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Between Pele and Manor Solomon: Tata, the new Brazilian star of Shakhtar Donetsk

He grew up in a crime neighborhood, came to Ukraine before making his debut in Germia, passionate against Manchester City and Real Madrid, and in Shakhtar hope to be the most brilliant Brazilian in the club's history.

Before the inevitable move to one of Europe's luxury clubs, he is waiting for Maccabi Tel Aviv (22:00, Sport1)

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• Shakhtar Donetsk

Michael Yochin

Thursday, February 18, 2021, 2:30 p.m.

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The deal highlighted Shakhtar's power in the Brazilian market.

Douglas Costa (Photo: GettyImages)

One of the most amazing deals in the history of Shakhtar Donetsk was concluded in January 2010. Douglas Costa, formerly known as Ronaldinho and targeted by Alex Ferguson and Manchester United, surprisingly made his way from his squad to Ukraine for just € 6 million.

The amount has caused speculation about additional payments that may have been made, but most of all the move underscored the power of Shakhtar in the Brazilian market.

The great scout network, which has long been deployed under the guidance of the famous Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu, has done a phenomenal job over the years, making the Ukrainian champion the most Brazilian team in Europe, by a considerable margin.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, which caused Shakhtar to leave the city, abandon the glorious stadium and training facilities that were of the highest world standard, and dive into a situation of uncertainty, there were many doubts about the continued operation of the Brazilian project.

Was the club, which brought to the old continent among others Fernandinho, Willian and Louise Adriano able to persevere in this even in the new conditions?

When a number of foreigners went on strike in 2014 demanding release, some thought the answer would be no, but they were wrong.

Even today, there are no less than 13 Brazilians on the squad, two of whom have become citizens of Ukraine, and the age of the stars identified in their homeland is only declining.

Take, for example, the most notable rising talent in the bunch - the 21-year-old Tata, who arrived in January 2019 even before he had time to make a debut in Germio's senior team.

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He even likes the cold.

Tata (Photo: GettyImages)

Tata and Tatiana

The club from Porto Alegre knew Tata's value well, and even signed him to a € 100 million release clause, but his promotion was delayed, the boy lost patience, and Shakhtar entered the picture at just the right time to bring the property to its ranks.

"We had a problem because Tata wanted to play, but it was impossible in terms of internal hierarchy. So he broke the tools, and that conclusion is good for all parties," said Germio president Romildo Bolzan, who sold him for 15 million euros - much more than Douglas Costa nine years earlier.

"I consulted with Douglas, and he told me that acclimatization would be easy because there are a lot of Brazilians in Shakhtar," Tata said.

Indeed, Dentinho - one of the oldest in the colony - immediately took him under his wing.

Language problems are not there, because the club employs a number of translators, and in general most of the professionals speak Portuguese.

Paulo Fonseca was the coach when Tata landed in Ukraine, and after leaving for Rome he was replaced by another Portuguese, Luis Castro.

The coaching staff consists mainly of Portuguese, and even the doctor and person in charge of nutrition Portuguese.

So Tata feels at home, and he even likes the cold.

Coming from the southernmost country in Brazil, he is accustomed to inclement weather in winter, and sleeps with an open window in Kiev even when temperatures drop below zero.

It did not end there, because he even found love in Ukraine, and got married last summer to a local girl named Tatiana, in a secret ceremony with a very limited number of guests.

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Celebrated against Real, dreaming of Barça

Also on the field, the integration was quick.

Tata gave up his bones in favor of Shakhtar in order to get the team shirt, and the bet soon paid off.

The fans have embraced him already when he scored the first goal in the big game against Dynamo Kiev in May 2019, and since then he has made sure to rise in the most important games.

The first full 90 minutes of the Champions League, for example, he completed in a 1-1 draw at Manchester City Stadium last season.

Manor Solomon then made big headlines with the only goal of the Ukrainians, but Tata also demonstrated excellent ability and was selected as the outstanding player on the field.

The business only improved this season, because he kept the best game of his life to visit Real Madrid in the first round of the Champions League.

Tata was unstoppable in the mesmerizing first half, scored a spectacular goal himself, cooked for Solomon with a perfect attack, and squeezed returns from all directions en route to the sensational 2: 3 victory.

"It was a great honor to play against legends like Marcello and Casimiro. I wanted to prove myself, so I challenged Marcello one-on-one, and I'm happy it worked out," he said.

Also in the second match against Real, Shakhtar achieved a 0: 2 victory with a goal by Solomon and a positive play by Tata, and these encounters were of special importance for the Brazilian because he is a big fan of Barcelona.

"The dream is to play at Camp Nou in a Blaugrana uniform, like Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Romario and Ronaldo," he claims.

And as someone who grew up in his bones like Ronaldinho, you can expect him to admire their smiling trickster.

At the very least, one can expect the winger to want to follow in the footsteps of Douglas Costa who paved the way for Shakhtar.

But no - Tata has chosen another role model from an early age.

Most Brazilians avoid such receipts, but Tata recounts at every opportunity the inspiration he draws from Pele's performance.

Tata watches his videos before every game.

Pele (Photo: GettyImages)

Does not drink Coke since the age of 12

Before every game, he watches on his cell phone videos of the greatest Brazilians of all time, in black and white.

Pele is 60 years older than him, and the two have never met, but that's the ambition.

In general, Tata enjoys being exceptional.

He cultivates the nickname "hurricane" that a journalist once gave him after a successful youth game, claiming it is unique in Brazil.

He does not drink carbonated beverages from the age of 12, and defines them as poison.

He has been on a diet for as long as he can remember, and leads a healthy lifestyle, unlike most young players.

And when he began to receive a substantial salary in his bones, he hurried to buy his parents a house in a good neighborhood in Porto Alegre.

In terms of PR, he has an almost perfect image.

Ever since he remembers himself, Tata has decided that football will become a profession.

He grew up in a troubled neighborhood in the city of Alborada, and saw his friends degenerate into crime and drugs at a very young age.

The love for the ball allowed him to survive and arrange the family even before he began his significant career.

Now, he is marked as the next big thing in Brazilian football, and Shekhtar CEO Sergei Falkin declares: "Tata is the future." Everything will go according to plan, he is supposed to be the most brilliant player that Shakhtar will sell - ahead of Fernandinho, Willian, Douglas Costa and Alex Chiera.

What is he preparing for Maccabi Tel Aviv?

Tata (Photo: AP, Manu Fernandez)

"Star data on potential"

"He can be a superstar, because his basics are tremendous. He has great technique, breaking power and kicking. However, he will have to learn a lot and gain experience, because his decision-making is still far from perfect," says Ukrainian journalist Andrei Kodirko.

This experience is gained mainly in Europe, because the local league is not at a particularly high level.

After the relegation from the Champions League, Tata will invest most of his efforts in the European League, and the meetings against Maccabi Tel Aviv are important to him.

So tonight (22:00, Sport1), in the locker room in Bloomfield, he will watch Pele's videos - then he will try to apply the material learned.

On Monday he celebrated a birthday, and the best gift for himself would be an Arian Ruben-style show on the right wing, as in Madrid.

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