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Football

‘The dirt pitches of Brazil gave me the gift of ball control. You couldn’t trust the ground, so you had to improvise constantly. That chaos sharpened me technically’ How Denilson went from the streets to the world’s most expensive player

When Brazilian winger Denilson made his world record £21.5million move from Sao Paulo to Real Betis shortly before his 21st birthday in 1998, he was heralded as the Selecao’s next superstar.

And while Denilson would go on to win 61 Brazilian caps and make more than 500 career appearances, he never quite reached his potential, with FourFourTwo ranking him at No.1 in a 2015 rundown of disappointing club record signings.

But a 17-year professional career that took in six major tournaments is not bad going for a player who learned his trade on the streets, as he recalls to FourFourTwo.

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Denilson on his journey from the streets to the Selecao

Denilson

Denilson in action for Brazil (Image credit: Getty)

“What truly fascinated me as a child was the street football, those endless two-versus-two battles, with the goals marked out by a pair of flip-flops,” Denilson tells us.

“Being left-footed, I’d constantly beg to borrow someone else’s left boot. My parents couldn’t afford to keep buying me new pairs, and since I played non-stop, my boots wore out quickly. Sometimes I’d end up playing with one bare right foot and someone else’s boot on my left.

Denilson scores a penalty for Real Betis against Sevilla in February 2000.

Denilson won 61 caps for Brazil (Image credit: Getty Images)

“Beyond the street kickabouts, I grew up in the varzea – the gritty, uneven dirt pitches of Sao Paulo’s amateur football scene. It’s where I learned two priceless lessons. The first was losing any fear.

“The varzea toughened me up – I was always playing against older, stronger lads and got intimidated a lot in the beginning. Over time, I became braver.

“Dribbling was my natural weapon, and the more they tried to scare me off, the more I wanted to beat them with the ball at my feet. I got kicked, shoved into walls and fences, was fouled constantly, but kept going.

“Out there, I grew a thick skin, so when you finally get to step into a professional derby under pressure, you’ve already lived that battle countless times. At only 10 years old, I’d already learned not to be intimidated.”

Denilson celebrates with Cafu after scoring for Brazil against Peru in the semi-finals of the 1997 Copa America.

Denilson celebrates with Cafu after scoring for Brazil against Peru in the semi-finals of the 1997 Copa America. (Image credit: Getty Images)

“The second gift that the varzea gave me was ball control. On those rough, bumpy pitches, you needed to have sharp coordination and lightning-quick reactions just to keep a move going.

“You couldn’t trust the ground, so you had to improvise constantly. That chaos helped to sharpen me technically.”

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Football

‘You looked at Cafu, Rivaldo, Kaka, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos – it felt like you were in a video game’ Juan Pablo Angel on the Colombia vs Brazil game that changed his life

The Brazil side of the early 2000s was arguably the last truly great Selecao team.

The devastating full-back pairing of Cafu and Roberto Carlos was supplemented by an awe-inspiring frontline of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Rivaldo, and it was this side that won Brazil’s last World Cup title in 2002.

Only once since then have Brazil reached the semi-final stage of the World Cup, with the 2014 last-four thrashing on home soil by Germany an occasion that every Brazilian football fan would rather forget.

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Juan Pablo Angel on scoring against Brazil

Juan Pablo Angel

Juan Pablo Angel won 33 caps for Colombia (Image credit: PA)

It’s therefore not a huge surprise that even twenty-plus years on, scoring against that last classic Brazil side remains a badge of honour for any player.

Former Aston Villa striker Juan Pablo Angel scored nine goals in 33 appearances for Colombia, but his strike in a 2-1 World Cup qualifying defeat in 2003 remains something he will never forget.

Rivaldo holds the trophy aloft as Brazil players celebrate their World Cup final win over Germany in June 2002.

Brazil were coming off the back of their 2002 World Cup win (Image credit: Getty Images)

“Scoring against Brazil, surely the best national team of all time, was one of the most significant moments of my career,” Angel tells FourFourTwo.

“It was impossible to look at them – Cafu, Rivaldo, Kaka, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Roberto Carlos – and not think it was all a video game.

“Ronaldo made it 1-0, but on 40 minutes I equalised with a header. Suspended in the air, I won the duel against Lucio and surprised Dida.

Juan Pablo Angel

Juan Pablo Angel in action for New York Red Bull (Image credit: Getty Images)

“I was in my prime, playing well at Villa, and felt capable of anything.

“The stadium exploded. Kaka made it 2-1 in the second half, but it still was a memorable afternoon for me personally, and a proud memory.”

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