Roberto Carlos exclusive The famous full- back recalls his Galactico glory days and more
Roberto Carlos won the lot in a stellar career as the most celebrated full- back of his generation – even if he didn’t see it all himself. Now, the thunder- thighed icon discusses life as a samba hero, inspiring Becks and almost joining Chelsea
During the course of a glittering career, Roberto Carlos hit 115 goals. Not bad for a full- back. With four La Liga titles, three Champions League triumphs, two Copa America crowns and a World Cup to his name, he is undoubtedly one of the finest left- backs in history – and before he won any of those prizes, he also scored one of the most iconic goals in history. His mind- bending free- kick at 1997’ s Tournoi de France is a source of wonder; a virtually unexplainable phenomenon like Carlos Valderrama’s hair. After a run- up that started in the centre circle, how did he bend that football quite so ferociously – evading the French wall by almost a yard as it whizzed off in one direction, leaving a ball boy ducking for cover, before swerving back past a helpless Fabien Barthez and in off a post?
Now 47, Roberto Carlos is working for old club Real Madrid and remains close pals with his fellow members of the fabled Galacticos. A day before our interview, Luis Figo popped in. “I have a bar at home, so everyone wants to join me and enjoy a beer,” he grins.
The pair had no shortage of good memories to look back on from their careers – and now the Brazilian is ready to discuss his best ones with Fourfourtwo, too...
Is it true you were named Roberto Carlos after a famous Brazilian singer?
Yes, my dad’s a huge fan. When I was a child I didn’t know where it was from, but the older I got, the more I understood who the singer is and what he means to Brazilian culture. Now I like him as well, and it’s a great honour to be named after him.
Only Cafu has more than your 125 Selecao caps, and many call you the most attacking full- back of all time. What do you make of that description?
I just tried to change the idea that a full- back should be only a defensive player, and nothing beyond that. In the old days, full- backs played much more defensively and I tried to balance it, knowing how to defend but how to attack as well. Looking at the historical perspective, I think Cafu and I had a big role in that change.
You had incredible power on your shots, and your thighs were famously huge. Was that always the case?
My legs are the same as my dad’s, and he has the same strong legs as my grandad, so it’s my genetics – although my legs ended up getting stronger due to all of my training. To become a professional, you can’t rely on this supposed gift you’re born with. You have to push yourself.
Most of your goals were absolute screamers. Which was the toughest to score?
There are three. The first one was for Palmeiras against Sao Paulo when I was young – I shot from 30 yards, right into the top corner. Then there were the famous ones, for Brazil against France, and for Real Madrid at Tenerife.
You smashed in the Tenerife goal from near the corner flag. Did you really mean it?
It was definitely deliberate. I had no option but to shoot from where I was on the pitch, right? [ Laughs] I either had to have a shot, or let the ball go out for a goal- kick. It was a split- second choice and I’m very glad I did the right thing!
Talk us through the free- kick against France at Le Tournoi. When you put the ball down, you placed it carefully. Was that significant?
My trick was to place the valve in the direction that I was about to shoot. It can make a big difference to all free- kick takers, to get more power. At first, no one thought it was possible to shoot from there, but the wind helped and I was able to get a really good connection on the ball. It’s tough to explain how I managed to do what I did – there’s no real explanation, to be honest. I’d already done it several times in training, including that swerve, but I never imagined I’d do the same under the pressure of an actual match. Afterwards, I found out our coach, Mario Zagallo, doubted that I could score from such a long distance. So, after the game I approached him in the dressing room and said, “That goal was for you, even though you didn’t trust me.”
You finished second to Ronaldo for the 1997 FIFA World Player of the Year award. He hit 47 goals for Barcelona the previous season, but surely you should have won it for that free- kick alone?!
[ Laughs] Honestly, no! Given what he did that season, it’s impossible to compare Roberto to Ronaldo. I was proud of my achievement – it’s rare for a defender to be voted among the best players in the world. That was a surprise to me.
You’d joined Real Madrid a year earlier. Why did you quit Inter after one season and what was the atmosphere like at the Bernabeu?
At Inter, I was close to being called up by Brazil to play at the Copa America. But Roy Hodgson
decided to play me as an attacker rather than a full- back, so I was worried about not getting my place in the Brazil team. That’s why I asked to leave. If I remember rightly, Lorenzo Sanz signed eight players when I joined Real Madrid. Truth be told, the initial plan was to be La Liga champions within three years, but the quality of that squad was so great that it allowed us to jump a few steps ahead – we won the title in our first season.
Twelve months on, your deflected shot fell at the feet of Predrag Mijatovic, who scored the winning goal in the Champions League final against Juventus. How did that feel?
That was such a special final. Real Madrid had gone 32 years without winning the European Cup. It was incredible to be part of one of the most important goals of the tournament, but I’m not the kind of guy who gets emotional or thinks I’m an important player because of this or that. I tried to score, the defender deflected it, and Mijatovic was in the right place at the right time. It was a key moment to bring joy to Real Madrid fans in Europe, after a long time.
