Vitinho has come a great distance however he needs to attain even larger issues. Having grown up in Belo Horizonte, resettled in Belgium as an 18-year-old and gained the Championship with Burnley, he now goals of representing Brazil on the subsequent World Cup.
The total-back was a daily for the Beneath-20s however he’s but to make his debut for the senior facet. With Marcelo and Dani Alves now not galavanting up and down the wings, Brazil want new blood at full-back. Fernando Diniz, the supervisor of the nationwide facet, picked Danilo at right-back and Renan Lodi on the left for his or her World Cup qualifiers in opposition to Bolivia and Peru earlier this month, however Vitinho believes he has what it takes to step up.
“Being referred to as as much as the Brazilian nationwide crew is my primary purpose,” he says. “I’ll obtain that. I do know it. I’ve to play nicely at Burnley, assist my crew after which I’m positive I’ll be picked.”
Vincent Kompany’s fashion of play could nicely assist with that ambition. The Burnley supervisor likes his crew to play with the ball. Diniz employs the same mannequin along with his groups, particularly Fluminense, the place he’s additionally in cost. Fluminense gained the Rio de Janeiro state championship this yr and are doing nicely within the Copa Libertadores.
Vitinho’s first assembly with Kompany got here on the pitch. “I met him once we have been each enjoying in Belgium,” he says. “We confronted off a number of occasions and he favored how I performed. When he got here to Burnley, he talked to me and I accepted the proposal as a result of I favored his fashion of play. The Championship has a whole lot of duels and bodily contact, however Kompany additionally needed to construct a crew in a position to maintain the ball and play offensively by creating alternatives by possession. That made my adaptation simpler.”
Burnley blew the competitors away within the Championship final season, profitable the league by 10 factors and dropping simply three of their 46 video games. Vitinho’s first season in England couldn’t have gone significantly better however he says their success was hard-earned. “It was within the day-to-day work, in the best way that we felt throughout coaching and video games. Kompany could be very nicely balanced. He confirmed me that good issues, the proper issues, come from working onerous. That’s what I’ve been doing.”
A footballer profession on the high degree doesn’t come simply. Vitinho joined Cruzeiro, one of many two greatest golf equipment in Belo Horizonte, on the age of six. His father was instrumental from the beginning, giving up his job to take the younger defender to coaching. He solely performed one sport for Cruzeiro earlier than being bought to Cercle Brugge on the age of 18. “All of it occurred in 5 days,” he says. “I wasn’t even envisioning a transfer to Europe, however I noticed that it was higher for me and my household. It was my first time away from them, which was very onerous. I didn’t converse English or French on the time.”
Vitinho doesn’t conceal the truth that the primary two of his three years in Belgium have been tough. He performed in the course of the first season, however needed to get better from an damage within the second. Issues solely modified for the higher within the third yr. “I had misplaced my security web, however that was additionally what helped me mature,” he says.
“I used to be very younger and needed to change my mindset and my way of life, to adapt to a brand new actuality. All this on my own.” Regardless of being a younger man in a brand new continent, he wouldn’t quit. He was decided to be like Cafu, his soccer hero. “A Brazilian doesn’t depart his nation only for a stroll, however to make a distinction within the crew that selected him,” he says.
He and his Burnley teammates have to make some adjustments if they’re to stay a Premier League crew. Burnley are nineteenth within the league and nonetheless and not using a win after 4 video games. Vitinho has missed the previous few video games with a knee damage however is hoping to be again within the crew when Manchester United go to Turf Moor on Saturday evening.
“The sport in opposition to United might be one of the crucial tough of the season, as a result of they’ve a really proficient crew,” he says. “We now have the assist of our followers, who give us a whole lot of energy enjoying at Turf Moor so we now have to make the most of that.”
As for his supervisor, Vitinho thinks Kompany might be relishing the chance to face United. “For Kompany, video games like this should be very particular as a result of he has an ideal historical past with Metropolis and an ideal rivalry with United. Similar to the primary week of the season was very particular for him, going through the membership the place he performed most of his profession.”
Burnley struggled in opposition to Metropolis on the opening evening of the season, losing 3-0, however they’re slowly discovering their ft within the high flight. “It was a really tough match, which we anticipated as a result of high quality of their crew, however we’re all the time trying to enhance. We wish to carry out higher and have an ideal sport in opposition to United.” He might be up in opposition to a number of the Brazil gamers he hopes to hitch in future squads, so it’s the good time to make a mark.
