Archive for the ‘The Review’ Category

A few notable items from the wide, wonderful world of non-European football. Not surprisingly, Club World Cup champions Corinthians are at the top of the heap.

Less than two days after winning an international title, the São Paulo giants are already thinking ahead to their Copa Libertadores defense and the 2013 Campeonato Brasileiro. Given the financial difficulties at Vasco da Gama that led to Juninho Pernambucano’s move to New York Red Bulls (more on that below), Corinthians are one of several Brazilian sides mulling a move for 24-year-old defender Dedé.

Widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the country, Dedé has played only three full seasons of top-flight football but has nevertheless become something of a club icon at Vasco. The Rio de Janeiro side would no doubt hate to lose him, but his reputation and ability (he’s been capped six times for Brazil) likely mean they’ll entertain offers for him while his value is high. And it’s high now.

Also being heavily linked to Corinthians is oft-injured and out-of-favour AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato, and given Monday’s developments it looks as though the 23-year-old could be making his competitive bow for Timão as soon as next month.

Read the rest of this entry »

The process of selecting a national team manager is more fascinating, more politicised in Brazil than almost anywhere else.

It is a truly national argument, and before the “chosen one” is presented at the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) everyone from former players to club officials to the country’s biggest media outlets will have supported, if not outright campaigned for, a particular candidate.

Of course, the procedure is hardly a democratic one. If anything, the appointment of Brazil’s national team boss resembles the election of a pope. There is backroom manoeuvring, private handshakes, nods and winks and then POOF! A cloud of smoke goes up and the Selecão has a new manager.

So far, Pep Guardiola has attracted some of the loudest support. On Saturday—less than 24 hours after Mano Menezes was sacked by the CBF—iconic striker and 2002 World Cup winner Ronaldo revealed his admiration for the former Barcelona trainer, telling Globo the 41-year-old would be “a great choice for Brazil.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Adriano’s latest comeback came to its inevitable, boozy end last week—put out of its misery by a series of Facebook photos and a video that showed the Flamengo striker partying in a Rio de Janeiro discothèque, microphone in hand and dancers by his side. He made a much better striker than he does a rapper, but these days it’s hard to even believe the now-30-year-old was once one of the most formidable forwards on the planet.

In a statement released by his press agency on Monday, Adriano confirmed what he really had no choice but to confirm, and what those of us who have followed his career—it’s euphoric highs and extreme lows—have heard time and again: that he will be taking yet another break from football, to be followed by yet another comeback.

“I thought a lot, talked to my family and friends and came to the conclusion that the best thing to do is return [to football] in 2013,” he said. “[Flamengo] have to concentrate on their final stretch of matches and I have to regain 100 per cent of my fitness…I’ll keep training with even more vigour…Believe me: this decision was made taking everything into consideration,” he said.

I’ll provide a rather more in-depth look at Adriano’s situation in this space on Friday, but this piece by writer/actor/director Rodrigo Beilfuss (written 20 months ago amid dishearteningly similar circumstances) is a good primer if you’ve happened to have lost track of Adriano, both the player and the person.

Read the rest of this entry »