SECOND PART. After analyze his passage through the Spanish football and affirm that he could have played with the best Spanish team in history, Felipe Melo de Carvalho (1983, Rio de Janeiro) recognizes that his stomp on robben in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in South Africa ruined its signing with Real Madrid, in the second consecutive attempt by the Whites to get their services. Already there was an agreement between Madrid, the Juve and the footballer, without materializing due to his strong character. Even so, the now captain of Palmeiras does not spin too much to action, applying that everything that happens agrees. That is the mentality of someone from the favelas of Complexo do Alemao.
– The fans of Almería hold him in great esteem, but he also starred in the odd episode due to his strong character as that of Cabrera in training, remaining without traveling to Villamarín.
Yes, these are things that happen. Look, Cabrera was 1’95. He kicked me and a host, I hit him another and he comes after me. He was a beast, imagine, a 1’95 guy who comes after you, you have to defend yourself. I hit the first one and it falls like a giraffe. It didn’t come again. I killed him, I killed him. Then I apologize, we make a dinner and Emery came to talk to me and punish me because she couldn’t hit Cabrera. I said ‘I already know, but that one is coming for me; if I do nothing, it kills me. ‘ And he said ‘but you can’t do that’. So I did not play that game and in the next we played outside against Valencia. We won. I score the goal, I go to the bench, I hug Cabrera and the story is gone. That Cabrera was the nicest guy we had. Later I would cry at home and say ‘it can’t be that I hit Cabrera, who is very nice, we always laughed …’. But, well, things that happen with fever.
– Tell me about that character.
I have a strong character. I am a professional, I am an uncle who came out of the worst favelas in Brazil to succeed, to conquer thanks to God and to make a family, which I have today, very beautiful. Inside the field I transform, I want to win, no matter how. I have to win. Always with honesty and respect for the adversary, but I want to win. Outside? I am a boy who wants to go unnoticed. I am very funny, I have my friends, I am not like a beast in the field, serious. I am the most laughing guy in the world because in life you have to laugh, you cannot be bitter.
– Do you think that without that character there would have been Melo for a longer time?
No no no no. I’m going to tell you one thing. I was playing at Inter, they wanted to renew my contract, but I returned to Brazil because in Brazil I won when I was little, when the world didn’t know who Felipe was. And he had the dream of returning and winning the championship as Felipe Melo, helping as a leading player. I leave Inter and come to Palmeiras to win, so that people will know me and not stay with Felipe de la Juve, Fiorentina, Almería, Inter, the national team, Galatasaray. No, I want to make history in a club in Brazil. Everything I did has always been to improve, part of the process.
– Does it bother you that more is said about you because of the controversies than because of your game?
I do not care if they say that I am a tough or strong guy because in the end one who says ‘Felipe Melo hits only kicks’ then that does not want to see the assistance that I hit Robinho, which was one of the most beautiful assists in history of the World Cups (laughs) [en los cuartos de final]. One to make an assist like this has to have quality, one to play in big teams, even in the national team, has to have quality. So the truth is that I do not care what people talk.
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– At Galatasaray he was even a goalkeeper after this one injured you. Do you like the leading role?
Yes, I went to goal and stopped a penalty (laughs). Look, I entered the selection of the best players in the Spanish championship in Almería, I think together with Xavi, from Barcelona. In Fiorentina, the same, best in the Italian championship. At Galatasaray, the same. In the Confederations, the same. So that stays with me, the story. In the end I could have signed for Real Madrid, that’s what my agent told me, when I was at the World Cup. But with what happened in the quarters … The expulsion ends with what is not done for Real Madrid. But they are things that happened and had to happen. Everything that happened helped me grow as a man, as a player, as a professional, as a father, as a husband … I thank God very much for everything that happened and is happening in my life.
– The butterfly effect appeared in that action with Robben.
We already had everything agreed at that time, we had everything agreed. But, well, it happened and that’s it. I stayed at Juve and then I went to Galatasaray. And look how pretty! There I became the best Brazilian in Turkish football, winning trophies: eight in four years. That is incredible. If you had played for Real Madrid, could you have made history? Yes, but perhaps I would not have the idolatry that I have today at Galatasaray, a club that is in my heart forever.
– Would you have liked to play in that Madrid of Mourinho, Cristiano and Kaká?
Playing in Madrid is liked by everyone. When Madrid or Barcelona call you, you have to leave everything and play. They are two teams, two incredible clubs. I would have liked to play for Real Madrid. But I played at Inter. When I was at Fiorentina I remember Inter calling me. I wanted to go to Inter, not Juve. But in the end Juve paid the clause and went there. And I thank Juve very much because I got to know the Juventus world. It was phenomenal. For me it is among the five best clubs in the world.
