The world of football records thousands of stories that have been overcome. One of them is Rafael Dias Piloli, better known as Ravenha. The new player of Barcelona, in an interview with UOL Esporte, revealed the difficult childhood that he had to live in a modest neighborhood of Brazil, but he managed with passion and sacrifice to escape from the bad way until he reached the forefront in the world of football and fulfilled his dream
Childhood: “It would be unfair to say that I have been hungry in my life because my parents have never been short of food at home. Yet after training, I would stand in the street and ask people to buy me something to eat or a snack. Some people helped me, others frankly called me a hobo. There was nothing to do, just wait for the bus to come home so we could eat something. I was between 12 and 14 years old at the time”
Bad influences: “During my teens, opportunities came up in the neighborhood, and there were a lot. They promise an easier way to make money. This is where people get lost. I’ve met people who don’t have much focus because of family
Many times I lost many friends because of the world of crime and drug trafficking… Friends who were better than me in football, and they could have been in big clubs”
“I grew up in a society where crime and drug trafficking were common, but I was strong in keeping my focus: being a footballer. Achieving this goal by leaving a community is a great sacrifice. But my ambition was greater. I did not deviate. If today they talk about “my magic” in football, I say … this is the real magic”
