You came to national attention in Brazil with Fluminense, one of the biggest clubs in the country. How did you get there?
I first started playing football barefoot on the streets of Bage, my town in the south of Brazil, before joining professional team Internacional. We became state champions in 1981 and that’s when Fluminense took notice. After joining, I played in their junior team for eight months, then helped the senior squad to three state championships and the 1984 Brazilian Serie A title. Even then, things were precarious and I had no money. I told my mother that I wanted to quit football and study to be a vet. Then the club said they would give me a new deal and a flat to live in, so I ended up
