During his 25-year career, Roberto Carlos he terrorized his opponents with the “bombs” coming out of his left leg.
On free throws, it was common to see players with an expression of anguish, who already expected the strong impact they would receive in a few seconds.
However, it was not only the rivals who suffered the “rockets” of the Brazilian star.
At Real Madrid, for example, teammates Roberto Carlos they were in charge of forming the barriers during training, and they were also “victims” of the strong shots from the outside player.
The former striker Javier Balboa, a member of the 2000s “Galactic” squad, laughed as he recalled his suffering in training for the Meringues.
“Being on the barrier before the shot of Roberto Carlos It was like when you know you’re going to eat something you won’t like. It was the same! “he joked in an interview with ESPN.
“You knew that if the ball hit you, it would hurt a lot and you would no longer be able to train that day. In other words: I knew you were screwed (laughs),” he recalled.
Balboa says they even developed a “special strategy” to avoid pain from the Carioca “missiles”.
“In training matches, we avoided committing fouls as much as possible, so I couldn’t shoot (laughs),” he said.
AND Roberto Carlos He didn’t even use his maximum strength in training.
“He did not shoot with maximum force, because he knew that he could hurt someone. Then, when they put the mobile barrier, without the players, he would drop the real ‘bomb’,” he said.
“I always remember that he and Beckham trained for a long time. Beckham he shot and Roberto kicked with that extraordinary force. Meanwhile, the poor of Casillas he was trying to defend himself (laughs), “he said.
According to the exgalactic, who currently works as a commentator on the program “The beach bar”, the most popular on Spanish television, the Brazilian had a “gift”.
“That leg and shot was something that God gave him. The muscles in his legs were something unusual, very strong. So much so that he was never seriously injured! Not for nothing, he had a spectacular race,” he said.
Balboa was trained in the youth categories of the Merengues and was in the Madrid first team between 2006 and 2008.
During that period, he managed to establish a good relationship with Roberto Carlos.
“He is a very funny guy, he was always in a good mood. He had the quality of always being positive, even in the worst moments. When something bad happened, he would make a joke or make people laugh and he would improve the mood. He is a virtue that few have and that I admire a lot “, he praised.
“It’s amazing how much people love being around him. You walk with him on the street and absolutely everyone stops to talk to him. And Roberto is always in a good mood, I never saw him frown to sign an autograph or take a photo of himself “, reported.
Being very young when he joined Madrid, Balboa always listened carefully to the advice of the Brazilian player.
“Roberto gave me a lot of good advice. After all, he was a guy who played for the Brazilian National Team, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. He had a lot of experience and had lived through everything,” he recalled.
“When I got into the first team, he always told me to stay on the right track, because when a rookie gets to the first team, he always thinks he doesn’t need to learn anything and is on the same level as the stars. And that’s not true. There is always a lot to learn, “he concluded.
– .
