Ricardinho Revolution

Ricardo Filipe da Silva Braga (34 years old), better known as Ricardinho, has revolutionized French futsal. And that has not yet landed. ACCS Paris, his new home when he leaves the ranks of Movistar Inter at the end of this season, has opted for the figure of the Portuguese magician, six times named best player on the planet, to favor the growth of this sport in France, since currently It is still a discipline away from professionalism.

The French Football Federation (FFF) has spent years investing time and money in futsal. But the D1 (first division), still with an amateur character, is dominated by a single team, precisely by an ACCS that this course adds up to triumphs in twelve days. And that is where the figure of Ricardinho comes in as a short-term attraction to world stars for the rest of the teams. "I have received messages from players from El Pozo, Barcelona, ​​and other teams, wanting to know about the project, if they can come, " the Portuguese confessed in L'Equipe last week.

The Ricardinho fever has been established in the French capital even before its debut. In the last ACCS league match, the Asnières-sur-Seine pavilion registered an increase in attendance. The expectation is maximum and, therefore, the French and Portuguese Federation have reached an agreement to televise the matches in Portugal. The deployment is total and this was recognized by O Magico himself in AFP: "I believe in the ACCS project. I am convinced that it will be great: we will attract more players, fans, televisions and sponsors. The Final Four is a very long road , but we give ourselves three years to reach the roof of Europe. "

"We give ourselves three years to reach the ceiling in Europe"

Ricardinho

It sounds like a feat, but if the ACCS knows anything, it is impossible to overcome. Since its founding as a club in 2014, it has starred in one of the greatest events in the history of French sport: five category promotions consecutively. During that regional league journey until D1 , the Parisian team conquered the French Cup in 2017 while playing in the third division, a milestone that no other club with regional structure has achieved.

Kevin Ramírez was a key piece in that title. The French international came to the team the previous year as the first professional who joined the ACCS ranks, so he knows how to appreciate the signing of Portuguese crack better than anyone else . "It is phenomenal for the league and the club. They talk about our team and it suits us all. The league will grow with its arrival. The question is to see if the team will be prepared to have this type of player. You have to see how the team evolves club from now on, but we are very happy, "Ramírez confessed to AS, in addition to stating that these additions are fundamental: " Here, futsal was a hobby, but foreign players bring more specific game knowledge and experience. " .

And not only the players bless the signing of Ricardinho, but also the technicians. This is corroborated by Marcelo Serpa, current coach of Toulouse and one of the first technicians from the LNFS to arrive in France in 2010: "This is great news for French futsal. His arrival will give a lot of publicity and quality to the league. When you have great players in good teams it is when you motivate yourself to compete. The rest of the teams have a place to fight against better people and that is what makes the level go up. " After having ambassadors such as footballer Franck Ribéry, ACCS hopes to reach a new dimension with Ricardinho in its ranks. And so does French futsal.