EX-FLAMENGO TELLS AN UNUSUAL STORY ABOUT HIS CAREER IN EUROPE

The union of the national passions of beer and football is part of Brazilian culture. Imagine scoring a goal for a country that isn't yours, becoming a national hero and receiving an unusual gift: "beer for life." That was the award that Roger Guerreiro, ex-Flamengo, received on June 12, 2008, when the first goal in Poland's history in European Championships came from his left foot.

If today the national team The Polish country is an established figure in the Euros and is competing for the fifth consecutive edition, 16 years ago the country debuted in the competition. The debut was a defeat to Germany, but in the next game, against Austria, Roger made history. And this Friday, the day of another Poland x Austria in the European Championship, the Brazilian relives the event with laughter.

- That's exactly what happened. It was a surprise, no one knew. I played the second half of the game against Germany, in the debut, and we lost 2-0. In the next half, I score that goal, we take the lead, and in the end Austria draws. After the game, people from the federation came to tell me that there was already an agreement that the sponsors would give the scorer of Poland's first goal a lifetime of beer - said Roger Guerreiro, who had become a naturalized Polish citizen two months before the start of Euro 2008.

- I could drink beer for the rest of my life, but I don't know exactly what the logistics would be like because, as I don't drink, I wasn't even interested in the details. I already mentioned that I don't drink, and there was an uproar: "Wow, for the guy who doesn't drink." I gave a gift to Saganowski, who was the player who participated in the goal. He cut inside the area, shot, and the goalkeeper palmed my foot. He is the one who is enjoying this gift that I received.

Roger really couldn't accept the gift from one of the sponsors of the Polish football federation. Four years before making history in the European country, he underwent a trial by fire at Flamengo. After a victory for Rubro-Negro, he and his teammates went to Bangu, in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, to celebrate the birthday of Douglas Silva, midfielder of the team that would become state champion.

- After a game, we went to Douglas Silva's birthday at his house. He lived in Bangu. It was me, Jean, Júnior Baiano. And the vast majority of guys drink on their days off. People like their beer, the famous Danone. And the guys forcing me there to drink. "Today you will drink." They held me down, threw beer in my face, but I didn't like it. They tried to make me drink. Júnior Baiano, Diogo, Douglas Silva... There were a group of people who really liked a "danone", they would make the most of this gift (laughs).

- I even took a sip to put an end to the joke , but I did not like it. After that I never tried it again, at most I have a sip of champagne on New Year's Eve, but still children's champagne, without alcohol.

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