– Two years ago he stated that if he had not been a footballer, he would now be a murderer. Do you really believe it?
Nerd. When I spoke that, people misunderstood me. I didn’t mean that I was going to be a murderer shooting people. I said that in the life that I have had the facility to be a murderer it would have been very great, as a trafficker or a criminal. But my father and mother never taught me that, but to do good. For example, I remember that in the favela there were people smoking marijuana, also with coca … I have never gotten into things like this because my father and mother educated me very well. So if I hadn’t been a soccer player, I don’t know what it would be, but I wasn’t going to commit a crime either. I have had a lot of ease. But I am a boy of character and very honest, unable to do such a thing.
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– We return to that Santander press conference in which he said he wanted to play as a pivot and they laughed. You trusted his qualities and ended up playing a World Cup. What is it for a Brazilian to play a World Cup?
More than playing a World Cup, winning a Confederations. Winning a championship with your country’s team is very important. That remains for history. And then play a World Cup … Come on, I have many photos and good memories. For a Brazilian who dreams of being a footballer, playing the World Cup is the best. What’s more, I’m sure you talk to any player and say ‘look, choose to win the Champions League or play a World Cup’, he replies ‘but am I going to win the World Cup?’ and you answer ‘we don’t know; or you sign up to play a World Cup, which you can win or lose, or win the Champions League. ‘ And one signs to play a World Cup because you are representing your country. For me it is the maximum.
– In South Africa he is the starter in the three group games, he does not act due to injury against Chile and he is a villain against the Netherlands, with that goal in his own door and the stomp, with the subsequent expulsion, to Robben four minutes after Sneijder came back.
The goal was not in own goal. The only goal in Brazil’s own goal in a World Cup was Marcelo’s against Croatia [2014]. That goal the referee gave to Sneijder. But, well, stomping is also part of the process. We had a great team, we were sure to pass. The first half was important, we had everything under control and in five minutes they score two goals. On the first goal, the goalkeeper [Julio César], who for me was a goalkeeper, is my friend, he hit me on the head and 1-1. After a goal by Sneijder … I remember that we were all saying ‘we are a team that did not fit a goal’. We were going 2-1 and everything was done. He went. Pass. That can happen, in football you lose, win or draw. In a World Cup quarterfinal or win or lose, there is no way to tie. We lost and that’s it, patience.
– Was the tie not in your own goal?
No no no no. The first goal FIFA gave to Sneijder, who was the one who took the foul. I have the ball controlled on my head, the goalkeeper comes out, a host hits me and we don’t know if the goal is mine or the goalkeeper’s.
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– Does he regret stomping on Robben?
Look, I was in front of millions of people. When you see that everything is finished, it’s gone … But I don’t regret anything. Although if you ask me if there is a match like that tomorrow if I would do the same, I answer no because it served as an example. I would never do it again. But it is as I say, it is part of the process for Felipe to improve a little more as a person, as a professional. That’s life.
– Why does the action relate to not signing with Real Madrid?
I don’t know, just like a stomp for one of Real Madrid is different. I don’t know, I don’t know, I didn’t speak to Real Madrid directly either, but my agent. He is an agent and a friend, Spanish too [José Rodri], he still has many important players in the Spanish championship. And he said ‘it’s not done’. I did not know what to do, did not speak, did not know what was happening. But, well, I was in Juventus, not in a Third Division team. If you play for Juventus and Real Madrid say no, well, you are at Juventus. Cristiano Ronaldo plays, it’s an important club!
– Ten years after that you now play at Palmeiras. What is missing for the Brazilian league to reach the height of the best in the world?
Lots of pasta, no pasta. If the Brazilian teams had the money from Real Madrid or Barcelona, they would bring players like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale or Suárez. Players like that are missing, the good guys win money.
– How much football do you have left?
I don’t know, I can’t tell you. Thank goodness I have never had an injury. I am very well physically. In the last two years I have played 100 games, they are too many. Here in Brazil football is not like in Europe, where you play 40 games, but take a quiet private flight. You’re going to play the Champions League or the UEFA Cup and come back … No, here, you leave Rio de Janeiro with forty degrees and you go to Porto Alegre with less than two degrees, then you go to another city with a lot of heat, you run another I take eight hours flight to play in Argentina or Uruguay the Libertadores … I am delighted to play here, to have won the Brazilian league with Palmeiras and I have also entered the championship team. As I said before, when I was at Inter I had a dream to come back and win the league as an important piece. Now I am captain of the Palmeiras. I don’t know, I think there is still time. I love playing soccer and I will keep doing it until one day I wake up and think I can’t take it anymore.
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