Richardson, one-on-one exclusively with ESPN

It was a different night. Strange. Only. exciting.

Wednesday 13 March 2024, temperature 4°C, freezing cold like North London.

Feeling cold in the stomach also. After all, it’s not every day that there’s a knock on the door of the Brazilian team’s No. 9 in the last World Cup. How will Richardson talk to us? How will we talk to him?

The tension disappeared in an instant. With great affection and a broad smile, Pombo opened the door to his nest for the ESPN team.

charlinho’s simplicity

“I heard you came straight from Brazil, my cousin made coffee. It’s enough to eat everything, the people at home are already a little fit,” he said, inviting us inside.

Nothing typical local cuisine. Actually, the language is not that intimidating anymore. How’s your English, Richardson? “It’s great, isn’t it?” I could not help laughing.

The abundant table looked like grandma’s house: cheese bread, coxinha, couscous, scrambled eggs, cookies, bread, butter, jam, ham, cheese, water, orange juice, coffee. Pigeons are people. Keep that phrase.

As we set up the cameras, Richardson talked about life as if he was surrounded by old acquaintances.

He also showed his cell phone, a real chest full of treasures. Videos of goals and dribbles, family photos, memorable moments and hilarious scenes. For example, on the screen appears a photo of a young man, completely white, wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sneakers, who, on the same day, bought – and spent – 700 reais, taken from his first paycheck. there was one. No regrets.

Ah, for family and friends, there is no Richardson. There’s Charlinho.

From New Venice to the World

The 26-year-old Holy Spirit turned his life around in England, where he has been shining since 2016. He met Elton John, the former owner of Watford, his first club in the country. He is an Everton icon, he scored goals again at Tottenham. Team number 9 in the last World Cup. Famous, or rather, “little-known”, as he himself said.

But the sanctity belongs to Charlinho, the boy who “had already gone through a lot of trouble and a little hunger” in his homeland, Nova Venetia. “The favela teaches us to live, to value things. Even with some things, we smile, we are happy, we look for better solutions for a better life.”

And to think that, as a teenager, he did not succumb to the temptation of drugs to have an “easy” life. He closed his eyes in fear as he was mistaken for his “opponent” and a gun was pointed at his head, almost “game over” as he said.

But everything had to be different. His father, Antonio, was and is a great supporter of his career and helped Charlinho continue his life-changing destiny with the ball at his feet. “I thank my father, who always believed in me and never gave up on my dream, because by pursuing my dream I was able to help many people.” He also inherited his passion for Basque from his father.

Richardson is a different guy, rare and unique.

Richardson’s harrowing tale of what he experienced after the World Cup in Qatar.

🗣️ “I think the doctor, whether we like it or not, saved me, he saved my life. He only thought nonsense… He only looked for nonsense, he only wanted to see nonsense about death” pic.twitter.com/CvViX86pq4

– SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) 27 March 2024

an open heart statement

It only takes a few seconds to realize that Richardson is always the same, whether it’s on the field, in interviews, on social media, even at home with the TV crew, lights and cameras.

Words always come from the heart. The prices are generous. Concern for others and the conservation of Pantanal drives action and encouragement. This explains why he is a role model for children and teens all over the planet. After all, how many times have you seen a group of fans mimicking the “pigeon dance”?

Charlinho conquered the world.

If this were a fairy tale, this lesson would end like this. His style of speaking is funny and it seems that you will laugh at any moment. But not a single person with that aura is safe… and life, without rest, wears Richardson down.

The number 9 has recovered from injury to reach the 2022 World Cup. On his debut he scored an unforgettable volley, voted the most beautiful goal of the World Cup by FIFA. Two more goals followed in the competition, one against Serbia and the last against South Korea, but the Croatians’ elimination changed everything.

He left Qatar very sad, after all, apart from wearing the shirt, Richarlison is a staunch follower of the team. In treacherous social networks, people who idolized the then-current “hero” became fierce and extreme critics, sometimes even criminals.

Not long after came disappointment, betrayal, right from the man who had been living in her house for more than seven years.

It was too much for him. Many things at the same time. Remember, pigeons are people. And it was right there, in the warmth of her nest, in front of us, where she opened her heart like she never had before.

Below is the full, emotional and heartbreaking testimony of a man who found himself on the verge of giving up everything:

“Before training like this, like, I already wanted to go home, I wanted to go back to my room because I don’t know, I don’t know what was going through my mind… I told my dad. I had also told that I was going to give up. I would have to talk to my father that I was going to give up.

Talking like this hurts me too, you know? Because… I don’t know, it was… just me, you know… what I went through after the World Cup and discovering things here in the houses of people who were my friends for over seven years. Stay together. …It’s like it’s crazy…

And so to go to my father, who was the person who made my dream come true, and say, Hey Dad, I want to give up, is crazy.

I recently played in the World Cup, right, at my best moment… and I was, like, reaching my limit, you know… I don’t know, if I committed suicide I wouldn’t I would say, but, I was depressed there, like, I don’t know, and I wanted to give up… I don’t know…

After the World Cup I was facing a lot of attacks and along with this personal problem at home, it took a toll on me, like… Soon it started to feel like I was mentally stronger, you Do you know? After the World Cup it seemed as if everything had fallen apart.

And I say, I did an interview there recently… I think the psychologist, whether she wanted to or not, saved me, she saved me, she saved my life because… I just thought bullshit …I just searched nonsense on Google, that’s all. I wanted to see some deadly shit, I don’t know…

Today I can say, look for a psychologist, if you need a psychologist, look for him because it’s good that you open up like you are talking to that person. Today the teachers came to thank me for bringing it into the world of football, also into the world outside the field, because it is very important and, whether we like it or not, it saves lives.

I had this prejudice in me earlier also, I had said in the interview that I had this prejudice in me. I thought it was cool, I thought it was crazy. There are people in my family who think that anyone who goes to a psychologist thinks he’s crazy, they think he’s crazy. But I discovered it and thought it was amazing. “The coolest, coolest discovery I’ve ever made in my life.”

Richardson is truly a different, rare and unique individual. His statement is another lesson in life and rebirth for a player who, not coincidentally, is the idol of millions of children in Brazil and around the world.

Thanks for everything, Richardson. For your generosity, for opening the door to your home and your heart, for your life lessons, for your voice, for all that you are and represent. Thanks again for everyone’s help. La Paloma is, above all, a city.

Get help if you need help

If you need or know someone who needs help, support or guidance in mental health in Argentina, you can call 0800-999-0091 24 hours a day. This telephone line is staffed by health professionals who are trained to provide prevention, emergency support, legal advice and information.