Saad Al-Suwaidi and Lucie Desmaretz Tavares
An interview conducted by Lucie Desmaretz Tavares with Brazillian Football legend José Roberto Gama de Oliveira, known as Bebeto. Flamengo FC's Goalkeeper Diego Alves, before the finals match of the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019 between Liverpool FC and Flamengo.
Q1- First of all I feel like asking you: how do you feel today? Flamengo is disputing the final if the Club World Cup! You played for the team, how are you living this moment?
I’m very happy. After 38 years Flamengo is here again to conquer the Club World Cup for the second time, and for the fans, we r living a very special moment, a unique moment, and now we must do everything to get this second title. it will be very important for us, not only for all Flamengo fans but for all Brazil as a whole. Today it’s Brazil that is here, playing the final agains the British. Liverpool has a great team, we must be careful, they have big players, but our team is also very strong.
Q2- I imagined you was the game against Flamengo. What was your impression?
I did. I liked to watch them. First of all, they played without four players from the first team, it makes a difference, decisive players, but against Flamengo they will play complete full power. But we are prepared, if we manage to reach the final it is because we deserved it and in football, nothing is decided before the game. We also have something: the best fans in the world, there is nothing like Flamengo’s fans. I had the happiness to play for Flamengo. This team is part of my life, I met my wife there, she was playing volleyball at Flamengo Club, I was arriving from Bahia and we met, we are together till today so we know the fans very well. They make a big difference. They are key.
Flamengo and Liverpool are both very organized teams and offensive as well. How do you think Flamengo should play tonight?
Flamengo can’t change their way of playing, they are playing the same way for so long, and i, that was almost born at Flamengo, we were always playing this way, trying to score all time! Our target was to score many goals to win the game, always playing offensively.
Flamengo today has this way to play, when it’s to mark, everyone does, and when it’s to attack everybody moves as well. It is very synchronized: the defenders get closer to the midfielders and they get closer to the strikers, same when it’s to defend, they start to mark from up.
This has the touch of the coach also. He managed to build a very strong team, he is prepared for big decisions, especially in the second half, Flamengo improve a lot in the second half because they are prepared for this. This is the work of the coach, Fisical coach, and all staff.
We saw it against River Plate during the final of the Copa Libertadores, we saw it here against Hilal and I hope that also against Liverpool! I would prefer we impose ourselves in the game during the first half not to suffer a lot. we are prepared for this final.
Q3- Flamengo of 1981 had a magician onboard: it had ZICO. In the present team is there any player making the difference in the same way Zico was doing or we are more talking of a strong group with a few fundamental pieces?
We have a very strong group. When we talk about the old times, there was Zico, Adilio, Andrade, Junior, Mozard, Leandro, there were different players. I had the chance to play with some of them, to be champion with them, it’s different. In Flamengo today there are some decisive players. Personally I like Everton Ribeiro. We have Bruno Henrique, we have Gabigol, players that today make a difference but when you speak about 81, those guys were just amazing! Zico was my inspiration, my idol! I learned a lot with him, he was advising me. That time was great, they are in the history of football. The players of Flamengo today are also and it can be more consolidated today with the second world title but that group of 81 was special. They were players that influenced my life, they were impressive, they played with happiness, I had the happiness to get champions with them, it’s hard to compare, each one has his history, but at that time it was magic, happy football, an unbelievable time.
But the guys today made history winning Libertadores and also Brazilian league with is a hard league, at the same time. It was wonderful.
Q4- Bebeto you won the most important title that a player can dream of, the World Cup. What is the emotion a player feels on the final match day? Tell me about your experience?
It’s a huge emotion. When you start to play football, every player’s dream is one day to play for your country and when I had the national team shirt on, it was like my second skin. A very strong feeling. Every player that starts to play dream to be champion with his national team, it’s something that moves the whole country.
You want that the game starts fast, hoping that all goes fine as you want, you prepare yourself for this and when the moment comes the mind is prepared, we can’t mistake, we must bring this happiness to our people and this is the way we entered, and we managed to win this important title, and we became legends. Everybody remembers the goal that I scored for my son Matheus, the gesture that I did, balancing the arms.
It was dedicated to my boy Matheus, the only kid that I wasn’t present for his birth. For the other two, Roberto and Stefany, I was. So when I scored I made as if I was taking him in my arms, and then Romario came and we did the same movement. And that’s why it was great and everyone remembers it until today.
Q5 -Let’s talk about Qatar now. Is it your first time here?
I have been here 3/4 times, there is a lot of difference now, there are many huge buildings, beautiful buildings, well illuminated , each time I come here it looks like it changed more and more, beautiful places, beaches.
Q5- How is your stay this time around?
Very nice and fun, we made a tour around, I discovered the Arab horses, I’m passionate about horses, we went to the golf, after we went around the dunes, very fun, after we had dinner with them, I even danced! We arrived here very tired but it was really worth it, I’m sure that the World Cup here its gonna be a success, I have no doubt.
Q6- Do you think Qatar is ready to host the World Cup in 2022?
It’s gonna be all good, it will be an absolute success. it’s a wonderful country, people here are very receptive with the Brazilians, not only Brazilians but with people from all over the world, I think that it will be amazing, the Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad Al Thani is a
Very nice person, he has charisma, I like him a lot. We visited Qatar Foundation, we went around, after we played football and Sheikh Mohamed was present. He was very nice and again he’s very charismatic, he loves football, we played against the boys from the foundation, it was really fun, there was myself, Xavi , Macmalan, Cafu, Juninho, Toure, Solari.
Q7- What do you think of the quality of the stadiums here?
I saw Khalifa stadium during the semi-finals, the field is great. The atmosphere was really amazing, the fields are really impressive.
Q8 - There used to be many Basilian coaches and players working in Doha a few years back. But their number dropped a lot. What is the explanation according to you?
We have a lot of good coaches, Tite, our national team coach is one example, Felipe Scolari. we have some young coaches coming like Thiago Nunes from Corinthians, Odair Hellman from Fluminense, Fabio Carille, that worked even in Saudi Arabia, Rogerio Ceni also coming as a big coach and many others, Jorginho, Thiago LarguI, Barroca, Jair Ventura, A new generation is coming strongly and soon they will reach success and we see them also in Doha.
Football world it’s like this, changing all the time, today can be a lot of Portuguese coaches, tomorrow Argentinian, it’s the globalization, it is constantly changing, its part of football. Sadly today there aren’t a lot of Brazilians here, but soon it will come back, they are working hard in Brasil and the opportunities will happen for sure.
FINAL PART: QUIZ
- What is your best moment in football?
Winning the World Cup in 94
- Worse moment?
Not to go to the 1990 World Cup because of an injury
- Best Brazilian player at the moment?
Neymar
- Best player in the world?
Two players I love, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, on my team both play!
- What do you like to do the best outside of the football world?
To be with my family, to enjoy moments with my kids, my wife, I like to be close to them.
- Who will win the final of the club World Cup tonight?
Flamengo, 1 x 0