Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Men were banned from our stadium after brawl ..being in an all-female crowd was magical That’s never happened here, I think it would be a really nice atmosphere
THAYS, 29, FROM BRAZIL
g to Scotland and North Macedonia watch England this year – my first y trip since Kosovo in 2019.” he pair talk knowledgeably about zilians Gustavo Scarpa, Danilo and pe who all joined Forest this season. anwhile, former Athletico Paranaense midfielder and Brazil hero Bruno Guimaraes has moved to Newcastle and Thays says she is now following the club.
“It’s always been my dream to visit the UK to watch a game,” she says.
Becky offers to show her around. She goes on to discuss the women’s game which she says is already inspiring her daughters. Thays replies: “It is growing here but it’s not popular.”
She explains that teams get more investment if they support the women’s game, so things are slowly improving.
The two share their favourite matches. Not surprisingly, Becky picks the moment Forest were promoted back to the Premier League last season, beating Huddersfield 1-0 at Wembley.
“When I began watching them they were in the Premier League. When they got relegated, I didn’t realise it would take 23 years to get back…” Thays picks a 2019 cup game between rivals Athletico Paranaense and Gremio where her team came from behind to win. “The energy was magical,” she says. “The whole stadium was singing together, non-stop. “We could feel we were feeding the players with energy.”
Becky reminisces about being in Brazil during the 2014 World Cup. “It was just such an incredible experience,” she says. “I love going to places I never would have gone to without football.”
Thays says she must visit Curitiba. “You would love here,” she says. “My city has this European vibe and isn’t too big.” Afterwards, Thays says the chat was a wonderful experience and something she’d love to do again.
Becky says: “The World Talks is a lovely idea to connect to new people. You can become a bit closed off and it’s very important to hear different views.
“I would love to stay in touch with Thays. She did say she would like to come and watch a game in England, which I would be happy to take her to.
“I’m glad I took part in The World Talks. You can feel a bit isolated, especially working from home.
“I would encourage people to sign-up. You’re only giving up 30 minutes of your time to chat to a new person. You have nothing to lose!”