Home walls of Marinato Guilherme

Goalkeeper of Lokomotiv Guilherme likes Russia. His charming wife Rafael likes it as well. We have visited the Russian home of Brazilian couple and have proved in their feelings to Russia.

It`s only one problem in the cosy flat of Guilherme – there are no Brazilian TV-channels.

- It`s difficult to install an antenna here, signal is very weak, - explained goalkeeper. - In my previous flat there were a lot of Brazilian channels.

- Do you miss Brazilian TV?

- Surely. However I have already used to Russian TV. I understand a lot now. Sometimes, when I have such possibility, I even watch Brazilian championship – NTV-Plus broadcasts it on Sundays.

- What team do you support?

- Flamengo. All my family supports Flamengo: dad, grandpa.

Guilherme lives in his flat with wife and a small white toy terrier with nickname Zezinho. “Zezu, Zezinho are very popular nicknames for dogs in Brazil, - explains translator Andrey Tarasov. – Like Sharik and Tuzik in Russia”.

- It was my idea to acquire a dog, - says Guilherme. – But my wife Rafaela agreed with wish. It`s more exciting with dog. We bought him in hypermarket Mega-Khimki. Zezu, by the way, already has puppies. Previous goalkepper coach of Lokomotiv Valeriy Sheremetov has a toy terrier as well, but a bitch. And we had crossed them. We have got an alimentary puppy. I will present it for my mother.

While Guilherme has been telling about his dog, Rafaela brings an album with photos. But there are not family photos. It`s a selection of football photos of our goalkeeper, which was presented to him by Lokomotiv supporters. On the album it`s an inscription: “For the best player of the team in 2010 by supporters version”.

We start to turn over the pages. There are inscriptions and wishes near photos. Both on Russian and Portuguese. Appeals are ful of love: “Gilya, Brazilian national team is waiting for you!”, “We love you and trust in you, smile!”
There are a few ironical moments as well. The most remarkable are photos of the game with Dynamo in this spring, where the most obvious mistakes of our goalkeeper are marked out. Inscriptions are appropriate: “Dear Guilherme, please, never do like this… and this… and particularly like this”.

- Frankly speaking I`m very happy with Lokomotiv supporters, - says Guilherme. – They respect me and it`s very pleasure for me.

- If to abstract away from football, what do you like most of all in Russia and what does upset you here?

- I like Russia in summer. I can`t say that winter embarrasses me. I have used to it. But summer is summer. Most of all I hate Moscow traffic jams.

- Do you orientate yourself easily in Moscow by car?

- Absolutely without problems! I have a very useful stuff in my car – navigator. Just feed name of the area where I have to go - and that`s it, no difficulties, - smiles Guilherme.

- Do you have favourite places in Moscow?

- We like to have a walk in Park Pobedy, which is located not so far from our flat. I like Lenin`s mausoleum as well.

- I was been ten times there, - adds Rafaela. – When friends or relatives come from Brazil, I lead them to mausoleum. I like Kremlin and Red Square as well. We were been in the Armoury, diamond fund. And Mausoleum is one of the main sightseeing of Moscow. And, you know, nobody believes that there is a real capsule of Lenin. All people think that it is wax. As I understand millions rubles are squandering for his maintaining. I also know that before his death he asked to bury him near his mother. I don`t understand why it wasn`t made.

- Now you have mentioned the fact, about which even not all Russian people know. Are you studying Russian history specially?

- My mom is interested in history, and she knows a lot of different facts from the world history.

- Guilherme, did you know about Lenin before coming to Russia?

- No, I didn`t, - confesses our goalkeeper.

- I knew, - boasting Rafaela. - He was a leader of Russian revolution. So people honour him.



From Lenin we switch over to our heroes. Guilherme tells how he met Rafaela. “It happened on disco in Kuritiba about seven years ago. I have decided for myself immediately that this girl would be mine. We started to meet. There will be 2 months since our wedding in October. We got married in my birthday – on 12 December. It was like a present for me.    

- In fact we just had decided to combine two holidays in one to avoid squandering, - laughing Rafaela.

- Very soon you will become mother and father. Who will be: boy or girl?

- Girl, - answers Guilherme.

- He wanted a girl, I wanted a boy, - adds Rafaela. – As a result my husband has won (laughing).

- We have already chosen the name. Maria Fernanda. Maria in honour of Virgin Mary. Fernanda – in a memory of Rafa`s sister, who lost her life in road accident. If the boy was born, we would name him Joau Guilherme.

- Vagner Love had complained of lack of special haricot sort in Moscow once. What do you miss in Russia?

- Uf-f, I even don`t know. I have no problems with haricot. We brought it from Brazil before, but I can tell you that here in Russia haricot is very good as well. It`s even impossible to distinguish it from Brazilian. The most important – who cooks, - smiles Guilherme. – Rafaela makes it brilliantly. Do you want to taste? We specially cook big portions. First part we eat by ourselves and second part we bring to Maicon who lives in the neighborhood. He is alone now, his girlfriend has gone at home. In Brazil haricot is always on the table.

We have decided not to refuse form Guilherme`s offer. We can prove – haricot is really beautiful. Just one thing that upsets us: we with photographer Sasha Pogrebnyak had thought that we taste authentic Brazilian haricot, but it turned out Russian

- It`s really tasty, yeah? – smiles Guilherme. – My wife tried to cook borscht as well. I like how it is cooked in Bakovka, and she had decided to try as well. Two first attempts weren`t successful, but I`m sure that the third attempt will be good.  

- So do you like Russian cuisine as well?

- Surely. If you only knew, how tasty were crawfishes which we ate in the airplane after the match in Rostov on Don.

At the end I couldn`t resist the temptation to ask a couple of football questions.

- You have told that all your family supports Flamengo. Do you want to retire in this club?

- No. I just will always be a supporter of this team.

- Do you have a favourite club in Europe?

- Yes. It names Lokomotiv Moscow. I feel myself absolutely comfortably here.

We willingly believe, Gilya. We hope living in Moscow will be pleasant for you and in the sequel! And to supporters of Lokomotiv we wish to watch your confident play!