03.06.2009 10:58
Five years of maximum professionalism
Roger Bogunyà
Sylvinho, one of Barca’s quietest, most committed and generous heroes, is leaving the club after five years of calm professionalism dedicated to FC Barcelona.
The fact that Sylvinho was always one of the team’s unsung heroes wasn’t due to any
inability on the pitch, where the 35-year-old Brazilian regularly filled his role at left back with
a quiet efficiency in defence and the attacking impulse expected from a player from his country,
with many of his crosses leading to important goals.
Supersub
During his five years at the Nou Camp Sylvinho has more
often been used as a replacement than as a regular starter, sharing the position with Giovani Van
Bronckhorst from 2004 till 2007, before playing back up to Éric Abidal, over the last two
campaigns.
Saving the best for last
It was as a stand in for Abidal that he made his last and
possibly most rewarding appearance for the club in the Champions League final in Rome, when he kept
first Park then Rooney under a tight rein. With his
contract
running out in the summer of 2008 that game was a very special send off for the popular
squad member.
128 matches and three goals
Sylvinho joined the club on 13th July 2004 and three days
later he made his debut in a friendly against Banyoles. His official debut came on 11th September
at the Nou Camp in the 2-0 win over Seville. He went on to play a total of 128 times for the club,
89 in the league, 18 in the Cup, 17 in the Champions League, three in the Spanish Super Cup and 1
in the European Supercup.
Although scoring was never part of his job description at Barca, he has chalked up three
goals: the first two came in the 2005/6 league season and the third in the final Group stage match
against Shaktar(2-3) in December 2008.
Enviable honours
Not only a great player, Sylvinho has also shown himself to
be an even better person, always willing to get involved in solidarity events and showing his
commitment to the club by learning to speak Catalan. On the playing side he picked up 8 titles with
the club: three Leagues Champions medals, two Champions Leagues, one Spanish Cup and a Spanish
Supercup winners medal. Just as importantly he won the hearts and the respect of the Barca fans who
will surely never forget him.