Rafinia: “I lost many friends who were involved in the world of crime, I used to ask for food from passers-by”

He spoke about the very difficult situations he faced as a child in Brazil Refineries.

The 27-year-old spoke about the big one poverty that existed in the neighborhood of Porto Alegre in which he grew up, revealing that he lost his friends who got involved with the world of crime and drug dealing and talking about how he himself managed to not deviate from his goal, which was none other than to become a professional footballer.

“It was a very complicated situation. For someone born in a neighborhood like mine, it’s very difficult to follow your path without going astray. Many temptations appear, opportunities that promise you easy money. I never left the path I wanted to follow, but I witnessed and walked beside people who had lost their way.

I lost many of my friends who were involved in the world of crime and the drug trade. Friends who had much more talent than me and who could have a great football career. Having these examples so close to me was an important factor in staying focused on my goal. I knew what I wanted from a very young age. I wanted to be a soccer player. I made a lot of sacrifices to achieve my goal. I had great ambitions and I did not deviate from my goal. My family helped me not to drop out of school and turn my back on the wrong path”he said characteristically, while he then emphasized that as a child, he had reached the point of asking for food from passers-by.

“It would be unfair to say that I have been hungry in my life. My parents always made sure there was food in the house. Nevertheless, after training and when I was 12-14 years old, I would stand on the street and ask people to buy me something to eat. Some helped me, others called me a tramp”.

Finally, he also referred to Barcelonawhich he joined in the summer of 2022 from Leeds for 58 million euros, stressing that it was a dream for him to wear their shirt. “I had a lot of offers when I was at Leeds, but I always knew exactly what I wanted. All my childhood idols played in Barcelona, ​​it was my dream to play here and I did everything to make it happen”he stated.