London, May 29 (IANS) Brazilian football captain Lucio is the man to channel coach Dunga’s will on the pitch in the World Cup in South Africa and to impose on team-mates and opponents the authority that once oozed from the former Fiorentina and Stuttgart midfielder.
The 32-year-old Lucuio was humble in admitting that the armband does not turn him into a better or more special player. For him, he is just like one of 11 guys on the pitch fighting for his country.
‘Some people have said that I resemble Dunga in his playing days in terms of behaviour on the pitch, especially because we both played in German football and were brought through by the same club in Brazil (Internacional) but I reckon that we just believe in hard work and discipline as a means of winning trophies in football,’ the 32-year-old Lucio was quoted as saying by the Guardian.
Last Saturday Lucio won his third trophy of the season, completing treble of Serie A, Italian Cup and Champions League with the defeat of Bayern Munich, where he played for five years before coach Louis van Gaal showed him the exit.
Van Gaal considered the defender too unpredictable, especially when he went into his famous bombing-forward mode that prompted TV commentators to question his sanity.
Inter signed him for approximately five million pound and Lucio had the last laugh in the 2-0 victory.
‘I didn’t play thinking of what happened at Bayern. It wasn’t cool the way I left but at the same time I have a lot of good memories from a fantastic club. Even Van Gaal came to me after the match and said some nice things. This is football, you move on and get your rewards for never letting your head drop,’ said Lucio.
On Inter’s departing coach Jose Mourinho, Lucio said: ‘Mourinho is only polemical in the press. He is an intelligent guy who knows a lot about working the emotions of his players and how to get them all pumped up. It has been a pleasure working with him.’
With critics still pointing to Lucio’s lapses of concentration, Lucio said: ‘I am not one of those who keeps press cuttings. It’s simply impossible to please everybody and the more you concentrate on your job, the less you will be annoyed by opinions. A lot of my colleagues in the national team abide by this rule. But I have had worse times with the critics in Brazil and people seem to be recognising a bit more that I have the same desire for the team to do well.’
In South Africa, Lucio knows the challenges as Brazil were drawn into what arguably is the toughest group, alongside Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea. He is looking forward to another duel with Drogba on June 20 in Johannesburg.
‘That guy is one of the strongest strikers I have played against, both in technical and physical terms. I was so knackered after the game at Stamford Bridge that I could barely move. (During the game) Drogba started shouting at me and the referee because of a foul and I gave him an earful,’ he said.
