Opinion – Walter Casagrande Jr.: I can sometimes not play well, but I’ll never get tired of it!

When I got off the old ship—a fantastic and very important ship—I thought I would be wandering around in space for a while, but soon I found other places to live.

Since I was a player, I always saw the Sheet like a major newspaper, with columnists with strong, incisive and direct opinions. This applies to all segments, including sports.

One of my great journalist friends, the late Ari Borges, I met when he was covering Corinthian Democracy for the Sheet.

I spent almost eight years playing in Europe. When I came back, I still played for Flamengo and Corinthians, in addition to Paulista de Jundiaí and São Francisco do Conde, in Bahia.

Then I became a commentator and started writing too.

First, I did a double with another late friend, Marcelo Fromer, in Notícias Populares, with a column called “Dois Toques”.

Afterwards, I went to Estadão to tell stories, but always with a guest – it was a page where I talked to characters from all areas. Rita Lee and Washington Olivetto passed by.

Later on, I wrote with Gilvan Ribeiro in the Diário de S. Paulo. And finally, before writing for GE, I went through GQ magazine.

But I was sometimes very close to writing in this space and I confess that I always thought about joining this team. Today, I feel fulfilled, proud to be alongside several columnists from sports, culture, politics, economics, variety, TV and everything in between.

And, now, I confess that there’s something that sounds like another world to me: I’m playing on the same team as Tostão. I apologize to the others, but it’s not little, for any former player, to be next to this guy I idolize, like everyone else in the 70’s Cup.

Life, when it’s intense, as mine has always been, never ceases to amaze us.

I played with Leão and Zé Maria, also three-time champions. I was coached by Carlos Alberto Torres, the same one who scored that goal against Italy, and for me, there’s nothing like it.

It’s a lot of responsibility to write for this paper, but I’ve always done well in large teams.

I can sometimes not play well, but never yellow, pop or feel the weight of the shirt.

I want to have fun and amuse readers. I travel in all segments. Of course, football is the flagship, but I don’t stick to it. A tour of politics, society, prejudices, theater and cinema, without ever giving up the most important thing: the soundtrack.

To you, who read my column, I ask your attention, because it comes with music.

My head works musically. It can be MPB, reggae, black music, blues or, obviously, rock’n’roll or punk rock. It all depends on the noise of the text.

Last week, I made my debut at UOL with a text that came out as heavier rock. This one, on the other hand, follows more traveling and, without a doubt, progressive lines. So what’s playing in my head right now is one of the great psychedelic and progressive rock bands: read and travel to Pink Floyd.

Peace and love to all.