Sports

Opinion – PVC: You can’t be an idol just for being able to dribble

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The answering machine had a certain mockery, but it was the picture of what the whole of Brazil thought: “Hello, this is Robinho, next year’s best in the world.” As he transferred from Santos to Real Madrid in 2005, many people imagined that he would be the successor of Ronaldinho Gaúcho.

He thought himself.

Ronaldinho, twice elected by FIFA, was arrested for a nebulous case of possible falsification of documents in Paraguay in 2020.

Crime has graduation. Robinho’s is even worse.

Rape is heinous, repulsive.

There is no question of any chance of innocence. Robinho was ultimately convicted. His sentence has to be served, and the best course may be an agreement to surrender to Italian justice.

Unlikely.

Many players, those spoiled from pre-teens, learn they can do it all. You can not. Any generalization is risky. The question is whether the environment distorts the character of this new sports product, the pop star ace.

In addition to Robinho, who played for Santos, Real Madrid, Milan, Manchester City and the Brazilian national team, another World Cup athlete was arrested on charges of sexual violence: Benjamin Mendy. World champion winger for France and England for Manchester City, he was taken to maximum security prison and later released on bail. He is accused of seven cases of rape committed against five different women.

Months before the arrest, Mendy was arrested for driving his Lamborghini car, valued at R$6 million, without a license.

He also thought he could do anything.

It’s not the environment’s fault. It’s from the rapist.

In the past, when a player showed signs of violence, it was feared that he might have an ending similar to that of Almir Pernambuquinho, murdered in 1973.

Almir got into all kinds of trouble on the field. Already retired, he tried to defend a group of actors, victims of homophobia, in front of a bar in Copacabana. He dropped dead, with a bullet in his head.

Almir was a victim.

Robinho is convicted, and Mendy has been arrested.

​João Saldanha said he wanted stars to play on his team, not to marry his daughter. For decades, football has validated this kind of thinking. Or he smiled, repeating phrases that explained the meteoric rise and fall of celebrity athletes: “I spent most of my money on women, cars and drinks. , aged 59 years.

Brazil is the country with the highest number of femicides in the world. There are cases in other countries, in other sports, like Mike Tyson. Also pop stars like Chuck Berry. Today it’s Robinho, the guy who played smiling and now is “laughing, because she was so drunk she doesn’t even know what happened”…

Robinho will never know how the Albanian girl who was celebrating her 23rd birthday on the night she was raped felt. Nor will he be able to take the word idol next to his name again. It will also be more suitable if we are all careful when using this word. You can’t be an idol just for being able to dribble. It is only an idol who demonstrates character, impeccably, for decades.

Inevitable remember experiences with athletes from other generations. When he was in Japan, Zico would answer the phone at dawn and, only after the interview, would he ask the reporter to be careful and make the next call at another time, earlier.

It was easier to talk to Galinho than to Robinho.

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domestic violencefemicidefootballgang rapeleafraperape cultureRobinhosexual crimesexual harassmentsexual violenceviolenceviolence against womenZico

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