Jesus hasn’t turned his back on the old neighborhood
SAO PAULO — Four years ago, teenager Gabriel Jesus was painting the streets of Jardim Peri, a Sao Paulo favela (neighborhood) where crime is rife and fetid creeks flow past children playing soccer.
Now, as the 21-year-old prepares to play in his first World Cup with Brazil in Russia, it is the favela that paints him on its walls.
There, a 112-foot-tall mural in yellow, green and blue of the Manchester City star illustrates just what he means to the neighborhood, where the local kids dream of emulating their hero.
“I hope one day it is a painting of me up there,” said Filipe Araujo, 11, one of the children playing at the local Jardim Peri pitch. “Gabriel never forgot us, he makes us proud and deserves this.”
Jesus, who lived a few meters away until age 16, discreetly visited the site of the painting. ‘Tetinha,’ as he is known locally, told friends he was moved by the tribute, which was paid for by one of his sponsors.
Jardim Peri has played such a big part of Jesus’ life that he tattooed the favela on his right arm. Pictures of the area are on all his social-media channels. Friends and family still live there. “I left Peri, but Peri has never left me,” he often says in interviews to Brazilian media.
When Brazil hosted the last World Cup, Jesus could barely afford bus fares to go to training. That meant he had to walk in flip-flops for almost two miles to attend practice. Whenever he had some change, friend Gisele Xavier remembers, he spent it at her bar buying candy.
“He has always had a childish taste for food, he loves soft drinks and cookies,” Xavier said. “I never saw him drinking beer, even when he was here watching World Cup games.”
Luis Diniz, an uncle of the striker, has lived in Jardim Peri for 30 years, and misses his nephew running around and celebrating goals as if he was Carlos Tevez, the Argentine who starred for Sao Paulo-based Corinthians between 2005 and 2006.
A decade later Jesus hit the limelight playing for their archrival, Palmeiras.
“Gabriel was always a great kid, he liked to study and to play. Now children here take inspiration from him.
“He is a reason of pride for the neighborhood and for our family,” Diniz said.
Jesus is likely to become Brazil’s youngest striker to start a World Cup match in 60 years. When Brazil coach Tite took over in 2016, the Palmeiras forward was fighting for the position with Gabriel Barbosa.
Jesus’ two goals in Ecuador helped Brazil to a 3-0 victory in Tite’s debut. He never lost his place, even after Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino stepped up his game.
Tite recently said Jesus’ family and friends were key to his quick adaptation in Manchester, which also helped Brazil’s national team.
To make England more comfortable, Jesus took Higor and Fabio, two of his Jardim Peri boyhood friends, and cousin Alan to live with him.
“If Tetinha becomes a world champion in such a short time they will paint his face all over the neighborhood,” said Alan.