SALVADOR - Every time he sets foot on Bahian soil, Petkovic has fond memories. After all, all the success the Serbian achieved in his Brazilian career began in Salvador. Since 1997, when he signed with Vitória in an unexpected transaction, Petkovic has become a reference in Brazilian football. Now at Flamengo, the club where he rose to prominence in the early 2000s, the foreigner returns to the capital of Bahia to reunite not only with the team and the stadium where he began his rise in Brazil, but also with the friends and family he left behind.

Already on the way from the airport to the hotel where the delegation is staying, Petkovic's familiarity with the area was evident. During rush hour, traffic was heavy, but the Serbian made a point of reassuring his companions: "Calm down, just go past Iguatemi and the traffic will end and we'll reach Rio Vermelho," referring to a shopping mall and the coastal neighborhood of Salvador where the hotel is located.

One of the greatest idols in the recent history of the Rio de Janeiro club, where he was instrumental in winning the three-time Rio de Janeiro state championship (1999-2000-2001), the 2001 Champions' Cup, and the 2009 Brasileirão, Petkovic is also highly regarded by the Bahian club's fans. Vitória's 90th-Century Star, ahead of names like Bebeto and Dida, the foreigner played 59 games, scored 16 goals, 98 of them at Barradão Stadium, and was a two-time Bahia state champion and Northeast Cup champion in 99 and XNUMX.

For these and other reasons, as soon as he arrived in Salvador on Friday night, Pet celebrated, on his Twitter profile, the return to his second home in Brazil: "In home number two in Brazil, among friends and family. Happy as can be.\ Received with much warmth and affection," said the player, who despite the affection, seems to have no pity for Vitória. The last time he faced his former club, at Barradão, he scored a goal in a 3-3 draw valid for last year's Brazilian Championship.