Brazil has always produced great football players such as Pelé, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Romario, Socrates, Garrincha, Rivaldo, Neymar, Roberto Carlos, Kaka, and many others. Football is like a religion there and sometimes it’s the only way for a talented boy to escape the dangers of the street.
When a football player from this region joins a European team, money flows like rivers and his entire family forgets about poverty and misery. However, Brazilians have never been known for good discipline and often break their club regimes. Additionally, the entire season they can play amazingly, but as soon as a holiday approaches, they feel nostalgic for their homeland and family.
We all know that Jose Mourinho is one of the best managers in the world, having won an unprecedented treble with the Italian Inter. Over the years, he has trained dozens of football stars. Naturally, this has led to many funny, curious, and entertaining stories.
One of these stars is the Brazilian Maicon. He is best described as a modern-day half-back, a defender who constantly participates in his team’s attacks without forgetting his defensive duties.
Like every Brazilian, he has a problem with discipline, and it turns out he is also a big trickster. Every year, just before the Christmas holidays, Maicon deliberately receives his fifth yellow card, which leads to a one-match suspension. Combined with his Christmas vacation, it’s a pleasant period for a break in his homeland of Brazil.
However, Mourinho is not an idiot and sees where things are going. Just before Christmas 2008, Inter has a match against Siena, and Maicon has four yellow cards up until that moment. Mourinho shares: “I went to him before the match and told him that even if he receives a yellow card, he still won’t go home.”
The defender is very disappointed and asks his manager: “What if I score a goal?” Mourinho replies that he will have to score two goals, and then he will let him go. The match begins, and Maicon runs from one end of the pitch to the other, giving his all. In the end, the match ends 2-1 for Inter, and the goal scorer is none other than Maicon, with two goals! After his second goal, in his euphoria, he takes off his shirt and receives his fifth yellow card…
So, in addition to the promised vacation from Mourinho, the Brazilian also gets an extra rest due to the suspension.
