On September 14, 1976, King Pelé walked through the lawn of the Parc des Princes. That day, he wears the colors of the New York Cosmos. If he had accepted the proposal of the Parisian leaders which was made to him after the 1970 World Cup, he could have become the first of the 31 Brazilians to wear the PSG jersey. Finally, Pelé proposed his friend Joel Camargo in 1971. The latter launched the love story that has lasted for 50 years between Brazil and the club in the capital and which makes Brazilians the second most represented nationality since the creation. of the club.
From Camargo to Neymar, who arrived in 2017, Auriverde magic has gradually produced its effect on Paris. Ricardo, Valdo, Rai gave it an unprecedented scale. Ronaldo has been polled several times. Then, in 2000, the artist Ronaldinho arrived to give samba tunes to the Parisian game.
Having become a sports director, Leonardo did not forget to uphold tradition by attracting his compatriots Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Lucas or even Maxwell. In 2017, Paris concluded the most expensive transfer in history by snatching Neymar from Barcelona for 222 million euros.
"Brazilian players and Parisian supporters are made for each other"
How to explain such a relationship? For Nenê, Parisian midfielder between 2010 and 2013, “it's like a little wedding”. “There are, however, a lot of differences in the way of life between these two countries, he stressed recently on the club's website. But at the stadium, the supporters want to see a spectacle, they want to be happy, to watch magnificent things, things that make them dream. When people tell us that, it's unbelievable… I believe that Brazilian players and Parisian fans are made for each other. "
Many of his compatriots share his point of view. Like Luana, the Brazilian PSG goalkeeper, who told us when she arrived at the start of the year: “All the Brazilians who came here have done a lot of work and have made history. The way of playing in Brazil is not very different from that of Paris, and I think the club loves the Brazilians for that. "
Rai, the most beautiful success of a Brazilian at PSG
The arrival of Rai in 1993 undoubtedly marked a turning point. “It was still the captain of the Seleção !, said Jean-Michel Moutier, the sports director at the time. After his arrival, we quickly felt the thrill of people in Brazil compared to PSG. "
Journalist in the Brazilian service of RFI since 1997, Doctor of History, Adriana Brandao, who published "The Brazilians in Paris over the centuries and the districts" (Editions Chandeigne), considers that the passage of Rai marks the most beautiful success of a Brazilian at PSG: “It's the most significant story. His farewell to the Parc des Princes is truly unforgettable and moving. When I see the images again today, I am touched. He was for a long time the Brazilian who stayed at the club the longest, he was captain, he scored a lot of goals. It was the time of the Valdo, Ricardo, Leonardo, the Brazilians most loved by the public of the Park. "
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VIDEO. Rai's farewell to the Park
Brazilian journalist for "Esporte Interativo", Isabela Pagliari abounds: "I think it was Rai, and Ronaldinho later, who made it possible to create this very strong link between PSG and Brazil". Of course, there were flops. Parisian nightlife got the better of the performance of some South Americans, like Vampeta, who arrived in 2001 and which will only remain for one season. But the ties were never broken. Neymar and Marquinhos have every intention of writing the rest of the story.
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