Rodrigo Defendi (born June 16, 1986 in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil), is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a central defender for AS Roma, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.
      A young centre-half signed from the Brazilian club Cruzeiro, who also produced Ronaldo, the appropriately named Defendi is renowned for a deft left foot and a dominance in the air. He was first spotted as a 16-year-old by the then Tottenham Hotspur Director of Sport Frank Arnesen.
      He became the first player signed under the ill-fated Frank Arnesen and Jacques Santini era at Spurs from Cruzeiro for a fee of £600,000 on July 3 2004, although he had to wait for his passport to arrive in August for the deal to be officially completed. He has yet to make his first team debut for the club but has featured in a number of reserve team matches.
      He has seemingly been deemed surplus to requirements by current Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol, as he was first allowed to travel back to Brazil to seek a contract with a new club which proved unsuccessful, before he was farmed out on loan to Udinese Calcio in January 2006. He made two league appearances before leaving for Roma in August 2006, again on loan. He has now made an appearance in the Champions League and in the Coppa Italia for the capital club, but has yet to make his Serie A debut for the Stadio Olimpico side.
      Defendi's future seems to be unclear. It is unlikely that Roma will sign him on a permanent basis when his loan deal expires in July. It is most likely that he will seek pastures new from Tottenham in the Summer, with a possible return to his native Brazil.