– You finished third in the Samba Gold 2014 contest, what does this mean to you?
– For me this is very important because there are many very good Brazilian players in Europe today. Being voted the best midfielder last year, it"s very rewarding. Thank God for that.
– The fans of Galatasaray are passionate about your style. How do you explain that?
– I think this is the result of my good work in Turkey. They love me because I make the shirt wet and give everything for the club. I"m happy for Galatasaray because it is a club that progresses and continues to be a great [one] Europe. We are present every year in the Champions League. I hope we continue like this for much longer.
– What was your recipe?
– The Turkish public is very demanding. A bit like the Brazilian public. They are fanatics about football. My secret is professionalism. Here, I"ve played with a broken rib, with 40 ° C fever… I always want to be on the pitch. My concentration is the same if I play against Real or face a D3 team. I want to win and defend the colors of Galatasaray.
– How do you see your image in Brazil? The perception seems different from the 2010 World Cup and your expulsion against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals…
– I get a lot of encouraging messages on social networks from Brazilian fans. Sao Paulo fans ask me to play for their club… Those from Flamengo and Cruzeiro as well.. Brazilians know that for years I have done a lot of work in Turkey. I am proud to be able to transmit this image. Few Brazilian players are really successful in Europe in the long term.
– You played several years in Italy, Fiorentina and Juventus. Your move to Juve did not go down in history .. Why the failure?
– The problem at Juve was that we did not won anything during this period. In big clubs like Juventus, if you do not win a title, you are nothing. In Turin, I played regularly, with nearly 50 games per year. The difference with Galatasaray, are the titles won. I"ve won five or six titles in Turkey.
– You have played in big European clubs but never in the Premier League. Does this league interest you?
– I am a warrior, the English like that. I have been approached by English clubs when I played at Juve. I do not close the door. If an offer arrives and it is good for me and Galatasaray, why not?
– A club has contacted you in particular?
– Arsenal wanted me to come in 2009 when I was at Fiorentina. Juve paid nearly 25 million euros to pay my release clause and I signed there. I love Chelsea because I"m a big fan of Jose Mourinho. I appreciate Liverpool because they have great fans.