“I WAS SAO PAULO TOP SCORER TWO YEARS IN A ROW – THE STRIKERS WERE PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT EMBARRASSED”

You broke many milestones as a player, but what was your best achievement?

I made 1,237 Sao Paulo appearances over 25 years, nearly 1,000 as the captain. I scored 131 goals from free-kicks and penalties. I lifted the Copa Libertadores and won a Club World Cup final against Liverpool. But as a goalkeeper, it was being nominated for the 2007 Ballon d’Or, despite never playing in Europe.

How did you start taking free-kicks?

I used to get to the training ground very early – no one was there, so I practised free-kicks by myself. I’d take about 100 a day. At that point I wasn’t starting for Sao Paulo, but the coach saw my dedication, and once I broke into the