During the last fortnight, Shakhtar Donetsk have been touring Brazil, playing winter break friendlies with Serie A sides Flamengo, Atlético Mineiro, Internacional, Cruzeiro and recently relegated Bahia. With 14 Brazilians currently listed in their first team squad, this was a literal homecoming for a significant portion of the Shakhtar squad. For no player was this slight return more spiritually nourishing than for Bernard Duarte. His move to the Ukraine has been difficult from the very […]
A few weeks ago, Arsene Wenger opined that South America was the world’s citadel for top class strikers. With the likes of Luis Suarez, Sergio Aguero, Alexis Sanchez, Diego Costa, Radamel Falcao, Edinson Cavani and, if you want to stretch the definition of ‘striker’ a little, Lionel Messi setting a benchmark for forward play in recent years, Europe’s cupboard looks comparatively bare. Wenger elaborated: “Maybe it’s because in Europe street football has gone. In street […]
Last week, in the same bar and restaurant district of Belo Horizonte where visiting fans from Colombia, Chile, England and other countries gathered during the World Cup, Reinaldo, former Brazil international and the Atlético Mineiro’s all-time leading scorer, held a promotional event. During the party a big TV screen outside the bar showed some of the greatest moments from the glorious, though injury scarred career of O Rei (“the King”) during the 1970s and 80s. Many […]
Another season of one of the most competitive leagues in world football has come to an end. Although they weren’t as convincing this campaign, last year’s champions Cruzeiro have successfully retained their crown, which speaks volumes about the difference in quality between the Belo Horizonte club and the other teams in the league. Even if Cruzeiro don’t rise to their normal standards they don’t have much to worry as the other so-called title contenders (São […]
We’re entering the dying throes of another Brasileirão season which, though somewhat elongated due to the World Cup, still seems to have gone by in a flash. The Campeonato Brasileirão looks like it will stay with Cruzeiro this year. The Copa will join the trophy in residency in Belo Horizonte, with Atlético Mineiro and Cruzeiro battling out the final. We are also approaching the time of individual appraisal, when awards and trinkets are handed out […]
In Beijing this weekend, Brazil’s ‘new’ era under Dunga received its stiffest examination, as they defeated World Cup finalists Argentina in the opulent ‘Bird’s Nest’ stadium. For Seleção fans, cleansing the stain of The Copa is going to be an incremental and rather raw process. No matter how incisively stitches are extracted, the scar lingers and the skin takes on an unweathered appearance forever more. Such was the brutality of the 7-1 mauling by Germany […]
There is an old adage that the star that burns twice as bright burns for half as long and no player quite emphasises that maxim quite like Ronaldinho Gaucho. Last week he brought the curtain down an on 18 month whirlwind romance in Belo Horizonte with Atlético Mineiro. He left basking in the affection of the Galoucura and the club’s hierarchy. Though in truth, Ronaldinho’s spell at the club had been in steady decline since […]
The 2014 Brasileirão season will be broken into two parts, thanks to the mid-season break for the World Cup. The season starts on April 19th, breaking from June 2nd to July 14th, and will come to a close on December 6th. Here’s a look at all the participants, including their aims and players to look out for. We begin, perhaps unfashionably, with a look at the clubs in the north east of Brazil, written by The […]
The CBF have announced the 2013 Brazilian Série A team of the season, as well as the awards for Craque do Campeonato (best player / MVP), Revelação (newcomer / revelation / breakthrough), and manager of the season. The best XI includes four players from champions Cruzeiro, as well as three from the surprise package of the 2013 season, Atlético Paranaense. 2013 Brasileiro Série A Team of the Season Goalkeeper: Fábio (Cruzeiro) Right Back: Marcos Rocha (Altético Mineiro) Defenders: […]
The ongoing rumours surrounding the future of Atlético Mineiro star Bernard were put to rest this week, when he joined the Ukranian club Shakhtar Donetsk. Bernard becomes the latest in a long line of Brazilians to join the Donetsk based club, and becomes the fourth Brazilian they’ve signed in this transfer window alone. There had been much speculation regarding Bernard’s future, with clubs such as Porto, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, and Borussia Dortmund all thought to […]