Former goalkeeper Marcos is considered to this day one of the greatest footballers the country had, especially for the great performances he had in the 2002 World Cup.
With an entire career playing for Palmeiras, he never got too much recognition in Europe, even though there was a famous chance for him to move to the Premier League.
It had been widely reported between 2002 and 2003 that Arsenal were in advanced talks to take him to London, with a few rumours coming afterwards on why the transfer didn’t happen.
Now as Marcos was interviewed by Podpah last night, he revealed the reasons why he turned down the Gunners, even though he even travelled to get to know the club’s facilities.
“I’m from a generation that when you arrived in a big team in Brazil, it was too much. I liked to play for Palmeiras, there was the issue of love involved too. Sometimes it was very bad when we lost, it was very painful, but, when we won, it was double joy,” Marcos told Podpah (via ESPN).
“It’s just like having a Ferrari, you know? It’s nice to have a Ferrari in Italy, but having one in Brazil is cooler, right (laughs)? I really liked playing here.”
“I used to travel with the national team to play some games (outside Brazil) and I knew I wouldn’t adapt abroad. I’m a big countryman… I like bars, these things. I’m not a guy who was born to live in London. I can even visit, hang out for 10, 15 days, but I’m from here”
“But I felt that I wouldn’t be happy there [at Arsenal]. I thought I would earn good money, but my life would be bad.”
Marcos also told a story about Thierry Henry, claiming the Arsenal star said he didn’t know the goalkeeper, probably in support of David Seaman, who was having the last years of his career with the Gunners.
“I said: ‘He doesn’t know me because France didn’t make it to the World Cup final, otherwise he’d know’ (laughs).”
“I don’t even know if he read what I said, and I don’t even know if he knows that I saw what he said about me. Back then, things were very different.”
