EXCLUSIVE: Rambo Petkovic about robberies in Brazil, Red Star misconception, greatest derbies in the world (PHOTO) (VIDEO)
When they distinguish you for your football efforts in Brazil and you are not a Brazilian, but you come from some Lilliputian Serbia, then you know you have climbed a football Mont Everest. Only the sky above you. It is a pinnacle of the road Dejan Rambo Petkovic went, a famous Serbian football player, genius with a ball, honorable citizen of Rio de Janeiro, an honorable citizen of the state Rio, a member of "Football hall of fame" in Brazil.
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Rambo or "Peca" as Brazilians used to call him, we found in Belgrade when he rests these days. We talked to him about everything: career, as well as player, as coach which is in rising, Olympic games, ominous Zika virus, favelas, Red Star...
What does Rambo do these days and where?
- I have been coaching for three years. Last contract i had was a second league Sampajo Korei, it is a club in North East Brazil, in the city San Luis. I was there and now i am waiting for new job. Before that i worked in Krisiumi, and the year before in Atletiko Paranense.
How do you get by as a coach?
- Great. As everybody else. I learned that there are two types of coaches: The ones that got fired and the ones that are going to get fired.
The same thing said Sinisa Mihajlovic.
- Really? Well... In Brazil its completely normal.
Is your ambition to stay in Brazil or...?
- Yes, Brazil is in plan for 3 more years, after that, we will see.
So there is an option of returning to Europe?
- Anything is possible. Currently Brazil is in my focus, that's the plan, but you know whats it like in football, just as in life, you plan some things and things change all together. I know that from personal experience the best.
You changed "millions" of clubs...
- Fifteen-ish. I changed seven in Brazil as a player, and in Europe four.
Where was the best, in Flamengo probably, because of the title?
- Yes, Flamengo, although i felt great everywhere. Somewhere was a little better, somewhere a little worse, of course not everywhere can be great, but that's a part of career and life. You have to walk on thorns sometimes. But, definitely the best was in Flamengo. there were the best results, successes, support, achievements, title, i had the greatest fame. Probably other clubs helped at the end to accomplish all of it with Flamengo.
Do you hear from Adriano, you teammate from the champion setup of Flamengo?
- Rarely, he is in America... But i think he returned if i understood correctly. He is an odd fellow, very great for a friend, but the worst for himself. We saw each other often back then, he stopped by me, once a month at least. Last time was his trainer in Atletiko Paranense.
OLYMPIC GAMES ARRIVE AT BAD TIME
When speaking of Brazil. Olympic games are about to start. Is Brazil prepared to host thousands of athletes?
- Correction. Not Brazil, only Rio. Organizationally, only Rio.
How far is the progress, is there any euphoria?
- There is no euphoria about Olympic games because the situation is not right. There was a bigger euphoria when Rio won the candidacy. People did not get what they expected from the World Cup. There were investments only in stadiums, and from 12 of them, few are now only landmarks that are not being used, the side things that follow the big events were not followed through, as there were investments in school, in health. Situation in Brazil is like a disaster now. There was an impeachment, the president of the republic was overthrown and there was a change of government.
That sounds like some Serbian scenario.
- We are totally similar, in every way. Brazil is Serbia times 25. Everything is the same, Politically, institutionally, the state, the parties, football, everything is intertwined. I would say, just because we are a bit older, have older state, they copied us, not other way around.
What are the problems that affects the preparations?
- There are still great constructions in Rio. Some things aren't done yet, and some of those infrastructural buildings wont be finished for the planed games. One of them will be put in operation for the duration of the Olympic games, and will be shut down after it. Looking it from the sports side - great: first the world cup, then the Olympics. That's all nice, there will be a lot of people, tourists, but watching from the side of a ordinary citizen from Rio, it is a very complicated situation.
Everybody is mentioning Zika virus. How realistic is the threat for the participants? Some are already giving up, out of fear.
- Nonsense! Threat for who? Participants? What about other people? There is 18 million people in Rio, and how many tourists go through it. Now they care about participants all of a sudden. Its all politics. I have been there for 19 years, and there are many worse problems. Well, who even thinks about the consequences of bombing when they come to Serbia. One should take care of everything. About hygiene mostly, and the authorities should take care about the water surfaces, not to allow spreading of mosquitoes.
FOOTBALL IN BRAZIL: COMPETITION TO WISH FOR
Ones that follow the championship in Brazil know well it maybe the most uncertain competition in the world.
- Strong competition because you don't have real favorites as most of European leagues have, where you know that two to five teams fight for the title, and here in Brazil, you never know what can happen. Every year one team drops out of the league. Vasko is the last example, Palmeiras also, Botafogo, Gremio. I think only four teams never dropped out in history.
- Secondly, you have 15 teams fighting for the first place, and everybody can win over everybody. In Europe, you can hardly have that, for example, first placed loses from the last one.
Which is the biggest derby in Brazil?
- Its a relative thing. Of course, there is a traditional Fla-Flu derby (Flamengo - Fluminese), then Flamengo - Vasko de Gama. In any case, Flamengo has to be one of the teams because they have the most supporters. After flamengo, Korintians is second by the number of supporters, then the is Palmeiras - Korintians derby, Porto Alegreu Gremio - Internasional, Kruzeiro - Atletiko Minero, Baila - Vitoria where the stadiums are full.
