Josias Cardoso is a former Brazilian striker who spent the last years of his professional career in Peruvian football. He came to the country to play for Cienciano but his best seasons in terms of goals were in League 2. He wore the shirts of Los Caimanes, Deportivo Coopsol and Deportivo Hualgayoc, the last club he was with. He only scored nine goals in a season and a half with Papá, but played minutes in most draw games between 2013 and 2014.
Before playing in Peru, Josías Cardoso brought his football to various teams in Paraguay, Romania, Ecuador and Mexico. In the latter country, he had an unpleasant experience: in 2009, while he was a member of Club León, the Brazilian was accused of allegedly trying to steal an Antonio Banderas perfume because of a man using his name. What happened?
Josías Cardoso joined Peruvian football in 2013 to play for Cienciano. Photo: GLR archives
Josías Cardoso and his unsuccessful passage through Mexican football
After his first term on May 2, Josías Cardoso signed for León for the 2009 Clausura tournament. He came along with his compatriots Danilo Vergne and Ailton da Silva who, unlike him, were well known in Mexican football. The former Cienciano forward made his debut in the 1-1 draw against Tiburones Rojos on 1 February and has only played two games since.
Josías only played 80 minutes during his stay in León. He’s had three different coaches in six months, and on the last one he wasn’t even on the list. Because of this, he is considered one of the worst signings in the team’s history, but what made the situation worse was the incident on March 25, 2009. That day it was said that the Brazilian was arrested for stealing a perfume.
The cover of the Mexican newspaper that accused Josías Cardoso of stealing the perfume. Photo: I’m Fiera
Josías Cardoso and the unusual theft of Antonio Bandera’s perfume
On the evening of that date, a person was caught trying to steal an Antonio Banderas brand perfume at the Chedraui de Poliforum in Guanajuato. According to the police, the arrested man was about 23 years old, dark-haired and with a Portuguese accent. The cameras saw the person walking through the store and after a few minutes tucking the product under his shirt.
When he was arrested with the 150-peso bottle of cologne (approx. S/30), the perpetrator stated that his name was Josías Cardoso and that he was playing for León. To make things even more bizarre, he apologized by saying that another man had asked him if he was the Brazilian footballer and after he answered yes, he threatened him with a knife, told him to steal the perfume and thereby “proving that he is brave”.
Josías Cardoso only spent 6 months at Club León de México. Photo: I’m Fiera
What did Josías Cardoso say about what happened?
Of course, the real Josías Cardoso was very upset about what happened. The two involved were released the following day. The situation erupted when newspaper Noticias Vespertinas created a scandal by placing the former striker on the cover as if he had been the thief. Faced with this, the former attacker threatened to sue the agency, the police and the man who “stole” his name.
“I don’t have to steal these things… I’ll give the police and Chedraui until tomorrow to prove these slanders,” Josías told the press as he left the León stadium. The case eventually ended in fizzle but made a very awkward moment for the Brazilian who never added another minute with the Mexico squad.