Describing himself as a “warrior”, Brandao showed no signs of inhibitions as he was presented to the world as an Olympique de Marseille player yesterday evening.
Éric Gerets finally has the striker he has been craving for several months as it was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that Shakhtar Donetsk’s Brazilian striker Brandao had signed a three and a half year deal with the Provence club. Although the Ukrainian club initially held out for €10 million, various sources report the actual value of the deal to be between €6 million and €8 million.
At the press conference announcing his arrival, the 28 year-old striker, who was prolific with his former club, simply oozed confidence. “In the next few months I will show all my qualities and everyone will learn something about me,” he boldly stated. “In the Ukraine, I watched the matches of OM on television and they seduced me. My style will change many things. I am a motivator on the ground and I will do my best to stay here as long as possible.”
Brandao has been particularly impressed with the welcome he has received in France. “The reception was very nice and the fans were very kind,” he smiled. “I can identify with the team and the fans, who support their team for 90 minutes. They are like the supporters of [Brazilian sides] Corinthians and Flamengo.”
Due to the winter break in the Ukrainian league, Brandao was back in Brazil on holiday when the initial contact was made and, as a result, it has been some time since he has trained properly. He is, therefore, highly unlikely to feature against Le Havre this weekend but the striker assured: “In a week I think I’ll be ready.”
Gerets cannot wait to unleash the man he described as “a real beast” on Ligue 1’s defences as he has the reputation of being the goal scoring striker he has been searching for.
