Why Are So Many Brazilian Players Moving Back To Brazil?

The last few years have seen an increasing amount of Brazilian players moving away from their European clubs, when they could arguably still play at such a level, and heading back to Brazil. This is a trend that is on the rise in contemporary football. Plenty of Brazilians have spent many years plying their trade in Europe and ending their careers there. Cafu, Leonardo and Claudio Taffarell all ended their careers in Europe. Ze Roberto looks set to be another, at 36 and still with Hamburg SV he can not have too many more years left in him. Gilberto Silva could also add to this list.

Players have still often gone back to their home countries to finish their career. This is not a totally recent phenomenon. Beletti, Bebeto, Giovane Elber, Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo to name but a few. However, what seems to be changing, is that players are making this move when they could still play at a higher European level.

Luis Fabiano’s move to Sao Paulo is the most pertinent example of a player returning to Brazil when he is still possibly at the top of his game. At 30 years old, Fabiano is still at his peak. He had a great goalscoring record for Sevilla and was, as recently as January, linked with moves to both AC Milan and Spurs. It has left many people wondering why he then chose a move back to South America when Europe’s elite were still interested. Some other players that could be included here are Deco, Elano and Ronaldinho. While Deco did not play at his best when with Chelsea he could still have played at a high level in Europe, the same goes for Ronaldinho.