Former Manchester United and Portugal winger, Nanibelieves that fans regularly stopping him for photos is proof positive of the football culture of Australia he is alive and well.
The 35-year-old made his first A-League appearance for the Success in Melbourne the weekend after arriving from Italy (Venezia), where football is fighting for the spotlight in a market dominated by Australian rules and rugby league codes.
“I like the atmosphere here. People say there’s no football culture here, but it’s not true,” he told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday. “Everywhere I go, wherever I walk, people recognize me and ask for photos. It’s cute. More and more, I can feel recognition.” “The league is starting and more and more people are paying attention to our matches and football.”
Nani already made his mark on the pitch with a brilliant performance for Victory in a 3-2 victory over arch-rivals Sydney FC in the season opener on Saturday, with a superb assist on the second goal.
However, the Champions League winner did not escape the attention of the fans during an interview on the pitch after the game, with several youngsters jumping over the fence to take pictures with him. “It’s fun to see the kids running on the field. Security obviously doesn’t like it, but this is the passion of the game,” he added. “When you see that, you have to put yourself in their shoes because we’re all young and we want to do that.”
Source: La Verdad
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
