Romario de Sousa Faria was never a man of dread. Early in his career, he was aggressive, sometimes violent, and appeared to be the enemy of all critics and authorities. How ironic this is when combined with his political career in the Brazilian Senate after his retirement. However, if there is any difference between the two, the latter can be simply understood as his desire to present himself in his surroundings.
His long, scattered hair has long since begun to turn gray, and he is 5 years old (?). The focus of his eyes had shrunk even smaller, narrowing his field of vision. His slightly drooping eyelids revealed some faint sharpness, which was common in his age. Life in Jacarezinu in the 1970s, one of the largest slums in Rio de Janeiro, left such a mark on a child.
In poverty, thin stature, and rejection, he strode toward wealth and social status with a roar and rage similar to that of a pit bull. More importantly, he could only hear his own voice if he roared loudly. The big game on the street was his stage, and despite the fact that dozens of young people competed with him, the situation remained the same.
In Brazil's big cities, poverty is inevitable. A child like Romario has to fight for the vast majority of things. One thing they have in common is the use of football to escape hardship. Little Romario thrived in such a democratic but not inclusive place, which really pleased his parents.
Vasco da Gama
His desire for worldly attention drove his development as a man and as a player. The experience of being rejected by Vasco da Gama at the age of 15 because he was too young would only take him further. Romario's casual response to this is only superficial, and under this, he decides to be the focus of the spotlight in an amazing way.
Later in the year he was first rejected, Romario scored four goals in the same age group as Vasco da Gama, giving the coaching staff a sense of what a wrong decision they had made before. His strength and acceleration in football is extraordinary. Defenders always thought there would be no trouble putting the diminutive newcomer in his defensive position, but it made the coaches look stupid as he broke through again and again, running past them and bumping past them.
After a few years in the da Gama youth system, his performance of scoring 11 goals in 11 games attracted the attention of the U20 national team scouts. He competed with the team at the 1985 World Youth Championship and won the championship, but was sent home for urinating on the balcony of the hotel where the team lived.
Being part of a successful team is a way to elevate Romario's status and his club can no longer stop him. He was promoted to the senior division, won 2 consecutive continental titles in 3 seasons, scored 80 goals and was called up for the national team in 1987. A year later, he scored seven goals on his way to the Olympic silver medal in South Korea, and with that, the result of the move to Europe was inevitable, the only question was where he was going?
PSV Eindhoven
PSV Eindhoven paid a lot of money to attract him to Holland, but their purpose was never achieved. In Brazil, two things worked in his favour; first, it laid the foundation for cultivating a desire to never give up; and although he was fierce on the pitch like a hound, he was also a very loyal stay-at-home man. Playing for Da Gama allows him to grow into a man while keeping in touch with his parents.
Second, this allowed the teenager to improve his reputation before he was hacked in the eyes of the public for some slight flower arrangement or fancy tricks. When he arrived in the Netherlands, he was surrounded by Dutch fans who praised him as an idol. Under the adoration of the new audience, the transition from one state to another became easier. However, challenges remain.
Rio de Janeiro gave him the noisiest, busiest, and most vibrant environment he could imagine to grow. Eindhoven, by contrast, is a relatively quiet port that is not obviously attractive to Brazilians. He quickly rejected Eindhoven's easy-going lifestyle and needed some comfort from home. In his garden, rain, dark grass, gray sky would never appear. Instead, he imported some golden sand from Copacabana and paved it inside and out of the garden instead of using the "strange" sand of the Dutch mainland to do so.
He used to live in a crazy rhythm, and laid-back training and a quiet home life were not enough. Naturally, he seeks nighttime entertainment in ways that are not possible in today's instant video and social media, at least today for endangering the next generation; it is doubtful whether he will rein in his nighttime entertainment.
He was truly welcomed after Eindhoven had the most successful season in history. They won the Eredivisie crown in a legendary way and played a bombing football under Hiddink. Frank Arneson, Eric Goretz and Wim Kift scored a shocking 117 goals. At the top of the league, they won the Dutch Cup again, reaching the domestic double. But their true glory is still on the way. Having not won the first two rounds in 90 minutes, they reached the Champions League final against Benfica (an away goal). In the game, they repeated the original way of playing football, and finally lifted the championship trophy, ending the most amazing battle.
The atmosphere of winning this supreme achievement is like that among romario airborne fans in the first place. Eindhoven won two titles in his first season with Romario, and after that, Romario helped Brazil win the Copa America. In fact, PSV has tripled in four years in Romario's time with the team, and perhaps more importantly for Romario, who has grown into the top scorer in the first three seasons.
The beginning of the end
In 1990, Bobby Robson became Eindhoven's manager. The Englishman has "fathered" some of the most eccentric players in football, but sometimes the fiery Romario still transgresses and violates the basic principles of the coach. The incomparable focus made Romario the best player, but it also brought with it a crisis that masked his responsibilities as a member of the team. A year before Romario arrived, Gullit clashed with management, criticizing the team for lack of progress before going to AC Milan for a world-record transfer fee. Gurlitt's path to a higher level also seems to be what Romario wants to take.
It's hard to tell when Romario became so obsessed with data. Was it when he gained recognition on dusty streets with his five-year-old body? Was it when he scored four goals in his revenge against the da Gama reserve? Was it when he was crowned top scorer in the U20 South American Cup? But in fact, it doesn't matter, because the final effect is the same.
Bobby-Robson's relationship with another young Brazilian, Ronaldo, was at Eindhoven and Barcelona a few years later, known for the bishop's admiration for the young man and the fatherly care he had given in his development. "He's a good boy!" The silver-haired coach once said of the young player with a smile. The late Romanio's intense thirst for personal achievement did not fit well into Robson's requirements, but it was not ignored by all.
Hiddink's famous quote reveals the positive side of Romario's unshakable self-confidence.
"If he saw that I was a little more nervous than usual before the big game, he would come up to me and say, 'Relax, coach, I'll score, we'll win.'" Eight times out of ten, when he told me that, he really scored goals and helped us win the game! How incredible! ”
All Romario wanted was for his talent to be accepted and given a space to be a leader. For him, making a move into Europe was a breeze. His next transfer will make him the focus of attention.
(To be continued)