Celso Gavião
Celso Dias dos Santos, better known as Celso Gavião, is a Brazilian former footballer who played as a central defender. He was born on February 28, 1956, in Santos, São Paulo.
Celso began his career with Botafogo Futebol Clube (SP) in Santos, where he played alongside future legend Sócrates. In 1978 he moved to Fortaleza EC, then spent 1979–1980 with Ferroviário-CE, scoring to help the team win the state championship against Ceará. He later played for Vasco da Gama (1981–1983), winning the Carioca state title in 1983, and then had stints with Atlético Paranaense, Santa Cruz, and Bahia.
In 1985 he moved abroad to FC Porto in Portugal. He stayed with Porto until 1990, appearing regularly in the league (23 games in each of his first two seasons) and scoring several goals. He won eight major titles with Porto, including the 1986–87 European Cup, where he played all matches and scored three goals in the campaign. He was known for his powerful shot and his ability from free kicks.
In the early 1990s, Celso returned to Brazil to play for Goiás (1991–1992) and Ferroviário-CE (1992) before retiring in 1992 at the age of 36. In November 1987 he was selected for the World Soccer World XI, becoming one of the most highly regarded Brazilian players of his era. His younger brother, Celso Haros Lacarra, is also talented.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:45 (CET).