Karen is a fabulous figure in world football. Few fans will remember his club, his goals, or even his name. However, his signature technique is still topical, and even after 15 years, it's still something to share, and supporters fondly recall it. That's not bad for a player who quit the professional game before the age of 30 and underwent almost as many surgeries as he scored.
At the 2005 South American U-17 Championship, Karen scored eight goals in brazil's seven games, attracting worldwide attention for the first time and helping Brazil win the championship. He had a good relationship with future Manchester United rising star Anderson, who scored five goals in Venezuela, while future Real Madrid legend Marcelo played as Brazil's left-back at the time. It was also then that he unveiled and perfected his main fame trick. He is best known for his SEAL dribbling, a technique in which players control the ball with their foreheads as they run. It's one of the most dazzling skills possible, and it makes Karen a target for a rough foul. Much of the clip of his iconic skill ends with Clen being fouled in some way, such as an opponent simply quickly ending the pleasing trick with his elbow.
His worldwide reputation was built by grainy videos on slow-loading computer screens watched by millions of squinting eyes. Karen was one of the first footballers to appear on social media and was a favorite subject for tech compilation video pioneers.
Following the success of Brazil's U17 team, he made his club debut for Cruzeiro, who also compared Clen to Ronaldinho, given their attacking midfield position and love of spectacular spectacle. In 2008, Karen inevitably moved to European football. However, it is a complicated deal, with Serie A side Inter Milan and Chievo sharing ownership due to the sheer number of non-EU players in Inter's squad. He then began to suffer repeated knee injuries, which hampered his playing time in Europe. In his first Serie A season for Chievo in 2008–09, he played just four games.
From 2009 to 2012, he officially played as an Inter player for three years, but never played a serie A for Inter – in fact, from his first day, this was evident. In the summer of 2009, Jose Mourinho succeeded Roberto Mancini as Inter milan manager, and Karen said he had no expectations for the Brazilian's chances in the first team. In 2019, he told European media: "Mourinho called me and said he wanted to talk to me privately. He asked me if I spoke Italian and I said, 'Sure, but if you want, we can converse in Portuguese' – after all, Portuguese is our native language. We're in Italy, so we're going to speak Italian' he replied, then told me I wasn't part of his plan. He said I could train separately from others if I wanted to because I still had a contract. ”
After loaning to Ajax – shortly after making his debut at the Dutch club, Ajax informed him he would actually play for their reserve team and was later ruled out due to knee problems – he returned to Brazil for two years in the lower division. However, injuries and reputational baggage frustrated him, with Inter asking him to leave permanently in 2012. As a result, Karen began a wandering career, playing for clubs in Japan, the United States, Malta, Brazil and Slovakia, but before retiring in 2017, due to further health problems, he could only play occasionally, at the age of 29.
In his short football career, Karen underwent a total of eight different surgeries, six of which were on the knee. For more than a decade, a skinny man about 1.67 meters tall was fouled by an angry and embarrassed defender who didn't have time for such a show-off. Therefore, it is not surprising that he decided to retire. "I've been injured too much for too long," he told the media five months after retiring, "especially at the last club in Slovakia, I'm not happy anymore." Every few meters I ran, I felt the pain in my hamstrings. This pain occurs again and again. When I get home after training or a game, I always immediately ask my wife for support. I only felt pain in my legs. I took a lot of medication for that, but my body said to me, 'Karen, I don't want to play football anymore.' I'm not happy anymore. Now I've found happiness again. ”
Karen and his family moved to the United States, where he currently works as a soccer coach, and his social media is adorned with photos of his children and the ones he trains. Footage from the videos he shot himself shows that he has not given up on this skill that made him a sensation. When watching the game through social media in 2007, Karen may not have reached the heights some expected, but he remains a memorable figure in 21st-century football folklore. If any professional footballer can do that, his career is meaningful.