“Brazil Legend” Cafu said, “Korean defenders, go to Europe.”
“Brazilian soccer legend” Cafu gave sincere advice to Korean football. He encouraged defenders to advance to Europe.
Capu is a textbook for right-side defenders. After going through a Brazilian club, he showed his skills in AS Roma in 1997. Became the world’s best wingback under Fabio Capello. In the 2000-2001 season, he led AS Roma to the Serie A and Super Copa titles. AS Roma tasted the trophy for the first time in 18 years. He moved to AC Milan in the 2003–2004 season. He led the European Champions League (UCL) championship in the 2006-2007 season.
He also left a great mark on the Brazilian national team. He won the 1994 U.S. World Cup as a member of the team. In the 1998 World Cup in France, he won second place. He was the captain of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. He competed in every event in Brazil. In the end, the team won the championship. At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he retired from the national team after finishing in the quarterfinals. Cafu has set a record for playing in the World Cup finals for three consecutive tournaments.
I met him at the Host Country Media Center (HCMC) in Doha, Qatar, on the 25th. It was a day after South Korea drew 0-0 against Uruguay. Cafu is the legacy ambassador for the 2022 Qatar World Cup organizing committee. Only select reporters from all over the world participated in the interview. In Korea, only ‘Sports Chosun’ attended.
There was a lot of talk. There was a story about Korea. Son Heung-min was also interested. Capu was a legendary right-side defender. He faced prominent strikers in the World Cup and on the European stage. Son Heung-min’s main position is a flanker. This is the position that Cafu continued to face when he was active.
Cafu talked about Korea first. “Korea has really great and good players like Son Heung-min,” he praised. He added, “It continues to develop every year.”
It was also positive about Korea’s power. He said, “We will face strong teams like Portugal, Uruguay and Ghana in this World Cup. Nevertheless, I have all the conditions and capabilities to reach the round of 16,” he said. Just a few months ago, Cafu predicted South Korea at the bottom of Group H. When the lid opened, Korea’s performance was extraordinary. He played Uruguay on an equal footing. It was a 0-0 draw, but the game was good. Cappu also changed his mind somewhat after watching the game.
He also gave advice on Korean soccer. Capu actively encouraged South Korean players, especially defenders, to go to Europe. “If you play in Europe, you can get a new perspective on soccer,” he said. “Europe plays a whole new soccer.” “It will be a great help for the players to advance to Europe,” he strongly recommended.
He also added his own story. Capu, who played for Brazil, came to AS Roma in 1997 and opened his heyday. He said, “I also started my European life in Rome in earnest. I’ve changed completely since then,” he explained. “It’s good to send a lot of defenders to Europe. “Then it will definitely be a great help for the national team,” he recommended.
However, Cafu said that there was no noticeable defender in the match against Uruguay. “It was a peaceful game as a whole. The game was mediocre to the end. “There was not much for the defender to do,” he said. Since he is a world-class defender himself, it seems that he did not feel much if it was not a great defense to some extent.
