EDMUNDO

Amarildo said that you must quickly realize how different are the Italian defenders compared to the Brazilian ones. He says he took 3 years but you need to be faster.
'Evair, who was a teammate of mine with Vasco da Gama and who played in Italy with Atalanta, told me about the Italian defenders. They look to me as tough as the Brazilian ones but more fair. I'll try to resist to any kind of provocation, but so far they look to be very respectful'.
Which Fiorentina's players were more helpful during your first days in Italy?
'I should thank all of them. Oliveira and Rui Costa helped me with the language. Rui Costa is a great talent known in Brazil as much as Batistuta. Oliveira is a surprise. He is very good. He left Brazil when was still a youngster and a very few knew him. Then I want to mention Bigica, a very nice guy, an important factor in our locker-room'.
Which have been so far the best moments of your career?
'Many: my debut, all the wins with Palmeiras and Vasco da Gama, the first goal I scored for the national team against Uruguay, the Ameica's Cup, I also scored a goal against Batistuta's Argentina. Then I can't forget the September 11 of last year when we played against the Uniao Sao Joao. I scored after just 27 seconds, then I scored other 5 times, and I could do even better'.
Falcao, Cerezo, Careca, Dunga, Zico. Many Brazilian Champions preceded you in Italy, which one would you like to be compared to?
'They all were great talents who signed Brazilian and Italian football. Even Ronaldo will have hard times before being compared to them. I especially admired forwards like Careca and Zico, and I think the first one was more similar to me. I know he esteems me and suggested Napoli's Ottavio Bianchi to acquire me a few years ago. However I'm happy they didn't call me, so now I can play with Fiorentina. Maybe Dunga told them about me. He is the last Brazilian player who came to Firenze before me. I really admire his strong personality which will allow him to play another World Cup at the age of 35'.
Before Dunga there was Socrates. A real flop.
'Firenze didn't see the true Socrates, a myth for any Brazilian'.
Which Italian players do you prefer?
'I was in France when Italy and Brazil made that wonderful 3-3 game. Del Piero and Maldini are great international talents. Later, after arriving at Firenze I saw many good Lazio's players, like Nesta, Mancini, Boksic and Nedved. Obviously Juventus, especially its defense, and Milan that didn't look to me so in trouble as everybody says. I find Parma a really amusing team. Goals like Dino Baggio's one would be framed in Brazil'.
What about Fiorentina?
'This team can do great things. I'm just disappointed because we were eliminated from the Italy Cup. If we were a little luckier we could win in Turin. However things are going well for me and I'm sure that goals and results will come very soon. Our fans deserve it. They supported me since the first moment I arrived here. I saw on Tv the wonderful choreography they organized for the game against Juventus, it was amazing. They are like the Brazilian Ôtorcida''.
These fans want to go back in Europe.
'I know. It's not easy because there is a lot of competiton, however, if we'll be able to materialize just half of the projects that we made, they needn't worry'.
You arrived in Italy known as a trouble-maker, but so far other Clubs have had troubles. For exemple Bologna, with the controversy between Baggio and Ulivieri.
'Baggio is one of the best players in the world and in Brazil there's a great respect for these kind of talents. However these players themselves should show enough respect for their coaches. Maybe Baggio made the first mistake'.
What if you found yourself in the same situation of Baggio?
'I don't have the same great past of Baggio, however I would respect my coach's decisions. By the way, my relationship with Zagallo has always been good. I met him in August during the celebrations for the America's Cup, he told me that if I deserved I would come back with the national team and he was as good as his word'.
Cecchi Gori said that you are the best Italian acquisition of the year, even better than Ronaldo.
'I thank the President but any comparison between me and Ronaldo is at least premature. He is the 'fenomeno" while I'm just arrived. Let's talk again about this in a few months'.

HE IS NICKNAMED O'ANIMAL

Edmundo Alves de Souza Neto was born the 2nd of April 1971 at Niteroi, 20km. north of Rio de Janeiro. His father Reinaldo was a barber, while his mother Firle was an housewife. Edmundo is 1.76mt. tall and weighs 71kg. He began to play football with Marine futebol of Marica, then he moved to the juvenile teams of Botafogo and Vasco da Gama. In 1992 he made his debut with Vasco's mjor team. Later he played with Palmeiras (1993), Flamengo (1994) and Corinthians (1995), before going back to Vasco da Gama in 1996. In June 1997 Fiorentina acquired him but he arrived in Italy only after his Vasco's contract expired.

HIS WINS: With Palmeiras he won 2 championships of San Paolo and the Brazilian one. Still with Palmeiras he won the Cup of Rio-San Paolo. In 1997 he won another Brazilian championship with Vasco da Gama and the America's Cup with his national team.

HIS RECORDS: In 1997 he scored 29 goals in 26 games finishing as the best Brazilian scorer of the season.(Atletico Mineiro's Reinaldo held the previous record of 28 goals in one season). Edmundo scored as many as 6 goals in a single game against Uniao Sao Joao.(Again the previous record was held by Reinaldo with 5 goals in one game). During the same game Edmundo also scored the quickest goal ever in the history of the Brazilian Championship. (27 seconds after the kick-off).

HIS NICKNAMES: Still very young he was nicknamed 'Dinho", short for Edmundinho. Later he was called 'O'Animal”, which is not an insult but means 'athlete with an huge strenght". Edmundo was given this nickname while playing for Palmeiras, by the radio commentator Osmar Santos.

HIS HOBBY: The 'futevoley". A sort of beach-volleyball played by the feet. He also likes cars, especially Audis, and like the most part of the Brazilian youngsters he was a big fan of Senna.

HIS FAMILY: He got married with Adriana 4 years ago and they have a daughter called Ana Carolina who is 2 years and 9 months old. He wanted his wife and his daughter to follow him to Firenze, and they now live in the neighbourhood of Settignano. He hopes his wife can soon give him a son.

MOVIES: Movies are one of his favourite hobbies. He has a wide collection of videotapes and his favourite movie is 'Outre face". His favourite actresses are Sharon Stone and the Brazilian Malumeder, while among the actors he likes John Travolta.

FOOD: His Brazilian favourite dish is 'fagiolata". In Italy he loves spaghetti but he can't eat too many of them if he wants to keep in shape.

THE CLIMATE: As soon as he arrived in Italy he was impressed by the cold. Travelling from Firenze to Turin he saw the snow for the first time in his life.