Simao Sabrosa Is an ex player of the FC Barcelona that arrived to the Camp Nou in summer of 1999 improved by the idea to do him see like the new Luis Figo. It shared nationality with the ex madridista and also played in the position of extreme, although his path like Barcelona was not so brilliant -neither controversial- as the one of his compatriot luso.
In some statements made for the official television of the Benfica -club in which more it shined in all his career- and collected by several national media, remembered with affection his go through the Camp Nou, although it also recognised that it did not have the easy things because of the competition that found in the Barcelona staff in his position.
"On the one hand it was Figo and by the another Rivaldo, so I thought where go to play?"
The luso remembered that it doubted of his possibilities when having to compete with players like Rivaldo or the own Figo. "Guardiola, Figo, Kluivert, Of Boer... If we look this team, almost all are trainers. Play with Figo, the big idol, was fantastic. It was my greater difficulty, because being extreme thought: 'where I go to play?'. On the one hand it was Figo and by the another Rivaldo, so I had to expect to that they went sanctioned or were tired", explained.
In spite of these difficulties for having place in the team, Simao has a good memory of the FC Barcelona, especially by his relation with Rivaldo and Pep Guardiola. "They were two fantastic years. I happened long with Rivaldo and the conversations with Guardiola were geniales. Already it had a tactical sense. A day took a paper and said me the movements that had to do without the ball", said.
The anecdotes of Simao
Simao Also remembered some anecdote that him sucedió in his starts like culé, like the fact to seat in the aeroplane in the middle of Figo and of Guardiola. "In the aeroplane seated me between Figo and Guardiola, and already had books of football, many others of golf... It read a lot. I were 19 years old, so... What went to speak I in the middle of these two?", it asked .
Besides, it explained an anecdote sucedida with Rivaldo after a training in which the crack Brazilian asked him that it remained with him after the session. "I finished a tired training and Rivaldo asked me that it followed me training with him, because it wanted to more, and could not him say that no", rememoró Simao, a player that will not happen to the history culé but that carried a good experience.