For years on end, the samba known nation of Brazil have provided a conveyor-belt of talent that have dazzled.
So many players of flair, exuberance, speed, showmanship have emerged from the South American country and landed on our European shores. There has always been a high demand for Brazilian footballers, and in this modern age it doesn’t look like slowing down.
This new generation of Brazilians have created such a ruckus that they are even being likened to the golden age that won the 1970 World Cup. Players such as Pele, Carlos Alberto Torres, Jairzinho and Rivelino were just some of the notable figures that led the nation to a historic World Cup victory, and were later dubbed best association football squad ever (of course excluding the current Spanish team monopolising trophies).
The next World Cup will be held in Brazil and, although 2 years away, this young Brazilian side are already stealing the spotlight from their dominating Spanish counterparts.
However this is where the compliments end, and I focus on a factor that will have a say in where the trophy ends up in July 2014.
Whilst discussing the matter on twitter it was pointed out to me that although Brazilian players often display tremendous ability, it would be fair to say that they tend to remain at the top of the game for a brief period before their skills and desire begin to fade.
I thought long and hard about this and I concluded that, with a few exceptions, these Brazilian talents tend to do just that. There are a long list of so called world beaters that have come to Europe, lit up the world stage only to fade out before their time.
The most obvious example being Ronaldinho.
Ronaldinho was a player who did not just bring intricate flair to the game, but also a infectious happiness that spread to teammates and audience alike.
However, during the closing stages of his Barcelona career, Ronaldinho’s desire appeared to leave him and his performance on the pitch slowly started to stagnate.
Ronaldinho is now currently playing football out of the spotlight in his home nation. Where he once held the world’s focus, now only a dedicated few can track his movements due to the little coverage Brazilian football receives over here.
This article purposely coincides with the ongoing transfer sagas of three of the players at the forefront of this new generation of the Brazilian national side; Neymar, Lucas Moura and Hulk.
I wonder if it is wise to throw buckets of money at players who continually displayed this trait of ‘falling off’ after 3 or 4 years, then returning back to their homeland. For the fees being thrown about, 3 or 4 years of service seems underwhelming
Despite their obvious talent, removing these Brazilian’s from their comfort zone can welcome an adverse effect.
Managers that covet their signatures will definitely want to take this into account, as this has been a curse that continues to befall the stars that emerge from the country.
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