In an article entitled “Não me desvirtuei”, published in the Brazilian newspaper UOL Esporte, Raphinha, a Barcelona winger, tells about the difficulties he went through in childhood until he became a professional footballer and reached the biggest stages. The former V. Guimarães e Sporting recalls that he even asked for money on the street and says he lost many friends to the world of crime.
“I need to tell you a truth: it is very complicated. For someone born into a community like me, it’s hard to stay focused. I’m from Restinga (neighborhood in the South Zone of Porto Alegre). It is difficult to follow a path and not deviate from it. Some opportunities appear. They promise an easier way to make money. And that’s where people get lost. I lost many friends to the world of crime, to trafficking. Friends who played up to ten times more than me, who could have been in a big club. Having these examples so close together was an important factor in keeping me focused. I knew what I wanted from a very young age: to be a football player. Achieving this goal by coming out of a community like mine is a huge sacrifice. But my ambition was even greater. My family was very important. They never forbade me to do things, but they always showed me which way was right and which way was wrong. It was for them that I never dropped out of school. It was through conversations with them that I ignored the opportunities I had to take the wrong path. Because of them, I’m here. The kid from the community managed to go through all this towards the big stages. If today they talk about my “magic” on the field, I say: this is the real magic”, he begins by saying, under the heading “My History – Cup”, in which players from the Brazilian team talk about the path they traveled to reach the level of professional football.
Read more on O Jogo
