[4] He was the top scorer of the 2002–03 UEFA Cup with 12 goals in 13 games; this tally included two in the 3–2 final win against Celtic to overtake opponent Henrik Larsson,[5] as well as braces in the preceding rounds against Panathinaikos F.C.

[6][7][8] In the 2003–04 Primeira Liga, Derlei was leading the domestic goalscoring chart, including a hat-trick on 5 October in a 4–1 home win over Académica de Coimbra,[9] but suffered a right knee anterior cruciate ligament injury against F.C.

[14] He played his first league match for the latter on 2 February, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 0–0 home draw with Boavista;[15] his only goal in 16 appearances opened a 2–0 win over Académica on the final day of the season at the Estádio da Luz.

[16] Derlei left for Lisbon rivals Sporting CP in late June 2007, signing a one-year deal with the option for another after being freed from his two-year contract with Dynamo Moscow – he was, therefore, one of the few players to have represented the Big Three of Portugal.

[21] In his second season, Derlei fought with Hélder Postiga for a chance to play alongside Liédson, and scored some goals including an important one in a 1–0 home victory over FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, which sealed Sporting's group stage qualification on 4 November 2008.

[24] He made his competitive debut on 13 September in a match against Campeonato Brasileiro Série A leaders Palmeiras; having taken the pitch in the second half, he scored the 3–2 winner;[25] Derlei transferred to modest Madureira shortly after, returning to a team he had represented more than one decade prior.