Glauber Berti has a lot of stories to tell. Currently working as football director of Nacional A.C, formerly known as São Paulo Railway, where Charles Miller had his first game in Brazilian lands.
Berti was a successful player back in his time. He used to be an idol at Manchester City and was part of the first big squad of the club as the Abu Dhabi United Group bought it.
It is a funny thing because Berti played just a few minutes, but his work ethic was enough to have the fans cheering and wanting him to be on the field. They know him as ‘The Invisible Man’.
“We used to have a lot of open practices, so the fans were always there. I used to train as if I were playing an actual game. The fans got used to see me giving my best and not going in, always on the bench. So, some of them started chanting my name, Berti, during games. There were a lot of funny names as well, like The Chuck Norris of English football or The Invisible Man, and I always found it funny. It was a way to pressure the coach into giving me a chance to play as well,” he tells Sambafoot in an exclusive interview.
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How he felt not playing. “I had a great relationship with (coach) Mark Hughes, who is a great person, because he was always honest with me. He told me that I needed to work and that my time would come. Of course sometimes I didn’t see eye to eye with him, but that’s life. I used to practice with rage because, since I wasn’t playing, I felt like the practices were my games. That’s why fans saw me giving my best every day. I was highly motivated.”
Playing his only game at City. “It was the last game of the season and I din’t expect to play. The fans were chanting my name in every match and then finally the coach called me. The fans screamed a lot, but I think many of them didn’t even know my face. They were chanting because they saw others doing (he laughs). It was a folkloric thing. So I got on the field and every time I touched the ball was like a party. They were able to put face to name that time. It was very good.”
Funny anecdote with Cristiano Ronaldo. “I remember that we were playing against United and Cristiano Ronaldo was on the bench, having some rest. I don’t remember how the game was, but he started his preparation to get on the pitch. He was flying on that championship. So, the City fans also started chanting my name, so that I could guard Cristiano. Can you imagine that? I’m not playing, the man was scoring, dribbling, doing his best… I wasn’t prepared for it. It was funny. I kept imagining what would happen if I got on the field that time.”
Going to City. “I had a good stint with FC Nürnberg, but the team was relegated and I was able to leave for free. I have Italian passport and Mark Hughes loved using Brazilian players. He already had Jô and Elano on the team, I think, so it was natural for me. I always wanted to live in England as well. It was the first year of the new owners, so I saw it as an opportunity to improve even more in my career.”
What he found. “I saw a lot of investments since I got there. I guess that bringing Robinho from Real Madrid was the transfer that changed how the team wanted to be seen. It was a great player, from a big club, coming to show how the new investment was going to be. Every day there was something changing in the club as well: we saw new equipments for the gym, new rooms, improved facilities and all that. They were clear that they wanted to reach the top. At first, I had my doubts, because things in football take time, but they were able to keep their word and now they’ve built a dynasty in English football.”
The row between Robinho and Bellamy. “I’m a good friend of the Brazilian players to this day. I was the best man at Jô’s wedding, for instance. I used to translate things from them, because I spoke German and was learning English at the time. At one game, Robinho was hurt and had to take an injection to play. He was feeling pain and couldn’t perform as he’d like, so Bellamy said a lot of bad things to him in the dressing room during the break. He was pissed. Robinho didn’t understood what he said, but I did. I got up to him and said that he should respect Robinho, because he was hurt and trying his best. Bellamy got quiet after that.”
Relationship with Brazilians on the squad. “We used to go out a lot. We had feijoadas and barbecues. Manchester was a city that rained a lot, with that grey weather, and I was single at the time. Had to be with my friends whenever it was possible.”
Felipe Caicedo. “Caicedo was one of the good guys. He was very friendly and loved eating feijoada as well, especially if it was made by a Brazilian. I remember that my mom used to come and bring me beans, so Caicedo would say: ‘Amigón quer feijón‘ (Friend wants bean) in a very funny way.”
Vincent Kompany. “He was a leader. We faced each other a lot in Germany, so I already knew him. We spoke German to each other in the locker room and he always had good things to say. I didn’t see him as a coach back then, of course, because we were young, but I guess it came as a natural thing for him. He is very competent. We still talk sometimes today and I’m very happy for what he has achieved.”
