It’s probably been a while since Nottingham Forest fans last heard about Gustavo Scarpa.
The midfielder, who first left the Reds on loan to Olympiacos in August, ended up being sold to Atlético-MG in January for around €5m.
It took a while for him to settle in at the Brazilian club, but now that he won his first title there, he spoke to TNT Sports about that feeling.
Atlético had a fantastic 3-1 comeback against their arch rivals Cruzeiro in the Campeonato Mineiro final last night. Scarpa scored their last goal and ended up finding some redemption.
That’s why he’s given many interviews in the past few hours, and ended up being asked about his time at Nottingham Forest. He said there are no bad feelings about his struggles there.
“And about Europe, I think there are a lot of factors. First of all, I don’t regret going there at all. I would do it all over again, it was my dream to play in the Premier League. But I think life has dreams and you have to make them come true in a way you didn’t dream of. So I fulfilled my dream of playing in the Premier League, but it wasn’t as I imagined. I think I started out well and then the coach decided to take me out. And then came a series of injuries that I’d never had before. I think the mental part ends up influencing it too.
“My off-field experience was heavy in the months before I arrived in Europe. But I think that’s it. I had a very good experience. Professionally, it was bad in parts. I lost some of my confidence, which I took a long time to win back. I had left as the champion, the best player and everything. It was a great experience and, as I said, I would do it all over again. I don’t regret it. Now I’m happy with the first title.”
Scarpa joined Nottingham Forest in January 2023 as a free agent. He struggled with personal issues and injuries, and ended up having just ten appearances for the club.
Now at 30, it sounds unlikely he’d get another chance in Europe, but at least he seems happy in Brazil again, something which will be very much helped by this trophy win.
