“Real Madrid is daily pressure”

Savio Bortolini came to Real Madrid at a time when, in general, Brazilians who landed in European football did so with a good background behind them in the big clubs in their country. In his case at Flamengo, where he already treasured a good number of matches, a Brasileirao title and a bronze with the national team at the Atlanta 96 Olympic Games. He signed for the Madrid club at the age of 23 (now he is 46), already seasoned and at a mature stage in his career. A situation that contrasts with that of his compatriots who have recently arrived such as Rodrygo, Vinicius or Reinier, arrived just turned 18 years old. With the last two, in fact, it shares origins in Flamengo.

“When I arrived I had very good comments from Roberto Carlos, he helped me a lot. I came from a club like Flamengo where there is also a lot of pressure, so I arrived in Madrid a bit used to it.. And after playing almost 270 games with the Flamengo shirt it is different from what we see now. Especially the departure of Vinicius, who practically did not have the base of the sub-20, went straight to be a professional and did not play many games. My situation was different. I arrived quite busy, with 23 years and a little more accustomed “, confesses Savio in an interview granted to the Brazilian portal Sports Gazeta.

Savio, who joined Real Madrid in 1997, considers that in these years “football has changed. It is getting more and more precocious, that's the trend.. In my time it was different. To be signed by a European club, mainly the big ones, you had to do a lot here in Brazil. Running a lot, playing a lot of good games … and that's what happened to me. But football is undergoing a very strong change. That is the trend and it will hardly change. “

The winger also recalls the requirement of wearing the white shirt: “Real Madrid is daily pressure. It's a very big club that breathes pressure from all sides. The fans, the press … it's very complicated. Playing there is not easy. But it is a normal process, little by little you assimilate what it means to play in such a big club. It is part of it. I also experienced it when I arrived, of course in another time, but it was a very great expectation. I knew what I was going to face, mainly the pressure. You have to be physically, technically and psychologically prepared. “

Savio spent five seasons at Real Madrid between 1997 and 2002 before leaving on loan to Girondins de Bordeaux. In his Madrid stage he played 160 games, scored 30 goals and won 3 Champions, 1 League, 1 Spanish Super Cup and the 98 Intercontinental. After passing through France, he returned to the Spanish League to play for Zaragoza, Real Sociedad and Levante, interspersed with a brief return to his Flamengo. After going through several clubs in his country and the Cypriot Anorthosis in 2010 he ended his career.