Bulgaria's National Football Team Naturalize Brazilian Playmaker

Marquinhos, the Brazilian playmaker of CSKA Sofia (right) is pictured tackling the ball during the final for Bulgaria's Football Cup against Slavia Sofia, won 1:0 by CSKA. Photo by BGNES

Marcos Marquinhos, the Brazilian playmaker of CSKA Sofia, will play for the Bulgarian national football team after he received a Bulgarian passport.

Marcos Ant?nio Malachias J?nior, a.k.a. Marquinhos (born 20 August 1982) has been playing in Bulgaria since 2006. After starting his career in Brazil's Guacuano, he was signed by Bulgaria's Belasitsa Petrich.

He was bought by CSKA Sofia in 2008, and has been playing there since. Marquinhos just triumphed with the Bulgarian football cup as CSKA beat 1:0 Slavia Sofia in the cup final on May 25, 2011.

Marquinhos will be used by the German head coach of the Bulgarian national football team Lothar Matthaeus in the upcoming friendly against a team of Corsica on May 31, 2011, and the Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro on June 4, 2011. Bulgaria have practically lost any chances to qualify for the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine.

Matthaeus himself is reported to have been the major driving force behind getting Marquinhos to agree to seek Bulgarian citizenship in order to play for the Bulgarian national team.

Marquinhos is the second Brazilian and the second black player ever to play for the Bulgarian national football team after Lucio Wagner, a left back, a native of Rio de Janeiro, played for Bulgaria in 2006-2009. Wagner played for Levski Sofia for seven seasons.

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