He joined Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 1998. After this he was signed by German Bundesliga club Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The first half of 1998 Zé played for Flamengo under manager Paulo Autuori alongside Romário, Palinha, Juan (who would later play for Leverkusen and AS Roma), and his former Portuguesa teammate Rodrigo Fabri for the Rio de Janeiro State Championship, finishing disappointingly as runners-up. In an interview in 2012, Zé Roberto spoke of his decision to leave Madrid because of his ambition to play for Brazil at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France and had limited opportunities to prove his talents in Spain. He was also part of the Madrid's 1997–98 UEFA Champions League winning squad, scoring his only goal for the club in the opening group match against Rosenborg BK, before moving back to Brazil to play for Flamengo midway through the season. He then joined Real Madrid in January 1997 for a brief spell, where he helped them win the 1996–97 Spanish league championship. Zé Roberto started in the youth ranks of Palestra de São Bernardo but it was while playing for Portuguesa, as a left-back, that he became known throughout Brazil after finishing as runner-up in 1996 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Currently, he is a technical advisor to Palmeiras, acting directly with the players and the coaching staff.

José Roberto da Silva Júnior (born 6 July 1974), commonly known as Zé Roberto, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a left wing-back or as a midfielder.

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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