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Rochemback with a bang

Sporting Clube de Portugal is proving to be a happy hunting ground for Fabio Rochemback.

By Rui Breda

Having moved to Sporting Clube de Portugal on loan from FC Barcelona in the summer, midfield player Fabio Rochemback is thriving in Lisbon.

On form
The Brazilian had fallen from favour amid the managerial chaos of the last two seasons at Camp Nou, but having gone to Sporting on a three-year loan as part of the deal that took Ricardo Quaresma to Barça, Rochemback is back to his best. Already he is his new club's top scorer with three goals.

Managerial muddle
The seismic changes at Barcelona did not always suit Rochemback, as he told uefa.com: "During the first year with coach Carles Rexach, I was called up regularly and by the end of the season, I was in the first team. Then, last year, first with Louis van Gaal, then with Radomir Antic, things went differently."

Showcase opportunity
Frustrated by a lack of opportunities in Catalonia, the 21-year-old was tempted by the switch to Lisbon, and having settled at Sporting, he seems happy. "Sporting was beyond my expectations because it is a great club and it is also ideal for me as I can play and show people what I can do," he said.

Great experience
A box-to-box player, Rochemback has been made to feel at home in Portugal, receiving - in his words - "a great welcome from my colleagues and also from supporters". Indeed, with a few games behind him and a UEFA Cup campaign on the boil, he admitted that "things could not be going better".

Brazil ambition
So much so that the former SC Internacional starlet is hoping to force his way back into Carlos Alberto Parreira's Brazilian national team. "Every Brazilian footballer wants to be in a [FIFA] World Cup and become a world champion," he said. "I believe I have been doing well and if I can keep that up, I think the Brazilian coach will notice me."

Iberian contrast
While most players have found the difference between football in Spain and Portugal to be fairly marked, Rochemback has not had any major problems crossing the border. "In Spain, the game is faster with less time to think, but at the same time it's a football based in strength, just like in Portugal," he said.

Barça awe
However, when it comes to off-the-field matters, the contrast is more marked. "Barcelona is one of the greatest clubs in the world - it has a long history and everyone in the planet has heard of it," he said. "Sporting is not that big but has a structure that will make it grow in the coming years."

Sporting commitment
He did not rule out making a return to the Primera División before his three-year contract with Sporting expired, saying: "That is always a possibility but for now I'm concentrating on Sporting. If things go really well I will certainly stay until my contract ends."

Possible conflict
For the time being then, Rochemback is 100 per cent Sporting. However, with both his current club and the one that holds his playing registration competing in the UEFA Cup this season, there remains the possibility that Rochemback may face a conflict of emotions.

Exciting prospect
Counting Barcelona players Patrick Kluivert and Luis Enrique as good friends, would he really be able to fire on all cylinders against Frank Rijkaard's men if they are drawn to face Sporting in the UEFA Cup? "Obviously I would do my best to help Sporting win," said Rochemback. He may yet get his chance.

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