It was also your looping pass for Zinedine Zidane’s ridiculous volley in the 2002 final against Bayer Leverkusen. You did all the hard work, right?
People ask me about that goal, and if I knew that Zizou was where he was… In all sincerity, I saw a team- mate in the box but didn’t know it was him – then I realised I’d assisted one of the greatest players that has ever played the game! [ Laughs] Believe it or not, I didn’t see what he did live – only the ball in the back of the net. I watched that beauty properly after the final whistle, on a television we had in our dressing room. It’s one of the most beautiful goals the world has ever witnessed, no doubt about it. Zizou always thanked me for it, but it’s me who has to thank him for the honour of playing alongside him.
“I JUST TRIED TO CHANGE THE IDEA THAT A FULL- BACK SHOULD ONLY BE DEFENSIVE – NOTHING BEYOND THAT”
What was it like to be part of the Galacticos?
I didn’t know what I was doing there! [ Laughs]
But it was a great and wonderful experience. What I’d like to underline is the environment we had – we had world- class players, but that didn’t prevent everyone from being mates with each other and we pushed really hard to keep our winning mentality. To play with those lads was by far one of the best moments of my life. But I didn’t like the nickname ‘ Galactico’ much, because it put immense pressure on us. Every team tried to beat us. The only pity was that we didn’t win the number of titles proportional to that squad’s quality.
Did David Beckham always attract the most attention at events?
Absolutely. It was normal because he was not only a footballer – he was also married to a huge popstar, so many people wanted to get close to him. As I’d gone to Real years before him, I tried to protect him from that intense adulation he generated. I advised him where to go, and that quick bond became a great friendship. He was a wonderful team- mate and spent a lot of time with me, Ronaldo, Robinho and Emerson. We lived near each other, and after intense sessions he’d come to my house to unwind. We talked about life and enjoyed a beer. He wanted to learn about Brazilian culture and fell in love with feijoada
[ a stew of beans with beef and pork].
Is it true that players often took private jet trips during the season?
Yes, although we only travelled when we had won games. It was a brilliant time. I’ve always loved Formula 1, and my wish was to play our matches on Saturdays so that I could travel to watch the races on Sundays. On top of being a huge Formula 1 fan, I was good friends with Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard, Heikki Kovalainen and Nico Rosberg. We enjoyed our lives, but we remained very responsible when it came to training.
After 11 years, your career at Real Madrid finished as it started – with a league title win under Fabio Capello, after his return for a second spell. Was it the perfect ending? It was, and a marvellous farewell after three Champions League titles – but I wish I could have stayed at Madrid even longer. I still had another season left on my deal, but received some good offers and eventually decided to end my contract. Before going to Fenerbahce, I almost signed for Chelsea.
Why didn’t you move to Stamford Bridge, in that case?
Everything was agreed with Chelsea, but there was a contractual clause they really wanted and I didn’t. That’s the only reason I didn’t play in England. I had to play a certain number of matches in a row to get my contract renewed later on – it was normally between 12 and 15 games, but as I wasn’t a boy any more, I was concerned about picking up injuries and not being able to reach that number. I was proud of Chelsea’s interest, though. I had a meeting with Roman Abramovich, and we had a true and sincere conversation. Actually, I already knew Roman, because as a Real Madrid player you come across club presidents and owners all around the world. It would have been more or less what Cristiano Ronaldo did a couple of years ago, choosing a brand new experience after winning everything at Real.
Chelsea also had a prime Ashley Cole in their ranks – that would have been an epic battle for the left- back berth. What do you think it would have been like?
Cole was going through a wonderful period of his career, indeed – but I never thought that way, like I was competing with someone else for a place in the team. I did what I thought was best for the team and never aimed to be the main man. That’s not my style. [ FFT: Is it true that Aston Villa also wanted you, before you joined Inter?] They showed interest after I played a tournament in England with Brazil, but we never actually negotiated anything.
You were sharing a room with Ronaldo when he had convulsions on the afternoon of the 1998 World Cup Final. How did that affect the whole team?
At 2pm, I was already in no mind to play the final. I saw him sick in the hotel room. There was so much pressure on Ronaldo and he just wanted to play football, nothing beyond that.
Truthfully, there was no appetite to play after what had happened – we already knew that we would lose before the match, as our main man was on his way to the hospital. It’s been many years now, and to see Ronaldo alive and happy is what matters to me the most. Titles are the least that matters in life. This isn’t an excuse for what then happened on the pitch, because France played better and deserved to win. We must be respectful of our opponents. Perhaps if Ronaldo was 100 per cent we could have won, but who knows? Obviously what happened before affected our concentration, but there’s no one to blame.
How did it feel to lift the World Cup in 2002, after the trauma of 1998?
In 2002, we did exactly what we’d done four years earlier. The difference was that Ronaldo didn’t go to hospital. When I lifted the trophy, I thought about all my family, friends and the whole nation back home on the other side of the globe, proud of what we’d done.
