Cássio (footballer, born January 1980)
Cássio José de Abreu Oliveira, commonly known as Cássio, is a Brazilian-born Australian former professional footballer who played as a left back. He was born on 8 January 1980 in Rio de Janeiro and is 1.68 meters tall.
Cássio began his career with Flamengo, coming through their youth system and playing for the senior team from 2000 to 2004, with loan spells at Internacional (2002) and Atlas (2003). He then played for Olimpia in Paraguay (2004), New England Revolution in the MLS (2005), Ceará (2005–2006) with a Brasiliense loan (2005), and Santa Cruz (2006–2007).
In 2007 he moved to Adelaide United in Australia, where he became a key attacking left back and stayed until 2014. He made 158 appearances for Adelaide, scoring 11 goals. He helped the club win several end-of-season awards, including the Club Champion in 2007–08, and was notable in the AFC Champions League for his creative play, including setting up all three goals in the first leg of the 2008 semi-final against Bunyodkor. He signed a two-year extension in October 2008.
Cássio scored his first Adelaide goal in his second season, including a memorable free kick against Melbourne Victory, and a brace against Wellington in 2008. In September 2011 he expressed a desire to become Australian, and he, along with his family, became Australian citizens in September 2012, making him eligible to represent Australia, though he never played for the Socceroos in a World Cup.
He extended his contract again in November 2012 to stay until the end of the 2014–15 season. He left Adelaide United in December 2014 after a dispute with manager Josep Gombau, finishing as the club’s longest-serving player and a two-time Player of the Year.
After retiring, Cássio started an academy in Adelaide called Academia de Futebol by Cassio to train young players. He has also coached school teams, including Pembroke School and Nazareth Catholic College High School.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:38 (CET).