He spoke with AS about Real Madrid’s defense and his relationship with Mourinho, but as always it’s the non-football questions that we’re really interested in. Here they are.
Q: Who was your idol when you were growing up?
A: In Portugal, I admired Ricardo, who played with Benfica, a lot. After that, it was Fernando Couto from Oporto. And on the international level, Maldini. I didn’t know Baresi very well, but I’ve been told that he was the best.
Q: How is your life in Madrid?
A: It’s very relaxed. I have two kids that give me a lot of work and I try to spend as much time with them as possible.
Q: What do your kids think about Madrid?
A: They’re happy. They’re both about five years old, so they know that I play for Madrid, that it’s a great team, but they see it as something normal since they’re used to it.
Q: What would you have been if you weren’t a footballer?
A: The truth is I don’t know. From the time I was small, I was only interested in football and at the age of 14 or 15 I went to Oporto. My only goal was to become someone in football.
Q: I’ve been told that when you were at Chelsea, you were always the last one to leave the locker room. Are you that concerned about your appearance?
A: It was Lampard who said that, wasn’t it? (Laughs). Well, he said that because I always brought lotions for the body, shampoo… Many players just shower and leave. I do everything calmly, but nothing out of the ordinary.