One of my favourite interviews ever! A flashback to my conversation with Carlos Alberto.
Speaking to the Brazil legend was a dream come true. What a player! The World Cup winning captain was an inspiration to so many people. He was an epic human being who translated his success on the pitch, off the pitch too. He utilized his profile to help others. Carlos Alberto was unquestionably one of football’s greatest ambassadors.
This is a conversation I will never forget.
There are some moments in life when you feel exceptionally lucky. You want to freeze time in a bottle. You never want the moment to end. Talking to Brazil, Santos and New York Cosmos legend Carlos Alberto Torres was exactly that moment for me.
The 1970 World Cup Final goal he scored versus Italy is undoubtedly the greatest we’ve ever seen. It was a stunning team effort that showcased why we’ve all loved watching Brazil in the World Cup. The goal also solidified Carlos Alberto’s name in football’s history books and is a moment he admits changed his life forever.
A true gentlemen of the game, Carlos is proud to have returned to his beloved New York Cosmos as an Ambassador. Together with other legends of the game like his best friend Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Giorgio Chinaglia, they set the Big Apple on fire, put the sport on the map in the United States and galvanized a nation to fall in love with football.
Talking to him about that historical final, the 1982 Brazil World Cup team, Pele, Maradona, Messi, Neymar and more felt like all the Christmas mornings I’ve ever had rolled-up into one. He unwrapped his thoughts and provided honest opinions like a gift that kept on giving.
I hope you enjoy listening to one of football’s legends as much as I enjoyed talking to him.
http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/extra-time/130425/carlos-alberto-brazils-world-cup-chances-their-premier-league-stars-and-196344
Football. Soccer. Call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.
Lob us @soccerdiva.
John Terry has the world at his feet but continues to screw up. His rap sheet over the years is nothing short of grotesque. It’s a crying shame the captain of England and Chelsea behaves badly and actually gets away with it. If he were the bloke down the street, we’d be yelling out “scum bag.”
Today’s revelations about his affair with former teammate Wayne Bridge’s ex-girlfriend – model Vanessa Perroncel – and his attempt to cover it up has angered many. Vanessa Perroncel who has a child with Bridge is supposedly one of Toni Poole’s best friends. Toni Poole is Terry’s childhood sweetheart. They have three-year old twins together. The man has a family. He is captain of England and Chelsea. What do his actions say about his character? There is a disturbing trend to John Terry’s behaviour.
Does a man who urinates in a beer glass at a night club bar warrant to be England captain? Does a man who secretly arranges behind-the-scenes tours of Stamford Bridge and receives 10k a pop for doing it deserve to be England captain? Does a man who’s mother and mother-in-law shoplift deserve to be England captain? Does a man whose father sells drugs deserve to be England captain? Does a man who has an affair with his ex-teammate’s girlfriend deserve to be England captain? I think not.
To be honest, it’s shocking that John Terry is still captain of England and Chelsea. After he was exposed by the News of the World selling “tours” of Stamford Bridge, I was convinced he would be stripped of the skipper’s armband for both club and country. How can you respect John Terry after seeing him on video telling an undercover reporter to keep things “hush, hush” because it would reflect badly on him if he were to be discovered. Were Chelsea Football Club not offended by that? Is this the type of man Fabio Capello wants to lead his men into battle against the rest of the world at the World Cup? Unbelievable!
John Terry isn’t the only player in the modern game who has “classless spoiled brat” written all over him. So many young professionals these days are given way too much, way too soon and they abuse the power they have without remorse. Gone are the days where they had to clean boots, toilets and scrub floors. Gone are the days where they were made to do things so they would understand and appreciate the value of being a professional footballer. John Terry did work hard as an apprentice, but he has obviously forgotten where he came from. He has become so arrogant, he thinks playing in the Premier League or any league for that matter is a right. You are wrong John Terry. It’s a privilege.
If I were a budding footballer, I would look to the likes of Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Paolo Maldini for my inspiration. John Terry is watched by kids week in, week out. They admire him and look up to him like a hero. To think this man could lift the World Cup for England is quite sickening to be honest. When Sir Bobby Moore lifted the World Cup for England people watched with pride. A gentlemen of English football was representing his country and the nation couldn’t have admired him and the team more. How can we sit in front of our flat screen TV’s or watch from the stands and think the same of John Terry?
I understand that everyone has a right to their privacy. What goes on behind closed doors is not really our business. But when we pay good money to watch the likes of John Terry play football and when he puts on that armband for club and country, he represents more than himself. His behaviour is beyond shameful and no different to a football hooligan. He has publicly disgraced himself numerous times. I think fans deserve a little better than that from their captain. More than that, so does his wife and childhood sweetheart Toni. So do his three-year-old twins. And so did his teammate Wayne Bridge. How can any of his fellow professionals trust him?
Don’t shed a tear for John Terry. He doesn’t give a damn about anyone but himself…