 He moved abroad in 2004, joining S.C. Braga in Portugal and making his Primeira Liga debut on 30 August by coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2–2 away draw against Académica de Coimbra; in his first season he scored in both league matches with S.C. Beira-Mar, helping to a 4–1 away win and a 1–1 home draw respectively.In the summer of 2007, Césinha was sold to Romanian side FC Rapid Bucureşti for €600,000.He netted five goals in his debut campaign, helping his team rank third in Liga I.