Accs Asnières-Villeuve have achieved a big blow this season by securing the signing for the next three seasons of Portuguese international player Ricardo Filipe da Silva Braga.
Better known as Ricardinho, the 35-year-old winger - also known as O Magico (the Magician) - has been voted best player in the world six times since 2010. Star also on social networks with more than a million followers on Instagram, the Portuguese winger receives according to our information a monthly salary of around 20,000 €.
Smiling and affable, the polyglot (4 languages) Ricardinho spoke to us in Shakespeare's language about his ambitions but also about his friendship with Neymar.
Why did you sign up for Accs?
RICARDINHO.
I had a lot of offers in Spain and Portugal.
Besides, my family is Portuguese, so it was easy to choose Portugal.
But, I had met Sami
(Editor's note: Sellami, the president)
3 years ago.
The current had passed between us.
He told me about the project but it was too early for me.
At the time, I was playing the Champions League final and Accs was not yet D1.
He came back to see me last year and I accepted this time because it's a good time.
I love paris !
I feel great here.
It's a big challenge for me.
I want to help this club to grow to reach the top.
"I hope Neymar can come see us at a match"
What are your links with Neymar, the star of PSG?
I met him through a friend for the first time in Madrid during a session for one of his sponsors.
He told me that he knew me, that he thought I was an incredible player and that he had started with futsal himself.
Then we saw each other again at a tennis tournament and we hit it off.
We exchanged our numbers.
When I signed up to Accs, I sent him a message and he congratulated me.
We communicate from time to time but I don't want to disturb him by abusing messages every day.
I hope he can come see us at a match, but it's not easy with security.
For my part, I want to see him at one of his training sessions and that he invite me to one of his matches.
I have other friends in football like Sergio Ramos (the defender of Real Madrid) and Mourinho (the coach of Tottenham).
Is it a regret not to have broken into football?
No, I'm very happy in futsal.
I'll tell you an anecdote.
I started with football.
When I was 12, I tried out for FC Porto.
After 2 weeks of training, the coach told me
“you have a lot of qualities but you can't stay because you are too young to play football”
.
Then I changed sports.
I played futsal, a sport I had never heard of and loved it!
Ten years later, I had become the best player in the world, already won the Champions League and I saw this coach again by chance.
He looked down at his shoes.
I went to him saying,
“Thank you!
Maybe I wouldn't have been the best player in the world and won the Champions League if I had continued in football. "
(smile)
RICARDINHO JOINS THE LIONS 🦁
Portuguese Ricardinho, best player in the world, joins the ACCS Lions 🦁
More details to follow ... 🤩 # BIENVENUERICARDINHO # ACCSFC #LIONSPIRIT 🦁 pic.twitter.com/iVE6RbQu38
- ACCS FC - ASNIÈRES 92 (@ACCSFutsal) January 6, 2020
How do you feel at the idea of being a star in a sport that is under-publicized and mainly in France?
It is a pride to be number one in futsal!
When I started playing this sport, I never imagined winning 6 titles for the best player in the world.
There are still around 10 million practitioners on the planet.
Me, I'm not looking for the light, I'm a natural person who likes to be quiet after the games.
But, it's a responsibility to be number one.
I must be an example for young people.
Many football players have started in futsal like Ronaldinho, Ben Yedder ... Is it a plus to improve your technique?
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Of course !
In futsal, you have to do everything quickly and all the time.
You have to attack and defend in every action, it's a bit like Ajax Amsterdam and FC Barcelona.
You have to play in small spaces and there is never any downtime so it's formative for the rest.
The most important thing is to acquire the fundamentals when you are young.
Football and futsal are complementary.
“Access looks a bit like PSG!
"
Accs risks winning its league games too easily ... Isn't that worrying?
People still think it's easy.
It's like for PSG.
Everyone says they are the best but sometimes they lose.
This week, the France team won in a friendly 10-1 against Moldova and two days later they lost 3-2.
How is it possible ?
It is simply sport.
The counters are reset to 0 at each meeting.
Ok, we have a great team, but you have to show it every day both in practice and in matches.
Can your team win the Champions League?
It will be very tough this season.
We have to acquire automatisms with 6 new players and a new coach.
It takes time.
But we have a very good team which includes French, Brazilian, Portuguese, Spanish and Moroccan internationals.
Access looks a bit like PSG!
This year, in addition, the format has changed with choppy matches then a final 8 as for footballers in Lisbon last August.
The project is not based on just one year, but we are ambitious.
We can create a surprise.
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