Clarence Seedorf left Milan in 2012 after a successful career spanning a decade. At the age of 36, many people hoped that he would retire quietly and find one last paycheck, but such an idea was far from the Dutch character. Serious and with a sense of urgency, he is determined to gain some new experience and take up a senior position in a promising team that will help him transition to management.
He chose Botafogo in Brazil. He was chased by several clubs from around the world, but he decided to end his illustrious career with his last stop in Rio de Janeiro. He signed a two-year contract, the most lucrative contract ever offered to a foreign player in Brazil's history, and Botafogo president Mauricio praised him. "He's the greatest foreign player ever signed by a Brazilian club and he really wasn't here for the money. He is a challenge-driven player and he told me that Brazilian football is where he can play at a high level for the next two years. He wasn't just here to visit. ”
Seedorf is a natural winner, and he was right to be ecstatic about his new signing. After playing for elite clubs such as Ajax, Sampdoria, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and AC Milan, Botafogo is his sixth club. He has won league titles in each of the participating countries, as well as the Domestic Cup, the Toyota Cup, the Club World Cup and four Champions Leagues. Despite cristiano Ronaldo's best efforts at Juventus, Seedorf remains the only player to win the top European league title at three different clubs.
The transfer shocked many people, but if you look closely, it makes sense. Born in Suriname, which borders Brazil, Seedorf's family moved to the Netherlands when he was a child. His wife is Brazilian and he speaks fluent Portuguese. Rumor has it that Botafogo was his wife's childhood club.
One of the team's supporters explained: "Botafogo is a magical, distinctive club. Both Botafogo and Pele's Santos were among Brazil's greatest teams in the 1960s and 1970s. Brazil, which won the World Cups in 1962 and 1970, had a lot of players, such as Garrincha, Nelton Santos and Jaizinho. Today the team is going through a tough financial situation, but is still one of the 12 strongest teams in the country. ”
The timing was perfect for Seedorf. Brazil was and is in a strong position in South American football, and journalist Rupert Fryer considers the Brazilian league to be the most high-profile league in the South American continent. "The financial resources available to Brazilian clubs dwarf other clubs in South America," he explained. "This fact is due to the strength of the Brazilian economy at the beginning of this century." Brazil was experiencing an economic boom at the time, and with a lot of investment from sponsors, the club was able to bring in a large number of big-name players from abroad and bring Back home Brazilians who played elsewhere. ”
Fluent in six languages and with a master's degree in business, Seedorf opens a restaurant in Milan and runs a sports company and a charity. "I've never seen such a strong personality," Bruno de Mitchells, a former club psychologist at AC Milan, commented in The Guardian. He speaks only 10% like a player, 70% like a coach, and 20% like a general manager. De Mitchells explained that if the coach told the players to defecate on the pitch, the players would certainly do so, but Seedorf would ask him what color he should pull.
So it's no surprise, therefore, that as soon as He arrived in Botafogo, Seedorf was actively involved off-court, criticizing the chaos of domestic football in Brazil and supporting the emerging "Bom Senso movement" – a player-led organization designed to improve conditions for Brazilian players and clubs. Brazil has a strong football culture, with some clubs having tens of millions of fans, but their collective development is hampered by bureaucratic national and state federations.
"Seedorf raised the bar on and off the pitch during his time at the club and both management and the players agreed that he had set a new standard during his short tenure," Flair explained. He was also intrigued by the media, and his ability to speak Portuguese made him immediately very affinity in Brazil. Time and time again, he is more than happy to deal with the media and talks wisely and clearly about Brazilian football and broader social issues. He was amiable and soon won the approval of the overwhelming majority of fans who thought he was only here for a paycheck and extended holidays.
However, these off-field activities did not affect his contribution on the pitch. During the first week of botafogo's training, photos of his topless body went viral, showing his exemplary figure, with physical trainer Lesandro Cardoso calling him an "outstanding athlete."
