‘Only later, when the press highlighted it, did I realise it was a world-record transfer fee. Honestly, I barely cared’ Denilson on what being the world’s most expensive player meant to him

Brazilian winger Denilson is often cited as one of the biggest transfer flops in recent history, following the winger’s world record £21.5million move from Sao Paulo to Real Betis in 1998.

That saw him break the record set by his international team-mate Ronaldo 12 months earlier and big things were predicted from the 21-year-old who had broken into the Brazil national side as a teenager and played in that summer’s World Cup final.

And while he would never quite live up to the potential of his lofty transfer fee during his time in La Liga, Denilson did notch up more than 500 club appearances, plus 61 caps for his country and was part of the victorious 2002 World Cup squad. But how did that big move come about, and what did it mean for him?

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Denilson on what it meant to be the world’s most expensive player

The winger cost Betis £21.5million in 1998 (Image credit: Getty Images)

“In 1996, I got my first Brazil call-up,” Denilson recalls to FourFourTwo. “Suddenly, rumours of European clubs swirled. I was linked to Milan, Barça, Real Madrid, Manchester United. By 1998 things got serious. Then one day, Sao Paulo’s president summoned me and my former agent. That alone was terrifying for a kid, since contact with the president was rare.

“He told me the club had received a $12 million bid from Barcelona and intended to accept it. I had no clue what $12m even worked out as in reais. At that point, whatever they said, I would have agreed to it.

Denilson won 61 Brazil caps during his career (Image credit: Getty Images)

“I went home and told my parents I was off to Barça. But then Betis arrived, offering $32m (£21.5m). Brazilian law at the time meant I was entitled to just 15 per cent of that sum, but still, it was a life-changing amount of money. More than twice the offer from Barça and a chance to secure my family’s future.

“Today people always talk about career planning. Back then, that didn’t exist. My train was there and I had to jump on it. My first priority was sorting out my parents’ lives, the rest came after. Only later, when the press highlighted it, did I realise it was a world-record transfer fee. Honestly, I barely cared. My only concern was giving my family comfort.

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“Between 1995 and the 1998 World Cup Final, my career had been magical. Everything at Sao Paulo felt like a dream. We won the state championship before I left, and I went to my first World Cup on the back of that.

“I played every one of our matches in France, carried the ‘world’s most expensive player’ tag, and arrived in Seville in the best shape of my life. The only downside was not winning that World Cup, but even then I was living the high point of my career.

“Moving to Betis was the moment that I became a man and a real professional footballer. I didn’t know much about Seville. I’d been told I’d cope with the language, the winters weren’t too harsh and the food would be fine.

Denilson admits things changed for him after the 1998 World Cup final

“My parents came with me, so things were good off the pitch. But on it, I struggled. I wasn’t playing well and football stopped being fun.”

“I lost some of the irreverence that I carried. Instead came sadness, anger, pressure. I thought adapting to Spanish football would be easy, given my four brilliant years in Brazil. However, the expectations on me were enormous and the press questioned how anyone could pay such a fee for me. I grew up quickly through those tough times.

“My first two seasons were awful and we got relegated from La Liga. During the 2000-01 season, I split the year between a loan spell at Flamengo and Betis in the second division.”

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