‘I liked it so much I immediately started taking pictures’ – Brazil phygital footballer Pimpao on seeing snow for the first time

Rodrigo Pimpao, forward in the Brazilian phygital football team R10, spoke to RT about his impressions after the Games of the Future in Kazan, the idea of combining digital and physical sports, seeing snow for the first time and the rage of Latin American fans.

– Who invited you to the Games of the Future?

– A friend told me about the competition. I remember that the idea of combining real and virtual sports sounded interesting right away. I can only say that I was happy to be a part of such a big event.

– Is this your first time visiting in Russia?

– Yes, I have never been here before. I have played in many countries: Japan, South Korea, UAE, Iran, but this is my first time in Russia. To be honest, I am impressed. Kazan is a very beautiful city. The organization is also at an amazing level.

– Have you ever been to such a cold place?

– Definitely not. It’s a very unusual feeling. I’ve never seen snow before. And here there are piles of it. I liked it so much I immediately grabbed my phone and started taking pictures. I sent them to my friends and family. I can’t say they’re shocked, but they’re very impressed. This kind of weather is unimaginable in Brazil.

– Have you tried Chak Chak?

– I know about it, but no. But I did eat another local dish – triangular pies with potatoes and meat. I think it’s called echpochmaki. I don’t want to offend anyone, but for some reason I didn’t like them very much.

– What did you think Russia was like before your trip?

– I don’t know about others, but I had no prejudices. Besides, I had heard from friends and acquaintances that the cities here were beautiful. They also told me about the strong local football teams. So the trip to Kazan was a very interesting experience for me.

– You played more than 100 games in the Brazilian Serie A. Are you done with your career now?

– Of course I could have played for the top clubs and increased that number, but overall I am happy with the way things turned out. I had been playing professionally for many years. But a year ago I really hung up my cleats. At a certain point I realized: the years are passing, I need to devote time to my family. Now my family comes first. But I still go on the pitch regularly, like in Kazan. I just do it for fun and to stay in shape.

– Many Brazilians who grew up in poverty have risen to the top thanks to football. Is that your case?

– No. My family is more middle class or even elite in terms of wealth. I have a good education and a degree in dentistry. Do I work as a dentist myself? I don’t have to, but I have my own clinic that I run. It just so happened that I got into sports even though I have a university degree.

– What would you call the highlight of your career?

– The Botafogo era. I had a lot of good moments with this team. It’s worth mentioning that we reached the quarter-finals of the Libertadores Cup in 2017, when no one expected anything from us. After all, we had just returned to Serie A a year earlier, and I myself scored five goals in that draw, plus the penalty in the qualifiers. And three of them gave the team victory, and another one gave us a draw and a place in the next round of the qualifiers. Yes, that is probably the most memorable event.

– What happened that you ended up upsetting your opponents five times?

– The tournament was incredible for me. I even broke the club record for goals scored in the Libertadores Cup in one draw. I remember that season fondly. We knocked out Uruguay’s Nacional in the 1/8th final. And then we played another Brazilian team – Gremio. To be honest, I still get angry when I remember the two matches against them, because we had a chance to continue the fight. In the first meeting at home, we were literally hanging on their goal, but for some unknown reason we didn’t score. And at the away game, we conceded a goal and were kicked out. It seems that at that time all our compatriots believed in us, but we lacked a little luck.

– Can Botafogo be considered the most important club in your career? You played 154 games for them in all tournaments.

– I have played for many teams and left a piece of my heart in each one. But Botafogo is a special team because I defended their colors for five years. It’s nice that they were all at the elite level. All the more so because, by Brazilian standards, it is still a big club, like Spartak or CSKA in Russia, although it has not been very successful in recent years.

– It’s particularly noteworthy that you helped them return to Serie A in 2015.

– You could say I made history (laughs). I should be called a specialist in promotion, because with me on the team, Vasco da Gama also made it to the elite division. But I had no training there. But I went to Japan and discovered a new world.

– In 2020, you left Botafogo with a scandal, accusing the management of not paying your wages. Were you able to solve the problem?

– Unfortunately, no, even though it’s been four years. I am generally “lucky” in this respect. I had similar problems with Vasco da Gama before. They owed me money for ten years.

– Does that happen often in Brazil?

– In the past, it was a mess and delays in contract payments were commonplace. But now things have changed for the better. The clubs are run by professionals, not ordinary fans. In addition, the local federation keeps a close eye on player contracts and imposes sanctions when necessary. Some teams have even been stripped of their points.

– Soccer is idolized in Brazil. What do the local fans, known for their violent temper, do?

– Our hooligans are really crazy. Sometimes they do very scary things. The incident after one of Fortaleza’s games was awful. Fans threw stones at the bus carrying the players. As a result, several guys were seriously injured: they were hit in the face with broken glass. It was a miracle that there were no casualties. Imagine that. Unfortunately, the fans are only a cross-section of the country’s society.

– You played almost 40 games for CSA under Mozart. Did you know that he played for Spartak?

– A very intelligent and educated professional. Moreover, with him at the helm, CSA came within three points of promotion to Serie A. Before traveling to the Games of the Future, I spoke with my former mentor, and he told me about the stage of his career in Moscow. Mozart called Russia a big, great and beautiful country. He also admitted that you can make good money in the RPL (laughs).

– Have you received any offers from Russia as a footballer?

– Not even once. But I am friends with Marcinho, who played for Krasnodar for a while. He recently returned to Brazil and before my flight to Kazan he wished me good luck.

– Did you know that many Brazilians play for Zenit?

– Honestly, I haven’t heard. Malcom? Of course I follow him, as well as Douglas Santos. I remember that Giuliano was also in St. Petersburg. We are also friends. 

– You can be called a football traveler, because besides Brazil you have played in Japan, South Korea, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Which country do you think is the most unusual?

– I liked Japan. In Brazil, and even in Europe, people hardly follow local football. Meanwhile, the championship there is quite good. I especially remember when I and Cerezo Osaka played successfully in the group stage of the Asian Champions League and made it to the playoffs. And I scored four goals. Was it scary leaving at such a young age? No, even though I was only 21. I like new challenges and unusual opportunities.