He previously played for Santos in two Copa Libertadores, helping that team finish runners-up to Boca Juniors in the 2003 tournament. Robinho's contributions to Santos attracted a great deal of attention from the top European football clubs.
Santos resisted his departure, foreseeing a possible decay of the club's playing strength. However, he was motivated to leave Brazil by the shocking kidnapping of his mother in late 2004. After that event, he expressed a desire to leave the country. He finally left Brazil in the summer of 2005 and started his European club career with Spanish La Liga giants Real Madrid. On July 31, Real Madrid agreed to pay a fee of $30 million for him. Robinho joined the side on August 25, and teamed up with fellow Brazilian internationals Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Julio Baptista to make his debut against Cadiz, coming on as substitute in the second half for Thomas Gravesen.
--Wikipedia
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