Sevilla banking on Brazilian blend

By Andy Hall

Sevilla FC return to UEFA Cup action as Parma FC visit the Andalusian capital tonight. The match will have special relevance for Sevilla's Renato Dirnei Florêncio - a Brazilian international with Italian ancestry.

Italian passport
Renato, the 25-year-old midfielder who arrived in Spain from Santos FC last summer, received his Italian passport in January, having qualified through his Italian great-grandfather. Now a European Community player in a squad heavy with Brazilian talent, there is no obstacle to him facing a team from the 'old country' in the Round of 16 first leg.

Special occasion
"It is a special match for me, because I only received my Italian passport a short while ago," he said. "To represent Sevilla in Europe is a great honour, and I am looking forward to playing Parma who are a great side with lots of young players. They have been struggling in the league but this is a different tournament, and Italian sides are great fighters who have a wonderful tradition in Europe."

European nights
Just as Renato has impressed in his first Spanish season, so the experience with sixth-placed Sevilla has left its mark on him - particularly European nights at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium. "It's nice because the fans are excited to be in the tournament and we have played to full houses of 40,000 in every game, which has made for a very special atmosphere. We have had to beat some quality teams in a very difficult competition. Our intention now is just to go as far as we can," he added.

Dream debut
Sevilla had been monitoring the right-sided player's progress at Santos following his national team debut in 2003. He rewarded their persistence by scoring a glorious long-range winner against Albacete Balompié on his debut on the opening day of the Primera División campaign. When the two sides met again in January, Renato produced a similarly spectacular strike.

Favourite goal
"It's strange that my two best goals have been against Albacete," he said. "The last one, which I scored with my right foot, gave me a lot of happiness - I thought that was the better of the two. I don't usually score that many goals but I hope the ones I do score can help the team."

Zico worship
That Renato should end up starring for Sevilla, where his boyhood hero Zico played for Brazil during their coruscating campaign at the 1982 FIFA World Cup, is fitting indeed. "I idolised him when I was a youngster, not just as a great player but also for who he was off the field," he said.

Luxemburgo link
The Brazilian connection does not end there. Renato, who left his home in the Sao Paulo district of Santa Mercedes at the tender age of 12 to pursue a footballing apprenticeship with the Guarani de Campina club, played under Real Madrid CF coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo at Santos. "Vanderlei is one of the great coaches in Brazil, who has won practically all the competitions he has entered," he said. "I hope he is successful here too, because I think he is the kind of person who can contribute a lot to Madrid."

Happy dressing room
In the Sevilla dressing room also, the presence of compatriots Julio Baptista, Daniel Alves and recent signing Adriano Correia serves as a constant reminder of home. "Adriano and I know each other from our time in Brazil. He is a top-level player and a great friend. I hope the Brazilian players at Sevilla can add something so that the team is always competing at the top." They have started as they mean to go on.