FCBARCELONA.CAT

24.06.2010 10:33

Emotional PC bids farewell

Cristina Collado

Barca’s Brazilian star leaves the club on June 30th as he hangs up his boots and returns to his native Rio de Janeiro. Before he left he spoke to Barca TV and www.fcbarcelona.com.

PC joined Barca at the start of the 2007-08 season and three years later, he’s decided to quit the game, at least for the moment. In this interview he looks back on his time at the club and expresses his certainty that the team will win a trophy next year.

How does it feel to be leaving the game?

"It’s the hardest time for a player. I always said that you have to know when to start - which I did many years ago in Brazil-and when to finish. It’s been marvellous for me to have been at Barca these last few years and I’m not really interested in wearing another team’s shirt now. I’ve given my life to playing this game, it’s what I most enjoy doing and it’s hard to imagine giving it up”.

How would you judge your time at the club?

"It’s a pity that we never won a title – I think we deserved at least one final, but we kept coming up against the same tough rival and it wasn’t to be. I’d like to thank the club and the people who made my dream of playing here come true. I can’t describe what it’s like to play for this club!”

What are your best memories?

"That’s quite hard, but maybe it’s when we play at a packed Palau – when you come out to the club anthem it’s magic, especially for me when my kids are there and they come out with me. I’m a tough guy, but I really well up at times like that when I feel the crowd’s warmth – it’s something inside I’ve never felt before”.

The crowd’s have really grown over your time here, haven’t they?

"I’m sure the team will win something next year and that will be the leap that the sport needs . The fans response has always been terrific and the fact that so many come along to watch a section who’s still yet to win a title is fantastic”.

Which game is your best memory?

"The best game was Barça - Pozo this season, which we won 4-1, and also the 0-2 win over Interviu. Even though we lost one of them, the play offs against Lobelle were also special for me – I was back after five games out, I came on and scored. Then we went to Compostela and won - those games against Lobelle were the toughest”.

And bad times?

"The defeat against Pinto in last year’s play offs. That hurt a lot because we weren’t expecting it. The Cup defeat against ElPozo was also very hard for me personally, but against all those bad times, I’d set the great feeling of playing for a club where everyone knows that it’s different from anything else”.

You came very close to a final this season

"We’ve played better than ever this season. The team again had the league’s best defence, but we missed important players in attack for almost the whole of the season and that affected us, Futsal is a very competitive sport and the winning teams have been together for maybe seven or eight years, whilst we only started out four years ago. I think we will start to win things now”.

Any message for the squad?

" It’s a good squad. There are players who I’ve not known long, like Carlos who is a great person who came to us last season and brings a lot to the squad – he’s always happy and funny. I’ve made a lot of friends in this game and one of those is Fernandao, who I’d like to wish all the luck for the coming seasons. There are a lot of good guys in the squad”.