[ad_1]
The 45-year-old Brazilian now exercises daily and his body is a “statuette.” Once a midfielder for Real, Bayern, Leverkusen and 84 times international with his national team, he has written history in European and world football.
The titles he has won speak for themselves. With Real a championship, a Super Cup and a Champions League, with Bayern four championships, an equal number of cups and two League Cups. With Santos a Paulista. With Al-Garafa, an Emir’s Cup. With Palmeiras a championship and a Brazilian Cup. With Celesao two Copa América and an equal number of confederations.
We contacted him by phone. The first conversation failed to move around the incredible body he maintains even now that he has retired from action. This post on social media was, after all, the reason for the interview. What is your secret
“The secret? I stopped playing two years ago, at the age of 43, but I didn’t stop training. I take care of myself. To be honest, I always liked training, I never did it by force. Right now that I don’t have and the obligations I can do and the different types of training.
I do long distances, muscle exercises. But it all starts with diet. I have not neglected my diet for a single day. It is a matter of discipline. But it is also a matter of health. It is not because he was an athlete, anyone who has fun and takes care of himself can live longer. “
“IT WAS AN ANASA MAKRI”
Summers and … summers his name was paralyzed from the first pages of the Greek press. His name has been involved in several summer transfer periods as a candidate transfer target for Olympiacos. A series of years. True or false? Ze Roberto speaks for the first time about the interest in red and white and even reveals that he came close in 2006, making special reference to the madness that the then team president, Socrates Kokkalis, had with him.
“The first thought that comes to mind when I hear the word Greece is that every summer was a transfer target for Olympiacos (laughs). But also for Panathinaikos. The truth is that I approached Olympiacos. In 2006. Olympiacos has always been interesting. ” , but by then it had become more intense. It was after the World Cup. The president had gone crazy with me, he wanted me to sign like crazy.
He was free from Bayern. But suddenly there was a great opportunity. Go back to Brazil and not to a simple team, but to Santos. I chose Santos. If I stayed in Europe Olympiacos would probably be my next team. I was a breath away. There were no such contacts with Panathinaikos. “
“FEW CAN BE PLAYED IN MANY POSITIONS LIKE I AM”
He went through all the midfield positions. He even played as a left back. He played until he was 43 years old and even played a leading role in Palmeiras. After all, isn’t football a matter of age?
“I played until I was 43 and last year I was the best player in the league, winning the title. Soccer is becoming increasingly demanding and has nothing to do with competitiveness compared to what it was 5-10 years ago. years”.
If you take care of yourself, you have fewer injuries. So it was with me, so it has been with many other athletes. It’s how much you love what you do and you cut back on any job. My first injury, believe it or not, came at age 38. He was professional, that’s why I played until 2017.
Ze Roberto in the last matches of his career with Palmeiras
I played in almost every position in midfield, including as a left back. Few players can do that today. Many can play in many positions, but few have stability and quality. For example, someone who does it well is Zerson from Flamengo and you may not have seen much in Greece. He still hasn’t played left like me (laughs). “
THE TWO DIFFICULT ANTI-PALES
Real, Bayern, Flamengo, Leverkusen, Santos, Hamburg, Al Garafa, Gremio and Palmeiras. What was your best moment? Who is the best teammate and who is the toughest opponent for Ze Roberto?
“Each team was important to me. Each team was a dream. With Real I won the league, the Super Cup, the Champions League, with Leverkusen I reached the final. Bayern is a giant like Santos. But I will keep the last flavor With palm trees.
Kostas Katsouranis scoring in Brazil – Greece for the Confederations Cup
My best teammate was Ronaldo. Literally, the phenomenon did not happen by accident. As the most difficult opponents, I would choose two. Zidane and Messi “.
He won four titles with the Brazilian team. He was a member of the best quality team for the last 20 years with Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Kaka, Gilberto, Adriano, Robinho, Zuninho. Celesao is trying to find a way back to success. Can Neymar chart a course on this path?
“I would not choose Neymar as the sole leader of the Brazilian team. He is Thiago Silva, of course, Allison. They are experienced footballers. The World Cup does not depend on a single player. It never depended. Everyone must have the same goal.” I see that only a player like Pelé or Maradona can lead a team to a title. “.
RACISM IS NOT JUST NATURAL
“I never experienced racism in the field and I never wanted to experience it,” he told Globoesporte. Speaking to Sport24.gr, Ze Roberto explains that there is not only racial racism. He lived a different kind of racism, even in his own country. He even takes a position on Mario Balotelli’s proposal that players who are victims of racism leave the field.
“I have never experienced racism in Europe. But I did experience it in Brazil. Beware racism is not just racial, it is not just about color. When I signed with Portugal, I got a good car. And I remember that suddenly no one was talking In the neighborhood of my then partner and now husband, the police always checked me and everyone looked at me with one eye.
Celebrating goals against Ghana with Ronaldo and Ronaldinho
Racism in football has always been and always will be. Balotelli said the solution is to leave the field of play. I don’t know if it is the solution, because the racist will stay in his place. The racist needs punishment. Exemplary punishment so that others do not do the same. The most important thing is to make them understand deep down why I was wrong. “
The conversation could not move around the coroner’s pandemic. How is the situation in Brazil? What about soccer in the country? Ze Roberto believes that profit cuts are inevitable.
“Everything has stopped, nobody knows when they will start. Of course, football. In May the championship would start, but obviously it will not happen. Nobody knows when it will start. Neither the teams nor the players. Some teams are in negotiations with players for cuts” .
[ad_2]
