Romario puts on his sneakers and steps onto the grass. The legendary player tries out some runs, plays with the ball a little and starts shooting at goal. His mere presence on the court commands respect, but he is irritated by being required to train, something he always made clear that he did not like to do. The scene could have been taken from his time at Barcelona or Valencia, but it happened just a few weeks ago. At 58 years old, Romario refuses to give up football: he recently registered as a player in the second division of the Rio championship with the team he loves, América Football Club.
The close relationship that the athlete maintains with sport is the central theme of a new series: Romário, or face (Romario, el hombre), which premieres on May 23 on Max, just two days after the platform’s arrival in Spain. According to director Bruno Maia, the series is “the largest production ever made about a footballer”, with 80 interviewees in 9 countries. The documentary portrays the motivations of the baixinhoor short, as he is affectionately known, at crucial moments in his career, focusing on his career and until his historic conquest of the Brazilian world championship in 1994, which will be 30 years old next July.
The documentary begins on the substitute bench: after his resounding success with PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, the player is called up for a friendly match in Brazil, but does not play a single minute. At that time, the forward stated that if he had known that he was not going to play, he would not have even left Holland for the match. His statements caused tensions with the coach, who finally expelled him from the team.
Romario would only return to the national team after seven games; with the canarinha facing the risk of not qualifying for the World Cup, his disagreements with the coach and the requests of his followers for his return. In an electrifying match, Romario ensured Brazil’s participation in the championship with two goals against Uruguay. However, the controversies did not end with his return to the national team. For example, on the flight to the United States, the scorer demanded a window seat and refused to sit next to his teammate Bebeto.
The series also has testimonies from players who accompanied the crack, like Bebeto himself, Ronaldo, Hristo Stoichkov and Pep Guardiola. Other footballers who participate in the documentary are Roberto Baggio, the Italian player who missed the penalty that gave Brazil its fourth title in that 1994 final), Franco Baresi and Neymar.
This is the second major production by director Bruno Maia and his production company. Feel the Matchwhich has already been done Our wardrobes two wardrobes (In the locker room closets), in 2022, addressing the issue of homophobia in football, and To Máfia do Apito (The Whistle Mafia), about the biggest betting scandal in Brazilian football, scheduled for release in 2025.
According to the director, the production “is a series that shows how football goes beyond the playing field and is related to the history of a country.” The documentary also explores unique perspectives on Romario’s personal life, such as the kidnapping of his father on the eve of the World Cup, as well as unseen footage from his career at PSV and Barcelona.
Beyond defining the work as his biography, the expression or face in Portuguese it is used when someone is the best in their area, similar to the man in English. The title of the work reflects the fundamental trait of his personality: unwavering self-confidence. With forays as a coach and even as a politician (currently in his second term as senator), Romario, now on his new team América, continues to be recognized primarily for his ability as a player. You can question everything he has done, except his talent on the court. At the end of the day, Romario is still or face.
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