At Liverpool, Roberto Firmino is fluent in playing as a center forward. At Hoffenheim and Figueirense, he was good at playing as an attacking midfielder. In fact, the striker who was born on October 2, 1991 was actually placed as a defensive midfielder at Club de Regata Brasil (CRB), an amateur team which was his first team. Not many people really know Firmino’s abilities.
Firmino has natural talent as a footballer like most Brazilian players. But his talent was barely honed because of the financial problems that plagued his family. While playing at CRB, his father did not work. In fact, little Firmino helped the family finances by becoming a coconut seller.
Firmino’s career was saved by a dentist named Marcello Pontella. Pontella was the one who paved the way for Firmino to Figueirense. “When I saw him play for the first time, I could see that he was a very talented player,” Pontella said, according to the Mirror. “But no one realizes what he’s capable of. Even when I said he could play in the National Team one day, people thought I was crazy.”
Figueirense is located in the city of Florinaopolis, Santa Catarina province. The journey from Maceio, Firmino’s hometown, to Santa Catarina itself takes five hours. Firmino had to leave his parents to continue his career. Firmino depends on other people for his life.
“At that time, his father was not working and they were very poor,” said Guilherme Farias, Firmino di Figueirense coach, quoted by Globe Esporte. “I helped his father by buying travel tickets. I helped Firmino a lot by taking him to various places in Sao Paulo. I was also trying to find funds to support his life. I knew he would be of value. It’s always nice to see Firmino play.
“When I first played him, he played as a defensive midfielder. Wearing the number 5. But at Figueirense, he transformed into an attacking midfielder. He is good on the ball. No wonder now he has something new where he plays much further forward, “Farias continued.
The capital to play as an attacking midfielder is what makes Firmino able to fly to Germany as a Hoffenheim recruit. It was Lutz Pfannenstiel who recommended him to Hoffenheim management. The German scout who is a former goalkeeper does have high cruising around the world, where he set a record as the only player who has tasted playing on six different continents.
According to Pfannenstiel, Firmino came to Germany only with his individual skills. His tactical ability is still zero. But Pfannenstiel believes Firmino’s character will not disappoint the team, so the player who is now 28 years old can be formed into a great footballer.
“You can find a lot of great players in Brazil, but can they adapt to the lifestyle and style of football in England or Germany? He [Firmino] himself is like ‘blank paper’,” Pfannenstiel told the Independent. “Not much is known about him. But Ernst Tanner —Hoffenheim’s sporting director — feels he could be the player we need.”
“He didn’t come and make an immediate impact in three days. Especially when he came, he was very thin. But he worked hard and learned a lot about the German work ethic. He then worked harder and became very disciplined,” continued Pfannenstiel.
Firmino’s name was immediately sticking out after wearing Hoffenheim’s uniform. In 2013, two seasons after defending Hoffenheim, Lokomotiv Moscow tried to bring him in by submitting 12 million euros as a transfer fee. Hoffenheim refused because they knew the 181cm tall player deserved more.
It was only in mid-2015 that he officially left Hoffenheim to join Liverpool. The transfer value reached 29 million pounds, or about 41 million euros. Doubts had arisen because Liverpool at that time often bought expensive players with reciprocity that did not match expectations.
Those doubts had materialized when Firmino did not get a place in Brendan Rodgers’ scheme. His fate only changed after Rodgers was replaced by Jurgen Klopp in October 2015. The typical German scheme applied by the German coach was in accordance with Firmino’s strengths and weaknesses. Ryan Babel, a former Liverpool player, who had played with Firmino at Hoffenheim, had predicted that German football would suit him.
“He [Firmino] is the type of player who likes to have the ball at his feet. But something he learned in Germany is how he plays without the ball and when he defends. I know very well how important that is in England, about what you have to do when you don’t have the ball. This he learned a lot in Germany,” Babel said in an interview with the Liverpool Echo in 2015.
Klopp is known for the Gegenpressing scheme. The forward players will actively press their opponent to immediately take control of the ball which ends with a quick counter-attack. Firmino then became part of a trio that was quite feared in the 2016/17 season with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
“I think Klopp has a typical German style. I like the German method,” Firmino told Sky Sports. It is the German touch in Firmino’s game that makes him one of the strikers to be reckoned with today. In the 2017/18 season, Liverpool managed to step into the Champions League final, although they were later defeated by Real Madrid. That season was Firmino’s best scoring record: 27 goals in 54 games. Only a trophy can complete Firmino’s current talent.
ASL
