*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:07, 30 December 2023 (UTC)
Fransérgio Rodrigues Barbosa (born 18 October 1990), known as Fransérgio, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Coritiba.
On 5 February 2012, Fransérgio made his debut for Internacional in the Campeonato Gaúcho, coming on as a 66th-minute substitute for Jesús Dátolo in a 2–2 draw at rivals Grêmio; he was not officially presented by the club until after the game.[4]
Fransérgio was loaned out in May 2012 to Série B club Criciúma,[5] and in December to Ceará.[6] He arrived at second-tier club Guaratinguetá on loan in May 2013,[7] and played 15 games, scoring in a 3–0 home win over Icasa on 13 July.[8]
Marítimo
In January 2014, Fransérgio moved abroad for the first time, signing a 21⁄2-year deal with Marítimo of Portugal's Primeira Liga; his agent Marcelo Lipatín had played for the same club.[9] He played seven matches in his first season in Madeira, and scored to conclude their 3–1 home win over Académica de Coimbra on 19 April.[10]
Fransérgio played two consecutive Taça da Liga finals for the club from Funchal, both lost to Benfica, and scored a penalty in the latter on 20 May 2016 in a 6–2 loss at the Estadio Cidade de Coimbra.[13] Twelve days before that match, he was sent off in a 2–0 home loss to the same team.[14] He scored a career-best five league goals over that season, including another brace against Vitória Guimarães in a 3–0 home win on 17 April.[15]
Braga
In January 2017, fellow top-flight team Braga announced the signings of Fransérgio and teammate Dyego Sousa for the new season, taking him on a five-year contract and giving Marítimo a share of any subsequent transfer.[16] He made his debut on 27 July in a 1–1 draw away to Sweden's AIK in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round first leg, his first game in European competition.[17] He played nine games and scored four times in that continental campaign, including two in a 3–1 home win over Hoffenheim in the last group game on 23 November.[18]
On 13 September 2019, Fransérgio received a straight red card at the end of a 1–0 loss at Vitória de Setúbal for attempting to strike José Semedo; the offence was caught by a video assistant referee.[19] He played four matches of their victorious Taça da Liga campaign, scoring in a 4–1 final group game win over Paços de Ferreira on 22 December,[20] and in the final on 25 January he took the shot which rebounded for Ricardo Horta to score the only goal against Porto in added time.[21] On 12 February 2020 he extended his contract until 2024 with a buyout clause of €20 million.[22]
On 25 October 2020, Fransérgio was sent off for his part in a melée after David Carmo had been dismissed for a foul on Marcus Edwards in a 1–0 derby win at Vitória de Guimarães; the Braga pair were suspended for three games and opponent Jorge Fernandes for two.[23] Days later, he was diagnosed with COVID-19, and missed the Europa League game against Leicester City as a result.[24] He ended the season as a national cup winner,[25] having scored an equaliser in the 12th minute of added time in the first leg of the semi-finals against Porto.[26]
On 25 August 2021, Fransérgio signed a three-year contract for Bordeaux. The initial transfer fee was €4.5 million, with a potential €3 million in addition according to clauses.[28] He made his Ligue 1 debut three days later in a 4–0 loss at Nice.[29] Bordeaux ended the season relegated for the first time in 30 years; local newspaper Sud-Ouest named him one of the three biggest disappointments on the team alongside Marcelo and M'Baye Niang, with an average match rating of 3.1 out of 10.[30]
Fransérgio scored his first goal in French football on 8 October 2022, an added-time strike to conclude a 2–0 home win over Metz to put Les Girondins in first place in Ligue 2.[31]
Coritiba
Having been a target for Botafogo a year earlier, Fransérgio returned to his country's league for the first time in nearly a decade on 28 June 2023, signing with Coritiba until 2026. The move followed the recission of his contract at Bordeaux.[32] He made his debut on 8 July as a starter in a 3–1 comeback win at home to América Mineiro.[33]
