[3] He moved back to his home country to play for Rio de Janeiro state-based club Castelo Branco from 2008 to 2009,.

[6] Cortez played his first game for the club on 22 May 2011, at Estádio Benedito Teixeira, in São José do Rio Preto, on a 2–0 defeat against Palmeiras.

[8] He played his last match for Botafogo on 4 December 2011, on a 1–1 tie against Fluminense at Estádio Raulino de Oliveira, in Volta Redonda, for the last round of the Série A.

[14] In May 2013, after São Paulo knock-off from both the State League and Copa Libertadores, Cortez was removed from the club's roster by president Juvenal Juvêncio and manager Ney Franco and, alongside four other players, transfer-listed.

[16] Arriving at the Portuguese side, he stated that playing in Europe was his opportunity to earn a spot back at the Brazilian squad and end his two-year absence.

[17] Falling out of favour at Jorge Jesus' squad, Cortez ended his loan spell on 11 January 2014 and returned to São Paulo.