BGK back to talk about 2018 World Cup and declares: “nationality isn’t my box”  

Best Goalkeeper in the world, Adriano Patrick, welcome back! It’s a pleasure having you here in The Sewers.

Thank you, how are you today?

Very good, thanks. How have you been?

Good. The feeling of the copa do mundo is already in the air. It’s very good but now we need to focus on the league and the Champions.

You’re playing for Brazil in the World Cup.

Yes. I have three other citizenships. I was given them because a lot of national teams want to me to play for them in copa do mundo, I can play for France, Germany and Spain, but I want to play for Brazil.

You didn’t play for Brazil in the previous World Cup in 2014, when you chose to play for Germany. You took a lot of fire for that, obviously, and after the infamous 7-1 match you were called a traitor in Brazil.  

Yes, that wasn’t good at all.

That’s an understatement. 

No, it’s not. Because I was quick to get up again. It’s a part of my philosophy that I told you about last time.

The sacred jump?

Very good, OK.  I think that when you live your life with your spirit, and when you know what you intend even if you don’t intend, it is very easy to find the balance between what you do and what others think about what you do. It’s the same when you look at the micro level of the game too.

Right, you were eventually forgiven, which is surprising. There was a lot of animosity against you from media, managers and the general public, but it somehow faded.

Yes, I’m of course very happy that it did, but I didn’t put my head down for this at any moment.

What do you mean?

I didn’t feel guilty for my choice. Citizenships and nationalities are not simple ideas when you live across the sea for many years, for the majority of the years of your life almost. When it comes to copa do mundo, nationality plays a very big part and I feel it too, I feel the excitement, and I felt it in 2014 too, but back then when I was in Germany for many years and I didn’t see a problem with my choice. Nationality isn’t my box.

That’s very exceptional view for a football player, isn’t it?

What is?

Dismissing nationality –

I’m not dismissing, I don’t think so. I see it all as part of my goalkeeping philosophy, it’s all inside my philosophy. If I think nationality is a simple thing, then I can say that I represent Brazil wherever I am, wherever I play. If I think it’s an even more simple thing, then I will say that I cannot play anywhere outside of Brazil. But I don’t think it’s a simple thing. There are many areas inside a goalkeeper’s box. And I think that a lot of players don’t see it as simple. A lot of players represent themselves and disguise it with nationality.

Hmm.

Yes.

I don’t think I fully understand what you mean.

I think that nationality is not a simple thing. So if I decide to play for this team or for that team it doesn’t say anything about my identity.

That’s understood. It’s just that a lot of players find it a great honour to play for the country they grew up in, especially those who play across seas. It’s like a tribute to the place where they were raised.

I understand, OK, where I was raised was Corinthians, that is my club and my football home. To them I feel that I owe everything that I am today.

Right.

Yes.

You mean as opposed to feeling indebted your country.

Do you feel indebted to your country?

That’s a person-oriented question.

Why?

Because it just is.

Hmm.

Uhm, would you say your years in St. Pauli had influenced your views?

Oh yes, I am influenced everywhere I am, but I learned a lot from this club and its fans. It is a very special club.

So what’s made you decide to play for Brazil this time?

They invited me, and I admit that I didn’t think they will, and it made me very happy, I felt the honour you talked about.

So you did feel indebted?

No, no, I just felt happy about it and also relief. I said in the press that I am happy to play for Brazil as much as I was happy to play for Germany, and some people didn’t like it, but it will be OK. What I have to say I say in my box, they can judge me for what I do in my box.

Who’s going to win the 2018 cup in your opinion?

I don’t have an opinion about it. It’s very hard to guess. The shape the teams are in now isn’t the shape they will be in 9 months from now. I was happy to see Iceland going up and I think they will do OK, maybe even round of 16. I think France will do OK also. But it is very soon to make an opinion. I know after 18-20 matches who will win.

What do you mean 18-20 matches?

After 18-20 matches in the copa do mundo I will know which team will win. I know this since 1986. I always knew after 18-20 games. But I will be honest and say that in 2006 I was wrong. I was sure France is winning and then Italy took it.

I guess you’d won a lot of bets nonetheless. 

No, of course not, I don’t bet, it’s very bad.

But you had it right for over 30 years!

Yes, since I was 6 years old.

And you’ve never placed a bet?

No, it’s very wrong and negative.

For religious reasons?

Maybe it has some influence on me, yes. And also because it ruins the game, I believe. Gambling is an addiction like drugs and alcohol.

It’s a huge part of the football industry though.

Yes and it is a shame. I knew men who had to stop watching football because they cannot watch it without wanting to gamble. And when they did watch a game they saw nothing of the game itself. It is a shame.

Right, right, but you’d tell The Sewers, after 18-20 matches, who you think would win it?

If you will ask me I will tell you.

Brilliant! What do you make of PSG this year?

Very good, very, very good. A lot of money of course. But very good and very impressive in the Champions League.

What about your club’s chances in the Champions League? Monaco lost 1-2 to Beşiktaş two nights ago.

Yes. It is OK. It is very early in the campaign and we take a long breath and continue.

How far do you see Monaco going in this campaign?

We go as long as the breath we take. We are a very strong team and honored to be in the Champions League. And of course we also focus on the league.

Of course. at the meantime we wish you best of luck. We thank you and congratulate you here and now!    

Thank you very much.