribeiro|Xavier}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Cleiton Xavier | image = Cxavier.jpg | image_size = 250px | fullname = Cleiton Ribeiro Xavier | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|3|23|df=y}} | birth_place = São José da Tapera, Brazil | height = 1.78 m | position = Attacking midfielder | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = CSA | years1 = 2001–2002 | clubs1 = CSA | caps1 = 8 | goals1 = 2 | years2 = 2002–2008 | clubs2 = Internacional | caps2 = 68 | goals2 = 5 | years3 = 2005 | clubs3 = → Sport Recife (loan) | caps3 = 4 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2005 | clubs4 = → Brasiliense (loan) | caps4 = 5 | goals4 = 1 | years5 = 2006 | clubs5 = → Gama (loan) | caps5 = 6 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2006 | clubs6 = → Marília (loan) | caps6 = 2 | goals6 = 0 | years7 = 2007–2008 | clubs7 = → Figueirense (loan) | caps7 = 61 | goals7 = 12 | years8 = 2009–2010 | clubs8 = Palmeiras | caps8 = 90 | goals8 = 16 | years9 = 2010–2015 | clubs9 = Metalist Kharkiv | caps9 = 109 | goals9 = 46 | years10 = 2015–2016 | clubs10 = Palmeiras | caps10 = 62 | goals10 = 5 | years11 = 2017–2018 | clubs11 = Vitória | caps11 = 42 | goals11 = 7 | nationalyears1 = 2003 | nationalteam1 = Brazil U20 | nationalcaps1 = 5 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2009 | nationalteam2 = Brazil | nationalcaps2 = 0 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | pcupdate = 28 January 2017 | ntupdate = }} '''Cleiton Ribeiro Xavier''' ({{langx|uk|Клейтон Шав'єр}}; born 23 March 1983) is a Brazilian former professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder. He is known by his powerful and accurate free kicks, dribbling skills and passes.
==Club career== In his early career, Cleiton Xavier played for CSA and Internacional, and was loaned out various times.
===Palmeiras=== In early 2009, Palmeiras signed Cleiton from the relegated Figueirense. Cleiton Xavier proved he had good talent in Palmeiras's first matches in the Libertadores Cup and in the São Paulo State Championship. On 29 April 2009 Cleiton Xavier scored an 87th minute away-goal against Colo-Colo in the Libertadores Cup that secured Palmeiras' progression to the knockout stages of the tournament, it was a very long-range shot inside the goalkeeper's left angle.<ref>[https://southamerican-futbol.blogspot.com/2011/03/cleiton-xavier-vs-colo-colo.html Golazo – Cleiton Xavier vs Colo=Colo]</ref>
Later in the Série A alongside teammate Diego Souza, Cleiton Xavier made an outstanding season with Palmeiras, leading the competition for 19 rounds, however Palmeiras finished 5th due to losses in the final matches and did not qualify for the Libertadores Cup. Cleiton Xavier was elected the 3rd best player of the season, even though he had an injury. In 2010, Cleiton Xavier remained with Palmeiras and also started well the year. He participated in Palmeiras's first ten goals in the São Paulo State Championship.
===Metalist Kharkiv=== On 14 July 2010, Cleiton Xavier transferred to FC Metalist Kharkiv for €4.5 million.<ref>[http://www.palmeiras.com.br/noticias/2010/07/14as22h47-id2839-cleiton+xavier+e+negociado+com+time+da+ucrania+e+nao+enfrenta+o+santos.shtml Cleiton Xavier é negociado com time da Ucrânia]. (in Portuguese). ''Palmeiras official site''. 14 July 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2010 .</ref> In 2013, he became popular for scoring a fastest equalizing goal from the starting line after the restart of the match against local league rival, Chornomorets. He then inspired them to a 3 – 1 victory which boosted their chances to qualify for next season Champions League campaign in which the victory lift them above another local rival who competing for the same spot, Dynamo Kyiv.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2013/04/25/quick-thinking-kharkiv-catch-keeper-off-guard-3666375/|title=Striker lobs keeper straight from kick-off – video|date=25 April 2013}}</ref>
== Club statistics == {{updated|28 January 2017}}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%; text-align: center;" !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="2"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|State League !colspan="2"|Total |- !Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="3"|Internacional |2002 |20||3||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||20||3 |- |2003 |25||1||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||25||1 |- |2004 |23||1||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||23||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !68!!5!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!68!!5 |- |rowspan="1"|Brasiliense |2005 |1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||1||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !1!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0 |- |rowspan="2"|Figueirense |2007 |28||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||28||0 |- |2008 |33||12||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||33||12 |- !colspan="2"|Total !61!!12!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!61!!12 |- |rowspan="2"|Palmeiras |2009 |32||3||colspan="2"|—||12||3||17||3||61||9 |- |2010 |7||1||4||1||0||0||16||5||27||7 |- !colspan="2"|Total !39!!4!!4!!1!!12!!3!!33!!8!!88!!16 |- |rowspan="5"|Metalist Kharkiv |2010–11 |26||6||colspan="2"|—||9||3||colspan="2"|—||35||9 |- |2011–12 |25||10||colspan="2"|—||12||2||colspan="2"|—||37||12 |- |2012–13 |29||15||colspan="2"|—||9||5||colspan="2"|—||38||20 |- |2013–14 |20||7||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||21||7 |- |2014–15 |9||8||2||2||5||1||colspan="2"|—||16||11 |- !colspan="2"|Total !109!!46!!3!!2!!35!!11!!colspan="2"|—!!147!!59 |- |rowspan="1"|Palmeiras |2015 |10||0||3||1||colspan="2"|—||4||0||17||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !10!!0!!3!!1!!0!!0!!4!!0!!17!!1 |- | rowspan="2"|Vitória |2017 |0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||0||0 |- !Total !0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0 |- !colspan="2"|Career Total !267!!53!!7!!2!!42!!13!!37!!8!!353!!76 |}
==Honours== ;Internacional *Rio Grande do Sul State League: 2003, 2004
;Figueirense *Santa Catarina State League: 2008
;Palmeiras *Copa do Brasil: 2015 *Campeonato Brasileiro: 2016
;Vitória * Campeonato Baiano: 2017
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Sambafoot|722_cleiton_xavier}} *{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080209143155/http://200.159.15.35/registro/registro.aspx?s=154144 |date=9 February 2008 |title=CBF}} {{in lang|pt}} *{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828031742/http://guardian.touch-line.com/statscentre.asp?Lang=0&CTID=59&CPID=133&pStr=Player&PLID=131079&TEID=5795 |date=28 August 2012 |title=Guardian Stats Centre }} *[http://www.figueirense.com.br/equipes/index.php?categoria=1&posicao=5&atleta=120 figueirense.com] {{in lang|pt}} * {{FFU}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Xavier, Cleiton}} Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:Brazilian men's footballers Category:Brazilian expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Ukraine Category:Centro Sportivo Alagoano players Category:SC Internacional players Category:Sport Club do Recife players Category:Brasiliense FC players Category:Sociedade Esportiva do Gama players Category:Marília Atlético Clube players Category:Figueirense FC players Category:SE Palmeiras players Category:FC Metalist Kharkiv players Category:Esporte Clube Vitória players Category:Campeonato Brasileiro Série A players Category:Ukrainian Premier League players Category:Footballers from Alagoas Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Ukraine Category:Pan American Games silver medalists in football Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for Brazil Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Footballers at the 2003 Pan American Games Category:Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games Category:21st-century Brazilian sportsmen