Brazilian legend wanted Manchester United move over Liverpool
By Bence Bocsak
This Brazilian legend has recently revealed that he would have wanted to move to Manchester United over arch rivals Liverpool.
Brazil is filled with abject poverty. It is a country which is the home of the favelas and gang crime. In the slums, for young children football is the only way to escape the harsh realities of their environment . Many young Brazilians dream of becoming football stars. Dream of playing in the Champions League and playing for some of the best clubs in the world, including Manchester United.
Rivaldo fulfilled almost everything a kid dreams about. The Brazilian midfielder who was bow legged and short, had to overcome many set-backs before he would ascend the footballing pyramid.
When he did however, Rivaldo was a marvel to behold.
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The Brazilian legend was a late-bloomer. He only arrived in European football at the age of 24, but by 25 he was playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world in Barcelona. At 26 he would become a World Cup runner up. At 27 he won the Ballon D’or and at 30 he would lift the biggest prize of all – the FIFA World Cup.
Rivaldo enjoyed a stunning career, he played deep into his fourties and he was the model professional.
Blessed with stunning technique and great athleticism, the Brazilian star could weave past opponents with ease and he’d slot balls through to his team-mates for fun.
Despite his talent, Rivaldo never managed to grace the Premier League. At the time, very few Brazilians dared to challenge themselves in the physically demanding and often what many deemed as a barbaric league.
Recently however, the Brazilian legend has opened up about just how close he almost came to a move to Manchester United.
According to Rivaldo who spoke to Betfair via TeamTalk, following the Red Devils’ remarkable treble season in 1999 and after the Brazilian had just won the Ballon D’or there were rumours about a ‘potential transfer’ and he would have ‘preferred’ a move to Old Trafford.
In fact Rivaldo went onto declare that he would have preferred a move to the Red Devils over the club’s arch rivals in Liverpool:
"“Of course, there were other good clubs in England then like Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool, but United always caught my attention for everything they were achieving and the way they were playing in those days.”"
Ultimately a move would never materialise. But one could only imagine how majestic Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils could have looked with a partnership of Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Rivaldo.
Next. Utd are about to let these two players go in the summer. dark
Would you liked to have seen Rivaldo at United?