Seedorf accepted his role as an older speaker while maintaining his level of play. Centre-back Doria said: "It's fantastic to have Seedorf to lead us. He is a man of triumph, and his presence elevates us and increases our will to triumph. He helped us both on and off the field. And goalkeeper Jefferson praised Seedorf for helping him grow into "a man and a professional player.""
Most midfielders decline more physically as they age, using their intelligence, experience, and technical abilities to compensate for physical decline. Seedorf did the opposite – he worked with Botafogo coach Osvaldo Oliveira to get a bigger position.
In the 2013 Brazilian league, Seedorf created more scoring chances than anyone else, eventually making 59 appearances for the club and scoring 17 goals. "Playing in Brazil is like going back to my youth," he told The Guardian. "In terms of where I am, I can feel freedom and creativity on the pitch and a gratitude for the simplicity of playing life."
"In Europe, a lot of coaches are rigid in attack, but the further south you go, the more players are free to unleash their creativity," he explained to FIFA. "If you look at the Netherlands or Denmark and then look at Spain, it's a completely different situation. It's still within Europe, where there's more freedom to change positions or dribble people.
"In Brazil, depending on the level of individual ability, the coach will give the players different degrees of freedom. They want their players to carry the ball in front of their opponents. If you have two guys staring at you and the players here think they can beat them without a problem, that's what they're going to try and do. If you do that in the Netherlands, they'll yell at you. 'Two players? Pass the ball back and keep moving the ball. It's a different mindset. One of them is not necessarily better than the other, but I do feel more accepting of the Brazilian way. ”
He joined in the middle of the 2012 season and it wasn't until his first full season that his influence was fully felt. Botafogo got off to a strong start, losing just three of his first 21 games and becoming an unexpected title contender. "This team had good players like Goalkeeper Jefferson, who played for Brazil at the time, Renato, a former Sevilla midfielder, and Eriksen, a striker who now plays for China," fans Recall Cuba. "But Seedorf, there's no doubt that the signing makes him a key player in the squad. He played a different role than his previous career, closer to the offensive zone and scored a lot of goals. ”
At the end of the season, the team's form began to decline and hopes of competing for the title faded, so their attention turned to qualifying for the Copa Libertadores, the first time the team had such an opportunity since 1996. It wasn't until the last day of the season that Botafogo beat Crisciuma 3-0 with Maracanã, confirming their place in this top South American tournament. Described as "crazy" by The Globe, Seedorf scored the final goal and tearfully embraced Oliveira when he was replaced. This will be his last appearance as a professional footballer. A month later, he was named head coach of AC Milan.
Seedorf has won two trophies at Botafogo – the Rio State Football League title and the Guanabara Cup , both of which were won by clubs within the state of Rio de Janeiro, but the most tangible success he has had from his journey to South America has been his upbringing as a coach.
Speaking to The Guardian, Seedorf said: "The last few years of my career were spent at Botafogo in Brazil and I worked with manager Osvaldo Oliveira and this gave me the opportunity to prepare for everything that is coming. From a very young age, I have had the privilege of watching football matches all over the world. The experience given to you is priceless. ”
"I can work closely with the coaching staff there and do a lot of analytical work with the team, personal analysis, match analysis. Be part of the discussion. I was able to go deep into it. I also had the opportunity to work with people at U16 and U17, which meant I could complete the practical part of my coaching course. It's tough, but I'm very engaged because I know it's going to take me somewhere. ”
Seedorf's coaching career may not have developed as he had hoped, but there is no doubt that his farewell performance in Botafogo was a fitting end to his incredible career. Kuba revealed that while some Botafogo supporters were disappointed that he chose not to stay for the Copa Libertadores, many considered him an icon. "There is no doubt that having Seedorf play for us is extraordinary and unique."
And these two adjectives also so vividly explain his existence. (Supine Braces: Zhou Shuren Shu Zhou)