Now on the Maracanã Walk of Fame, Pet realizes "the dream he never dreamed"
Despite the emotion, the player doesn't cry, but justifies: 'I'm from another culture'
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Petkovic sets foot on the Walk of Fame
\ \By immortalizing his feet on the Maracanã Walk of Fame, Petkovic became the fifth foreign player to achieve such a feat. Besides him, stars Franz Beckenbauer (Germany), Eusébio (Portugal), Romerito (Paraguay), and Elias Figueroa (Chile) also left their mark. More than that, Petkovic fulfilled a dream, which, however, was not dreamed.
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\ In the ceremony in which he was the main star, this Friday, at Maracanã, the\ midfielder of Flamengo, in a very good mood, joked with the fans and celebrated the opportunity.
"I had many dreams. I set goals and objectives for myself, and I achieved 90% of them. But this is a dream I never dreamed of. I never had such ambitions. My skin gets goosebumps, it's as if I'd won the lottery. In fact, I've never won, perhaps because I've never bet (laughs). Maracanã is my home, I say that with pride. Here I experience emotions, vibrations, because the fans make the stadium rock. I didn't believe I could achieve this. It's the title of titles in my career. I don't cry, because I'm from a different culture, but I'm excited," he confessed.
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The Serbian is the 99th player in history to leave his mark on the "most famous" place in Maracanã. Scorer of eight Olympic goals in his career, including two in this Brasileirão alone, Pet thanked the tribute and everyone who helped him get there.
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"I have to thank Flamengo for betting on my return. Thank you to the Flamengo fans, who are wonderful, and today, if I'm an idol, it's because you made me one. Thank you to Zico, for saying that I did deserve to wear this jersey. I'm here extending my career. I played for the three big clubs in Rio. I apologize to the Botafogo fans for not having had the opportunity to wear the jersey. But today I wear the sacred jersey, and perhaps I'll be playing the last games of my career," he said.
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The ceremony was also part of the filming of the documentary about the career of the red-and-black number 43. "O Gringo" does not yet have a release date, as it is still in the production phase, but Pet revealed where the idea came from.
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- This film was an idea that came to me in 2001 with Fabiano Canosa (Brazilian director). At the time, I thought it was a stretch. But later I presented it to my Serbian friend, who liked it. In December of last year, while I was on vacation, my friend invited me to film it. My return to Flamengo changed the story, and this current scenario will further enhance the film.
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Petkovic was asked about a topic he doesn't often talk about—being part of the Serbian national team. Before saying anything, the midfielder lowered his head, remaining silent for almost a minute, and then spoke.
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