A former Real Madrid flop who later went on to enjoy success at Bayern Munich has opened up about a video game addiction that led to him failing at the La Liga giants.
The name Zé Roberto will likely provoke a mixed reaction from Real Madrid supporters after the Brazilian’s torrid spell in the Spanish capital back in 1997.
The Brazil international, who earned 84 caps for his country between 1995 and 2006, arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu from Brazilian side Portuguesa in 1997.
And despite joining the 15-time European champions with a healthy reputation, it did not take long for things to unravel for Zé Roberto, with his Spanish adventure turning into a nightmare.
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In a lengthy interview with Brazilian outlet GE, the former full-back put his poor form at Madrid down to “sleepless nights” as a result of him becoming addicted to video games – namely Crash Bandicoot.
“Video games really messed me up because I was a kid: 21 years old,” he explained.
“My wife was also very young, 18 or 19. One of my dreams, besides becoming a gamer and buying a car, was to have a PlayStation. And we bought one. Newly married, I was like a rooster.
“I spent all day dating and, at night, I'd play video games. I lost all my performance; I'd arrive at the club to train with dark circles under my eyes. Imagine: the guy spends all day dating and, at night, loses sleep playing video games.
“That period was the only time I lost my physical form, because the game caused me a lot of stress. I wanted to finish the game and I couldn't. Then I'd get hungry in the middle of the night. I'd go eat cookies. I ate a lot of cookies. I'd say, 'Bring me a cookie.' I'd eat one, finish the whole box.
“Then came snacks, soda... I gained weight without realising it. And I was stressed because of the game. This is something that takes away the concentration and focus of many athletes today.”
The former defender, who is now 51, made just 21 appearances for Los Blancos before returning to Brazil when he joined Flamengo in 1998.
That same year, he signed for Bayer Leverkusen and never looked back.
After impressing at Leverkusen, he secured a move to German giants Bayern Munich, where he would go on to win four league titles and four DFB-Pokal crowns.
Speaking of his return to Europe and ultimate success in Germany, Zé Roberto explained: “When I returned to Brazil in 1998, on loan to Flamengo, and stayed for six months, that's when I was able to analyse many points that I would have to change to return and remain there for a long time.
“That analysis, when I returned, was very important. My return was to Germany, a much more difficult adaptation than in Spain. When I arrived at Leverkusen, what helped me a lot was that the club was already prepared to receive foreigners. Before me, Paulo Sérgio and Jorginho had already played there. It was a prepared club, and that facilitated my adaptation.”
Despite his fortunes improving in Germany and the player describing the early 2000s as his peak, Zé Roberto was omitted from Brazil’s 2002 World Cup squad, which went on to win the tournament in Japan and South Korea.
Most Brazilians look back on the tournament with fondness, but the same can’t be said for Zé Roberto, who admitted that he “didn’t even watch” the competition.
“I grieved that moment, but I needed to come back because I would have four years to earn my place again,” he revealed.
“And I did. Something that's very difficult, if you analyse it, is for a player who wasn't part of a winning team to become a starter four years later, in another World Cup.”
In line with his career, the full-back bounced back and was selected for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, but could only help Brazil reach the quarter-finals, where they lost 1–0 to France in Frankfurt.
On the 2006 World Cup failure, he said: “Nobody arrived there in their best physical condition. I think that's what made the big difference. Everyone arrived with the same goal of being world champions, but we were already in a phase where football wasn't just about names, it wasn't just about talent. Football became physical, and because not everyone was at the peak of their career, of their performance, we were eliminated.”
Following the tournament, Zé Roberto became a free agent before signing for Nacional in Uruguay.
Loans at Santos and Bayern followed before he signed for Hamburg. After spells at Al-Gharafa, Grêmio and Palmeiras, the Brazilian retired in 2017.
Zé Roberto now acts as a technical advisor at Palmeiras.
Topics: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Football, La Liga, Bundesliga, Brazil
Luke Davies