There is nothing wrong with an extreme makeover. After goalless months full of doubts, Igor Thiago (22) became a guarantee of goals at Club Brugge. What caused the Brazilian striker’s turnaround?
Our apologies, Igor Thiago.
At Sporza we are not afraid to impose mea culpa. At the end of November, an overenthusiastic employee posted a mocking caption about Igor Thiago’s goals against Besiktas on social media.
The post was telling about the perception that surrounded the Brazilian striker at the time. Thiago – who came over from Bulgarian Ludogorets for 7.9 million – was by no means a top asset despite a promising start. 9 matches in a row without goals, many blatant misses, technically somewhat inept.
Ironically, Thiago hasn’t stopped scoring since the much-discussed caption – something the Club fans remind us of often enough.
15 goals in the last 10 matches – no one has done better – and the best Brazilian shooter in Europe this season. Impressive statistics.
Culture shock greater in Belgium than in Bulgaria
Time to look for the explanation for Thiago’s remarkable metamorphosis.
Few are better placed to do this than Marcelo Beer. The football agent guided the striker from an obscure Brazilian club to the great Cruzeiro when he was 16, and then guided him to Europe.
However, Beer noted a big difference between the transfer to Loedogorets and Club Brugge. Even though that first step seemed the hardest.
“But in Bulgaria there was an interesting framework for Brazilian players,” the agent explains.
“Igor ended up in a group with 5 to 6 compatriots, there was a Brazilian cook and also a full-time interpreter. In fact, despite the move to Europe, the culture shock was relatively limited. At Club Brugge it was different. No one spoke there. Portuguese and Igor’s English was still very limited.”
Igor was not so much bothered by the fact that he did not score for a long time, but rather by the fact that the team did not win.
Marcelo Beer
Not only off the field, but also on it, Thiago had to look for his place.
“You saw that the teammates did not know how to best play Igor,” Beer said.
“The difficult period that Club was going through also weighed on him. You know, Igor was not so much concerned about the fact that he did not score for a long time, but about the fact that the team did not win. Like against Standard and Kortrijk. Igor is simply someone who puts the collective above the individual.”
At best after minute 60
And so it is by no means a coincidence that Thiago’s personal development coincides with the revival of Club Brugge.
After a few introductory months, the Brazilian now seems to have completely found his niche at blue-black.
“A lot had to do with the pace that he was not used to here,” said trainer Ronny Deila this weekend. “Defenders hate playing against him these days. He presses non-stop, runs all the time and kicks them. Everything Thiago does is better balanced today.”
Beer also points out that Club is now also using its striker in his most accurate period.
“You should look at his statistics in Bulgaria. There he scored most of his goals in the last half hour. Because with his strength and endurance he can make the difference against exhausted defenders.”
“Only Ronny Deila usually changed him around minute 60. In September we pointed this out to Club during a visit, without wanting to bother us sportingly. And now look…”
Igor no longer feels like a boy who has to prove everything, but grew into a respected man.
Marcelo Beer
It was also crucial that Blue-Black, despite the difficult autumn period, continued to believe in its summer purchase.
“I don’t want to call Deila a second father for Igor, but it is a perfect marriage,” says his real estate agent.
“Even when there were doubts, the coach continued to give Igor a lot of minutes. The Mexican assistant coach (Efrain Juarez, ed.) was also very important because of his knowledge of Spanish.”
“Together with his wife and two sons, Igor is now completely settled in Knokke and is taking English lessons. Yesterday he told me that everything is finally running perfectly. Igor no longer feels like a boy who has to prove everything, but has grown into a respected man.”
Even in his home country. At the beginning of December, Brazilian national team coach Ramon Menezes even wanted to convince Thiago to participate in the Olympic qualifying tournament, which is currently underway.
Beer: “That had been a dream for Igor. You have to know that the Olympic Games for Brazilian football players are almost equivalent to a World Cup. Only Club did not want to lose him during this important period. Igor fully understood that and decided to stay in Belgium. Hopefully he will get a new chance in Paris next summer.”
If Thiago continues to score at this rate, no one will doubt it.
2024-01-23 16:53:00
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