January 31, 2022 at 7:04 p.m.
Rivaldo, world champion that year with Brazil, today ambassador of the Betfair bookmaker, attended to Metro Colombia and Comutricolor. Among other topics, he spoke about the James Rodríguez's good moment in Al Rayyan Qatar Stars League | Colombians Abroad”>Colombian National Team. He also spoke about Verdeamarelha, Barcelona, Messi and many other topics. Today, all riding for a win against Argentina.
In Colombia we don’t have a goal, but we do have good players. What do you think of the Colombian National Team?
“I have seen them. They have great players. I am sure that Colombia will be there. Now an important game is coming up, which is Argentina, but I guarantee that Colombia will qualify. It is a high-level team when it goes to the World Cup.
So what is it we should do?
Now they have to concentrate on the remaining games, raise their heads, get points and look for the classification. I saw him against Brazil, he tied the game and he was able to win it. Colombia has a tradition and in the World Cup it will behave differently than in the Qualifiers. The Qualifiers are very difficult, it is also difficult for Brazil. For 2002 we qualified by winning the last game against Venezuela, that is happening to Colombia, but with those players I am confident that they will be in the World Cup.
As a Betfair ambassador, would you bet that Colombia will be in the World Cup?
Yeah. I bet he’ll qualify. With the quality of players he has, he will. They have to stay focused and put heart to achieve their results. Its players play outside the country. They can.
Which Colombian player do you like the most?
James Rodríguez, I really like the way he plays. Also Juan Fernando Quintero, the one who was in China. And other players, they have very good ones, I like to see them play. I didn’t like it when I faced them, it was very difficult to win. I remember when we beat him in Morumbí, 1-0, with a goal from Roque Junior, it was very difficult.
Speaking of James, how does a player who’s gotten so far up the hill in his career deal with it?
It must be very difficult for a player, I confirm. After having been at Real Madrid, it’s difficult. In football you have to take advantage of opportunities and give as much as possible, because new players arrive every day, coaches appear who don’t like you, they put you on a bench, that happens a lot. He is a player from whom much was expected, he could have been the best in the world, I liked him a lot. But you can never relax, you have to always be focused. He had a great World Cup in 2014, but afterwards I don’t know if it was because of him, or because of a coach who didn’t like him, but he went down.
So what do you have to do to get that level back?
In the race that can happen and you have to go to a lower club. But what he did proves that he can, he’s a great player. He has to concentrate on scoring goals. I was a player who got used to scoring goals. Giving assists is fine, but you have to score goals, because scoring goals is what guarantees you will start the next game.
What do you think of Tité’s Brazil?
Brazil is in a very good moment. I like the Brazilian team, qualified for the World Cup. It is important for the fans to be classified in advance, it gives peace of mind. They have good players and they are always a favorite team when they go to play in a World Cup. Almost all the players play outside of Brazil. But the World Cup is different from the Qualifiers, the Copa América or the Olympics, the World Cup has more responsibility.
What difference do you find between this team and the one you made in 2002?
Brazil has great players, nothing to envy that team from 2002. So it was very important that the responsibility did not fall on just two players, instead today the responsibility falls a lot on Neymar. If he doesn’t play there is a lot of concern about what the Brazilian team will do against a strong team. Other players have to appear, take responsibility, not just Neymar. That was what happened in 2002. We knew that there was a Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos, and when one did not appear, another appeared. So I think that must happen in Brazil so that we can be world champions.
Does the present of Barcelona hurt you?
I am a little sad with the situation that the club is going through at the moment. You have to try to sign heavyweight players. It’s difficult because he has a lot of debt, but he has a history, a track record, that he has to use to be able to sign world-class players. He is going through a difficult time, but these are things that happen. The structure that Barcelona has is one of the best in the world and that will help. It will take two or three years for him to be able to fight for the Champions League again. Today he has a team to fight for LaLiga, for the Copa del Rey, but he has to strengthen himself to fight for the Champions League again.
Did Messi do well going to PSG?
Leo wanted to stay in Barcelona, everyone knows that he would like to be at Barça until the last moment, but it was a money situation. The solution was to go to a richer club like PSG, with friends like Neymar. He is having difficulties because it is not easy to play in another championship, but little by little he will get those goals and he will return to the level he had in Barcelona. He is a player who still makes a difference.
How is Rivaldo’s life today?
I am very happy. I live in the United States with my family, I am an ambassador for Betfair, always doing events for the company. Dedicated to the family, I am very happy with them. I have my son Rivaldinho, who plays in Poland, and my daughter is married to a player who plays in Cyprus. I’m very happy.
You can tell he is in shape, he is ready to return to the courts
I take care of myself, I take care of myself. My knees still hurt though. But I try to take care of myself to have a long life.
