IVO

Olívio Rosa, the man that football taught us to like and simply call him “Ivo”, was born in Palmitinho, Rio Grande do Sul, in the South of Brazil, on October 2nd, 1986. As a child, he moved to Teutônia, in the same state, city ​​that he adopted as his hometown and where he sees his family grow. Even after 20 years between the four lines, he still plays as active as if he were debuting. His current club, where he’s been since 2015, is Henan Jianye, in China. There, he is not only the playmaker but he is also the captain and leader for his teammates on and off the field.

His beginning in soccer was a discovery of the Erno Dahmer Recreational and Cultural Association - Juventus, or just Juventus of Teutônia.  João Bandeira was the club’s coach with countless contributions to the most popular sport in Brazil, especially when the subject is “young athletes revealed in Rio Grande do Sul”.

"My early career began here at Juventus (Teutonia), where I played multiple championships. I was trained by their football academy here and I am very grateful for that. I received all the help and support from João Bandeira, who was the coach at the time, the coach of many skilled athletes who emerged here at Juventus”, said Ivo about his early career, in the early 2000s.

He continued: “I had the support of João Bandeira and the football committee that at the time worked with Juventus. May God always reward them because it was a very precious time and very valuable as well. It was all the training and prep I had at Juventus that, certainly, influenced me a lot when the time when I was transferred to Juventude arose.  I managed to stand out among several players who were also competing for an opportunity to become professionals in the Caxias do Sul squad”, concluded Ivo about his appearance.

Highlighted at Juventus from Teutônia, Ivo aroused the interests of one of the greatest clubs in Rio Grande do Sul, Juventude, from Caxias do Sul , and took this important step at the beginning of his career in 2005 . “After Juventus I went to Juventude. At that moment, when I went to Caxias do Sul to perform a test for the team B and thus play the Serie B at the so-called “Gauchão”, I was assisted by João Bandeira and his entire staff  at that time. From the moment I joined Juventude, I stood out in squad B and after a few games, I was promoted to the main squad”, revealed midfielder Ivo.

With the good football presented there, the team's board offered him a three years contract, from 2006 to 2010. “When I signed a three-year contract and managed to play, make good matches, reach the finals of the Gaucho Championship here with Juventude, I ended up standing out as one of the main players of the squad at that moment and I thank God very much for the opportunity that a club  like Juventude provided me”, he revealed.

In football, the protagonists in Rio Grande do Sul are Grêmio and Internacional, both teams from the capital Porto Alegre. But, from 2006 to 2010, Ivo and his companions made Juventude bother the big ones by reaching the finals of the State Championship and occupying places in the elite of the Brazilian Championship. After almost four outstanding seasons, the midfielder aroused interest from the most traditional state when it comes to football in the country, São Paulo.

Antônio Carlos Zago, then in charge of Palmeiras, asked the board to encourage the hiring of Ivo, who joined their squad in 2010. The traditional club was not having a great season at the time, with the coach swaying in his position. Zago then left and shortened the midfielder's stay in the team, but that did not stop him, even in a short period of time, staunching his stay in the state.

“God opened the doors for me in São Paulo (SP), with Palmeiras. After playing three and a half months, four months at Verdão, I went to Ponte Preta, in Campinas, requested by Jorginho, the club's coach at the time. And it was great to have gone to Ponte Preta at that time because, while in Palmeiras, there were a lot of really good players, which made me play some games and others stay on the bench. And we know that competition in big clubs is very complicated. I wasn’t known when I joined Palmeiras and I had to compete for my space with players already very renowned. That ended up making it a bit difficult. So, I kept fighting for my spot. When I had the opportunity to join Ponte Preta, they needed a playmaker and I knew I would have the opportunity to play more freely. I didn’t think twice and accepted the invitation", said Ivo about his arrival at Verdão and, soon after, his transfer to the “Macaca”.

At Ponte Preta the midfielder had an exceptional year with excellent participation in the Brazilian Championship B Series 2010. Even today, the Campinas’ fans remember fondly of Ivo, who became a club idol.

The good football presented in the Campinas club opened another door for Ivo in São Paulo, this time at the traditional Portuguesa-SP, a club that the midfielder started to defend from January 2011.

“I received an invitation from Portuguesa to try and promote the team back to the first division of the Brazilian Championship and it was the project that convinced me to leave Ponte, a club that made me feel as good as in my youth. Going there to me, is a story, a happy story. It was a year of many achievements, and that team became known as 'Barcelusa'. We were a heck of a team there and we ended up having a lot of success. And God granted me the grace to score the goal that made the Portuguesa's access to the first division. I was graced by God for being able to be part of the history of Lusa in this wonderful year in my career, in my life, a year that God gave us a lot of grace and there we managed to reach our goal”.

