The team was characterized by the presence of many naturalized athletes
The partnership between Brazil and Portugal has reached the four lines, that is, it is common to see cases of Brazilian athletes who have left the country as strangers and shined in “Terrinha”. There are even cases of someone who became famous and decided to stand up for the Portuguese nation. Check below the list of three Luso-Brazilians who have defended Portugal in the Cup.
TRIO OF LUSO-BRAZILIAN PLAYERS
DECO
The São Paulo native of São Bernardo do Campo has played for Guarani, Juventus-SP, Nacional-SP and Corinthians, his heart club and which has stood out in the category. With no space at Timão with just two games, he alternated between CSA and Corinthians-AL, which transferred him to Benfica.
From the time of the “Incarnations”, Deco took off on Portuguese soil, obtained Portuguese citizenship with six years of experience and has been calling up for the selection since 2002. His trajectory for Portuguese clubs and the European continent has made him the first Luso-Brazilian in the history of the World Cup in 2006. He also played in the 2010 World Cup.
PEPPER
Képler Laveran Lima Ferreira, better known as Pepe, is part of the list of those who left Brazil as an unknown to gain recognition in Portugal. Pepe only played for Corinthians-AL in Brazil and left for Terrinha after a deal with MarÃtimo. Income that allowed him to gain experience in Porto, Real Madrid and Besiktas. He is currently in the Porto team.
The full-back began his cycle in the Portuguese national team in 2007. He is yet another Portuguese-Brazilian, present at the 2010, 2014, 2018 World Cups and nothing prevents him from being present in Fernando Santos’ group for Qatar 2022.
LIEDSON
Liédson rose to the Brazilian football scene with good performances at Flamengo and Corinthians, the team that sold him to Portuguese Sporting in the 2003 season. The striker fell in love with the Sporting fans and received the nickname “Levezinho”.
Liédson continued his success with goals and titles under José Alvalade, feats that helped him gain Portuguese citizenship in 2009 and a call-up by then Portugal manager, Carlos Queiroz, for the 2010 World Cup. Brazilians.
The Portuguese team was eliminated by Spain 1-0 in the round of 16 of that World Cup in South Africa. Liédson scored in a 7-0 defeat against North Korea. Levezinho had a short life in the national team with just that participation.
HISTORY OF LUSO-BRAZILIAN TECHNICIANS
Furthermore, Portuguese football is not just about naturalization. After all, Brazilian coaches Otto Glória and Luiz Felipe Scolari, Felipão, are respected for what they have done in charge of the national team.
Otto had prime striker Eusébio for Portugal’s first World Cup participation, in 1966, in England. The Portuguese defeated Brazil in the first stage of Group C, then beat North Korea in the quarter-finals, but lost to the English 2-1 in the semi-finals. The consolation was third place thanks to a 2-1 triumph about the Soviet Union.
Felipão took over Portugal and in Euro 2004 was embittered almost because of the defeat against Greece in the decision. Portugal surprised their fans at the World Cup in Germany by finishing in fourth place. It is Portugal’s second best season in World Cup history, trailing only third place in 1966.
🇧🇷The best content in your email for free. Choose your favorite Terra newsletter. Click here!
Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
