Placing Philipe Coutinho among the best footballers in the world was not far-fetched in 2017. It was his last year at Liverpool, a time in which he starred at the highest point of his career that led him to be transferred to FC Barcelona in January 2018. in one of the most important operations of that midseason window.
Ragnar Klavan was his teammate at the Reds at the time and still remembers what it was like to share training and games with the Brazilian. “This half year before Coutinho left for Barcelona was incredible. He had never seen anything like it,” he said in an interview with DaveOCKOP, a site dedicated mainly to news about Liverpool.
READ MORE
++ Endrick named Brazil’s top football player of 2024, overtaking Gabigol and Arrascaeta
++ Harry Kane picks the best finisher in history: Messi, Ronaldo Nazário or Cristiano?
++ Who are the biggest clubs from Rio de Janeiro?
“In training, he dribbled past three or four players, made a turn and scored,” said the former Estonian captain. “Everyone applauded him because he was very good,” he added.
Ragnar Klavan tells me on Coutinho:
“In training he was dribbling past three or four guys, doing a nutmeg, and then scoring.”
“Everyone would just clap and applaud him because he was that good.” pic.twitter.com/uPQOhFNqq2
— DaveOCKOP (@DaveOCKOP) May 23, 2024
“It’s not that the level of the other players was not high, it’s that theirs that year was exceptionally high,” explained the defender, at a time when the team already had figures of caliber such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino.
The negotiation for Coutinho to return to Vasco
The midfielder’s experience at Barcelona was disappointing, which led him to later play for Aston Villa and then go on loan until the end of the season to Al Duhail in Qatar. About to turn 32, negotiations are advancing for a return to Vasco da Gama, the team where he emerged.
The Brazilian has a contract until 2026 with Aston Villa, which seeks to recover part of the 20 million euros it paid for him in 2022. It will be necessary to see if he can somehow terminate his contract to join as a free agent or if the Rio club bets a loan with a subsequent purchase option or obligation.
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
Watch the first six episodes on Sambafoot’s YouTube channel. Don’t miss the series finale releasing soon!
