Cacau
May 10, 2007
Cacau: That was my first birthday...we were celebrating.
DW: Your first birthday?
Yes...my first birthday. There's a song in Brazil where the kid whose birthday it is has to say his name. We sang that and instead of saying Claudemir I said Cacau-demir, because I couldn't speak so well.. I kept repeating Cacau-demir, Cacau-demir. Then my mother said we'll call you Cacau and not Claudemir. That was simpler, and since then everyone has called me Cacau.
For most of the season Stuttgart has refused to talk about the title. But now most of the fans believe you’ll win it. Shouldn't you accept your role as favorite?
We're not the favorites because we're not in first. It's not just up to us whether we win the title. But we'll give our all to win our last two matches. If the result is a title, that would be nice. But if not, that's also okay. We've had a great season. So I think that we've already emerged as winners.
You pray before every match?
Not just before every game. I pray every day. It's part of my life.
Have you ever prayed you'd win a match?
I have. But mostly I just pray that God's will be done.
If you pray that Stuttgart win, and your friend Marcelo Bordon prays that Schalke win, and then maybe Diego prays that Bremen win...what do you think will happen?
God will make the best of it. Like I said, the point is not that we win but that God's will is done. That's what I pray for, and I think Marcelo prays for it too. And if Diego prays, he'll do exactly the same thing. With God you're always a winner, even if you don't emerge victorious on the pitch.
When you first came to Germany, were you surprised that church and faith weren't as central as in Brazil?
It was a big difference. In the beginning I thought I was in an entirely different universe. It was hard to believe. When I came here I played in the 5th division. I didn't know the language or the culture. It was a very difficult time. But I just think it's sad that faith doesn't play such a big role here. God is a great friend, and you miss out if you don't get to know him. But that was only one part of it. The winters were cold, and the language was difficult, so it was a difficult time.
You once said you were surprised to see players back them who didn't want to win above all, who lacked the will to play well and win.
That's true. In Brazil you give your all, even if you're playing for a tiny local club. You want to move up and get better. Here I didn't have that feeling. I think people are so well-off in Germany that they don't always have to give their all. A lot of players played and then went out drinking… I kept asking myself: Where are the good players in Germany? I didn't know there WERE any good German players.
I grew up in a family with two brothers. My mother worked as a cleaner to earn a few euros to feed us. And that was it. We didn't have any fancy clothes. You could say we were the poorest family in the village.
Last season Stuttgart thought of selling you and were accepting offer form other clubs. You said you didn’t want to be put up for sale.
It was a situation where the club didn't want me any more. Rumors kept flying about me been sold here or there. I wanted to have my say. You don't get taken seriously if you don't speak up. I give my all for the club and want to be treated as a human being. That's the way it is now.
Stuttgart fan: The soul of the club? Coach Armin Veh. He's definitely it.
Cacau: He's a very humble coach and he's helped us keep our feet on the ground.
DW: He's said you've become more of a team player…
Cacau: Yes there could be something to that. I'm 26 years old now and more experienced. I try now to play the way that's best for the team. If I can do something on my own, I do it. If not, I look to see if someone is in a better position. I think the great players all play that way, which is why they're at the very top. For me it was just a question of time to adjust. I'm very happy with the way I've played this season.