- There are derbies in every city, but i still think that the games that Flamengo plays are the greatest. Flamengo and Korintians, when they cross paths, two giants with the most supporters. It is a special kind of derby, like Real-Barcelona.
You played with some of the greatest names of the Brazilian, and that means, wolds football. Mention some that would make your ideal team.
- That's hard... But here: Bebeto, Adriano, Marceilo Karioka, Hulio Cezar, Huan, Edilson, i played with Romario a bit, with Ronaldino in Flamengo, Leonardo, Junino Paulista, Marcelo from Real...
It is know that you "took" him to Real.
- I played with Marcelo in Flamengo. So i recommended him to Real. Back then Pedja Mijatovic was a sports director. They asked me about Marcelo, i said few good words, they took him and that's it.
Darko Babic has described your life in the movie "Oh Gringo" in Brazil. There are few that know you "acted" in one more movie. Let's clarify, its in "Tropa de elite" one episode roll, man who reads papers and you are on the front page. Do you know what it is about?
- Yes, of course i know about that. I even had to give them the authorization. People came and asked me if they can use it.
The crown of your career is entering the "Hall of fame" in Brazil. Crown of Crowns. The act of the highest possible respect that Brazilians gave you.
- That's right. That's not something everybody can accomplish. From the foreigners, in the selected few there are Bekenbauer, Euzebio and me. Two more outside Brazil and no one more.
And those are not all the honors you received.
- Also, i am an honorable consul of Serbia in Rio, honorable citizen of Rio, honorable citizen of state Rio, and three of four cities there.
You live in Rio, also famous for its favelas. Did you have some unpleasant experiences around those dark areas?
- Luckily no, i never had any unpleasant thing in Brazil. I did, actually, once when when a guy on a bike, tapped on my car window with a gun, and took my watch. That happened in Sao Paolo, i was a co driver, a friend picked me up, than a guy came next to me on a traffic light: "knock knock" and said "the watch, gimme the watch", and so i took it off and gave him.
- Sao Paolo is a mess. Ugly city but huge. Night life is like you could go each night to other tavern and not visit all in a lifetime.
After so many years in Brazil, do you feel more like a Brazilian or a Serb.
- No, no, i just have two homes, tho countries, i live in two places, little here, little there.
MISCONCEPTION ABOUT RED STAR AND CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
You are in Belgrade. Do you watch the games of your former Red Star?
- I go to the games, i watch kids, i don't like going to the VIP sections.
What do you think about the current team?
- Great, with Boza (Bozovic) now is excellent, he arrived just in time. He is a great guy, knows the Star, is a good coach, he created it here in Serbia, but, we should not dream that we can make anything in Europe. It is a misconception. He said it himself after the defeat at the start (from Kairat): "What did you expect? Europe? Maybe next year".
- Everybody come here and they promise something. We don't have the competition to do anything serious. We don't have the money to bring serious players. One player from any serious team costs as the entire team of Star. I will never understand why the administration is afraid to say that.
What players do you like?
- I didn't have much opportunity to watch them, since i was occupied with my work. But as far as i saw, Donald is great, Katai also, Gruic. There is talent, Bozovic set them up, the defense is a bit thin, we should get stronger there.
The national team is restarting for the hundredth time from the start, whats the problem?
- We don't have first rate players. There just are none. And yet we make results in younger categories. Why? because there are categories and selections and competitions on that level, when they progress to seniors it is all lost.
Could you compare the level of football here to the time you used to plan.
- It can't be compared. Unfortunately it can't. Nor the football, nor the level, nor the competition. The league is reduced, weaker, bad conditions, and football like football, its a relative thing. We had more quality, we came from much more organized environment, and system of work, possibilities, conditions, competitions, league - everything.
- Now we have the situation of pure survival. Poor league, weak competition, where you have no money. It's not like we had money then, but it all worked out better then. We are talking about a 20 year period, so its now weaker in every way.
Why the Brazilians, we re talking about those who come directly from the club to us, mainly do badly in Serbia. The exceptions were Zuka, Maybe Evandro. Others, mainly failures like Edson.
- From the simple reason. Like everywhere else, when you bring a player form Brazil, and you are a country that can not afford it, and you want him to be a world star, there is a drastic difference in adapting. As a club, you don't want to, or cant wait, which is different like the sky and the earth. You brought a player, you can't pay him, you can't wait him, you want him to play for free and you ask for results. And then you get mad when they ask for money. You arrive in the situation where you don't pay anyone, just to pay him to play because you brought him and that makes a difference, and you didn't pay other players. And other players won't pass him the ball because they hate him.
- It't the same in Brazil, that happened to me when i arrived to Vitorija. I came from Real, i have a good contract and i have unhappy teammates that play with me in Vitoria, because they make 1% of my pay.
Is there salvation of Serbian football in regional league?
- In any case, the competition would become stronger, the market, the number of viewers, marketing, investments. How much money will some sponsor give to the market of 6 million people compared to the one of 20 million that once was in the former state? You cant have the market below that number to have enough money and to work seriously and play serious games.
- We have two teams, eventually some third shows up. Privatization of clubs wouldn't help, because with privatization the competition wouldn't change, which is already small and on small market. But, in any case would be a far better solution.
(Milos Bogovac / Telegraf.co.uk)
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