Léo (footballer, born 1988)

Leonardo Renan Simões de Lacerda (born 30 January 1988), commonly known as Léo, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a central defender.

Grêmio
Born in Contagem, Minas Gerais, Léo joined Grêmio's youth setup at the age of 12. He made his first team – and Série A – debut on 25 July 2007, coming on as a first-half substitute for Itaqui in a 2–0 away win over Náutico.

Léo scored his first professional goal for Grêmio on 16 September 2007, netting the winner in a 1–0 home success over rivals Internacional. He then became a regular starter for the side, and helped the club finish second in the 2008 Série A.

Palmeiras
On 18 December 2009, Léo moved to fellow top tier side Palmeiras on a five-year contract, with Maurício moving in the opposite direction on loan; Grêmio also saw R$ 6.5 million of a R$ 8 million debt being discounted on the move. He made his club debut the following 16 January, starting and scoring his team's second in a 5–1 Campeonato Paulista home routing of Mogi Mirim.

Léo began the season as a starter, but was subsequently overtaken by Maurício Ramos and Edinho.

Cruzeiro
On 13 August 2010, Léo moved to Cruzeiro for a fee of R$ 1 million plus Leandro Amaro. Initially a backup to Edcarlos and Gil, he subsequently became a regular starter in the 2011 season onwards, when both left the club.

Léo was also a part of the Cruzeiro squad which won two consecutive Série A titles in 2013 and 2014, aside from winning four Campeonato Mineiro titles. He struggled with injuries during the 2019 and 2020 campaigns, with his side suffering a first-ever relegation in the former.

On 20 May 2021, after nearly eleven years and 401 matches with Cruzeiro, Léo left the club after rescinding his contract.

Honours

 * Grêmio
 * Campeonato Gaúcho: 2007


 * Cruzeiro
 * Campeonato Mineiro: 2011, 2014, 2018, 2019
 * Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2013, 2014
 * Copa do Brasil: 2017, 2018