FCBARCELONA.CAT

04.06.2008 13:39

Brazilians have their own style

Cristina Collado

There are five Brazilians playing for Barça Senseit. They all share the same roots, but each one has his own style in the team.

Fernandao, PC, Chico, Igor and Pedriinho. They are the players that have graced the futbol sala team throughout the season with their unique performances. They all have the same nationality denominator, but none can be said to be similar to another once the whistle blows and they begin to play.

Fernandao: Serving the team

The pivot, whose full name is Fernandao Maciel Goncalves, has been compared to a lion and believes that his strength is one of his major assets. "I am a warrior," he said. "I use my strength a lot and like to play my way out of situations." This bravery on the court applies when he is looking to win the ball and also when he is helping his team-mates go forward. The playmaker sees himself fulfilling a different role: "I could be seen as a waiter. I always looking to score when I have the chance, but I also like to serve up things for other players too."

PC: The voice of the team

If Fernandao is the physical side of things, then PC is the mental side. The Rio born defender, whose real name is Luiz Claudio Costa, always likes to control the flow of the game. "I am a defensive player," he explained. "I am strong physically and it is hard to knock me off the ball. But above all I am the player that talks the most in the team. I always talk to the players so that we can do our best. I always want to win and I require the same belief from my team-mates."

PC recalls with nostalgia everything that he learned in Brazil, but is convinced that he will finish his career here: "I like everything about the football in Brazil," he continued. "I learned a lot there, but there are other things to value and I am very pleased to be here now and will stay."

Chico: The complete defender

Chico is the veteran of the al the Brazilians in the team having arrived at the club in 2004-05 and has spent four seasons with Barça. Francisco Carlos de Carvalho Nyaradi, to give him his full name, is considered a key player and is a complete defender at the back for the Blaugrana. "I am a defensive player too, but I like to go forward," he stated. "I like to join the attack late and I enjoy going up when we have a counter-attack."

The fact that he is Brazilian means that Chico believes that he has to perform and that makes him very ambitious. "I think that the Brazilian, because we are playing abroad, we want to win even more and to grow more and more as players. We have so much desire to be successful and to continue doing well here."

Igor: The pace maker

Speed. That is the best word to describe Igor Raphael Lima de Souza. The youngest Brazilian in the squad at just 23, he arrived at Barça Senseit with the ambition to grow as a player and his quality has begun to truly shine through. "I am a very fast player," he said. "I like to defend high up and to put pressure on the ball and to use my pace. I hassle and harry a lot and hope I am doing well for the team." Away from the pitch, Igor admits to being shy and needing his close friends around him. "I am a quiet person, I do not speak a lot," he explained. "But I like being with my team-mates and my friends."

Pedrinho: Supporting role

Pedro Gomes Neto, to use his full name, is another player that has exceptional pace. The Brazilian wing-pivot plays a supporting role within the team. "I am a fast player and good in one-against-one situations and on the break," he said. "I like to help the team and I like to push up and support the team going forward." The Brazilian influence in Pedrinho is obvious. "I have played futbol sala since I was eight and I learned a lot of technique from playing in the street."