The former
Brazil centre-back won the Copa Libertadores, the
World Cup and the Champions League. What was his secret?
By Eryck Gomes for Yellow and Green Football
Roque Júnior won just about everything he could in football: a Copa Libertadores title with Palmeiras in 1999, the
Champions League with Milan in 2003, and the World Cup with Brazil in 2002. Only three other players in history have pulled off that particular treble of trophies: his fellow Brazilians Ronaldinho, Cafu and Dida.
One of the few places Roque Júnior did not win any silverware, though, was at Leeds United, where he had a brief stint in 2003. “It didn’t go as I expected on the pitch, because I needed time to adapt. Leeds had a great structure then, but they were going through a hard time financially and ended up being relegated and spending a long time away from the
Premier League.”