Ronaldo got an unusual new haircut ahead of the semi- final against Turkey – were you involved in that?
He came up with the idea by himself – I didn’t have a clue that he’d suddenly turn up looking like that! That’s Ronaldo – he comes up with something different. [ Laughs]
You played at wing- back during that World Cup – did it suit you?
I’d played there in the past for Real Madrid, so was completely used to it. I scored a free- kick at that World Cup too [ against China], which isn’t something everyone can claim. That year with Real Madrid and Brazil, we won the World Cup, Champions League, Intercontinental Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
How much fun was it to film the iconic Nike airport advert in 1998?
There was only laughter between us. We had a fantastic time at Galeao, Rio’s international airport. It took many hours to finish, because
we weren’t sure what we were supposed to do – at first, everything went wrong and we had to shoot it all over again! I didn’t have many minutes on camera, though, because Ronaldo and Romario were the big stars of that team. I think Ronaldo made most of the mistakes – sometimes it can be quite tough getting him to concentrate properly...
Later, you took on a team of sumo wrestlers during a Pepsi ad for the 2002 World Cup…
That was an amazing experience and the players had a lot of fun. If I remember it right, we shot that in Almeria in Spain. It was quicker to record than the airport advert, because many things were done on computer rather than the real stuff. All the sumo wrestlers were excited to meet us and a brilliant bunch of guys. They loved football so much.
You joined Anzhi Makhachkala as a player in 2011, and also had an off- field role. Did you enjoy your time at the club?
It was fantastic – I was able to build a team to play top- level football in Russia. I knew what the playing budget was, and [ agent] German Tkachenko and I were responsible for bringing in players. We managed to sign Samuel Eto’o, Joao Carlos, Willian, Yuri Zhirkov and Jucilei, then came fifth in 2011- 12 and played Europa League football the following season. We lost to Newcastle in the last 16, but to help a club like Anzhi Makhachkala become known across the world was a great achievement.
Was it strange training in Moscow and only going to Makhachkala for games?
Initially we wanted to live in Makhachkala, but there were no training facilities, so we ended up training next to Moscow’s Olympic stadium. As a result, we had to travel every week, either to Makhachkala for home games or elsewhere for away matches.
Is it true the owner bought you a Bugatti for your birthday?
Yes it is! But Bugattis use so much petrol, man. Not long after getting it, I gave it back to him and we agreed to put its value in my contract.
Do you know the story about Yaya Toure? His agent moaned that Manchester City hadn’t even wished him happy birthday, citing the Bugatti you’d been given. Should City have given Yaya a Bugatti?
[ Laughs] He’s a phenomenon. They only used me as an example, but I’m sure he earned so much money that he could buy 10 Bugattis!
You managed Sivasspor and Akhisarspor in Turkey, then Delhi Dynamos in India. Have you got any plans to return to the dugout?
Not at the moment – I’m working as director of institutional relations for Real Madrid and happy about that, coordinating Raul’s sessions with the Castilla and watching the first team under Zizou. He was the world’s number one as a player, and now he’s the world’s number one coach, too. I also work for Real Madrid TV, and sometimes travel with the squad. That’s what I want at the moment, so it’ll take time until I return to management.
Does Zidane ever joke with you about beating Brazil at the 1998 and 2006 World Cups?
No, not even close to that. He has huge respect for us Brazilians and never mentions it. It’s something we avoid talking about because, knowing him, it will remind him about what happened with Marco Materazzi in the 2006 final. We prefer to look ahead, not at the past. We like to debate football, the club, the academy and training – how to make our sessions more intense and how to improve the facilities for everybody’s benefit. That’s how we can push Real Madrid forward collectively.
What can we expect from the current crop of Brazilians at Real Madrid?
Militao, Vinicius, Rodrygo and Reinier are now in that learning phase. I see on a daily basis how they learn from Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio: the guys who have been playing at the club for a while now. We are a family and the young players always learn with the more experienced ones. They all have the same obligation: to become champions of La Liga, the Champions League, Club World Cup, Super Cup and Copa del Rey. That’s the club history. [ FFT: Historically, why do Real Madrid and Brazil have such a special relationship?] As simple as this: Brazil has the best players in the world.
Why do you think it’s been 13 years since a Brazilian last won the Ballon d’or?
That’s a very good question. I think Brazilian clubs now sell our talents too quickly, and not everyone settles abroad. They need patience. Families are essential in that process, mainly because of the move to a different country at a young age. We still have Neymar, though. If he can stay on track, remain focused and his parents control his life off the pitch, he can be the world’s best player in two years. It’s a pity that Marcelo is 32. I think he deserved to be in that position at least once for everything he’s done in football.
Some people have called you the greatest left- back ever. Does that make you proud?
People lie! I can include myself among the 10 best, but never the best. In my opinion, Branco is the best in Brazilian history. Anywhere in the world, Paolo Maldini.
“WE ALREADY KNEW WE WOULD LOSE BEFORE THE FRANCE 98 FINAL. THERE WAS NO APPETITE TO PLAY AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TO RONALDO”