Adelaide United is delighted to announce the signing of Bernardo Oliveira, son of Reds legend, Cássio, on a scholarship contract until the end of the A-League 2022/23 season.
Bernardo had spent the last 17 months with Melbourne City and now returns to South Australia after agreeing to a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Reds.
The highly talented 17-year-old midfielder is the second father-son combination in the Club’s history after Cássio, played 150 matches and scored eight goals between 2007 and 2014.
Domenic Costanzo, son of United stalwart Angelo, was the first father-son combination after joining at the beginning of the campaign.
Speaking on signing with Adelaide, Bernardo said: “I’m really excited to be back in Adelaide and playing for my hometown Club.
“I grew up supporting the Reds because my dad obviously played many games for Adelaide United and I’m hoping to follow in his footsteps.
“For me Adelaide is the perfect environment to develop and thrive as a player because they give young players an opportunity to play in the A-League.
“To make my debut would be a dream come true, but I’m aware that will only happen through hard work and training at a consistently high level.”
Adelaide United Director of Football, Bruce Djite, said: “I am very proud that some of the best young players in the country now consider Adelaide United a destination club.
“Over the last few years, we have not only spoken about our philosophy but have actually seen it yield real results.
“We’re committed to giving the best young talents a genuine chance to play professional football at our Club as a pathway to Europe.
“Bernardo is a young player with a lot of potential, and we believe he can fulfil that potential here at Adelaide United.
“We all look forward to watching him continue his development under the guidance of Carl Veart.”