A remarkable year in the life of midfielder Ivo and in the history of the Portuguesa who, in 2011, won their first national title, the Brazilian Championship Serie B. In addition to the trophy, a guaranteed spot in the elite of Brazilian football the following year. The Brasileirão also marked Ivo's career as his first major achievement as a football athlete. In addition, it was as a Lusa player that the midfielder met the businessman César Soler, initiating a beautiful partnership and friendship that lasts to this day. The playmaker continues with his career managed by CSR Sports.

The good phase in Portuguesa paid off and opened the frontiers for Ivo, who aroused the interest of clubs in the international market. In 2012 he received his first opportunity abroad, in South Korea's Incheon United.

“And after that time in Portuguesa, it was when I was transferred to South Korea. God opened a door for me in Korean football, playing for Incheon United. When I arrived in Asia for the first time, I still remember it to this day, I told myself that I had 'found my place'. I decided I did not want to return to Brazil instead I wanted to continue building my career outside of my country. And with that, I grabbed the opportunities I had with all my strength. And I asked God to support me in that place and it was an incredible experience, it has been a very wonderful experience to live in Asia”, said the midfielder.

Ivo stood out with goals, assists and excellent matches for South Korea's Incheon United. His dream of making a career in Asia was on track, as the Korean club made a renewal proposal for two more complete seasons, guaranteeing the midfielder would stay in the country at least until December 2014. But a good family surprise made him return to Brazil and sign with Criciúma, from Santa Catarina.

"I played my first year for Incheon United and it went very well, so much so that the club wanted me to renew with them for two more years. However, I had to return to Brazil because of the birth of my son, my wife was pregnant and was no longer able to travel by plane because of the stage of her pregnancy. So I chose to go back to Brazil and here I played for a year at Criciúma. And it was very good, because we achieved the objectives of the board. Criciúma had not been a state champion since 2005, it was eight years ago. And God graced us once again and there, and, upon my return to Brazil we won the Santa Catarina’s Championship title. We were still efficient in the Brazilian Championship and held the team in the elite of Brazilian football. It was also a very wonderful time in Santa Catarina”.

After a season of titles and achievements in Criciúma, in addition to the stability of his family, Ivo was once again available to continue his career in Asia, continuing his dream. Through CSR Sports and still with the doors open at Incheon United, the midfielder fulfilled the Koreans' wish and signed the bond valid for two years. His return took place in January 2014 with a contract signed until December 2015.

Once again highlighted in Korea, Ivo had his stay at Incheon United interrupted. And again to have his life changed positively and forever. "I went back to Incheon United. I signed two years of contract and, after playing in 2012 before Criciúma, I would complete three years there. After playing the 2014 season well, I ended up not staying at Incheon in my last year on the contract. I was bought by a Chinese club, which has become the club of my heart, which is Henan Jianye, the club I play for today”.

Ivo debuted in the Chinese Super League, the first division of Chinese football, in the 2015 season. Right in his debut year, he did not fail to play in one single match. In 29 games, he scored seven goals, becoming an absolute idol of Henan Jianye fans right away.

“I was again graced by God for having the opportunity to play for a club like Henan Jianye. I created a very strong bond with the fans, with the club and this opportunity is almost inexplicable. I’m thankful because I had the opportunity to go to the Asian football and managed to do a good job, always dedicating myself to the fullest. And today I am very happy because my career and my market in Asia have been consolidated, it has been consolidated more and more and I am very happy about it”.

The good football presented in China was no different. New proposals arose for Ivo to leave Henan Jianye. One of them was accepted by both the club and the player. Beijing Renhe, from the capital Beijing, the club did everything to count on the talent of the Brazilian midfielder so that, in four seasons, they’d move up to the first division. This fact happened much earlier than the board had planned.

“I signed a four-year contract with Beijing Renhe and went there with a mission to help the team move up in the first three years of the contract, which was the club's goal. I remember clearly when I got there and God spoke a word to me. God told me that we'd go up right in the first year, and even before the season had started, I publicly said that we would be one of two clubs that would go up to the first division of the Chinese league. And it ended up happening exactly as God had told me and, as I had believed, we went up in the first year”.

With a four-year contract signed, but with my objective already reached in the first season, Ivo's mission in Beijing Renhe was more than complete. Halfway through his second season in 2018, an old acquaintance got in touch. And for the second time in his career, Ivo was bought by Henan Jianye .

“I had a four-year contract with Beijing, but as soon as we went up divisions in the first year, in the middle of the second year of the contract, Henan Jianye's club went and bought me again. I wear this shirt today and I thank God a lot for this, for this club in my life. It is a place that I learned to love, I learned to love the people who are there. And I know that we are loved by them, my family and I were very well received and we have been graced by God for having created such a strong bond with this place. We are happy and we are happy, joyful in God for all that God has accomplished in our lives”.

In 2021 the midfielder Ivo continues to play his seventh consecutive season in Chinese football, the eighth of his career in Asia.