Philippe Coutinho and Bayern Munich's top 5 Brazilians
After Philippe Coutinho became the 13th Brazilian to weave his magic for Bayern Munich, bundesliga.com takes a look at the top five Samba stars to have cast their spell on Germany's most successful football club.
With 'The Little Wizard' set to weave his magic at the Allianz Arena all season long, bundesliga.com takes a look at the top five Samba stars to have cast their spell on Germany's most successful football club.
1) Giovane Elber
One of the most prolific marksmen in Bayern and Bundesliga history, the 'Samba Striker' joined from VfB Stuttgart in summer 1997 and never looked back. He racked up 140 goals in 266 appearances for the Bavarians, while his Bundesliga haul of 133 puts him third on the all-time list of non-German scorers behind Roberto Lewandowski and Claudio Pizarro.
Elber fired Ottmar Hitzfeld's side to four Bundesliga titles in five years, and also helped them conquer the 2001 UEFA Champions League – two seasons after their agonising injury-time defeat to Manchester United. Having hit double figures in all six of his Bundesliga campaigns with Bayern, Elber finally lifted the Torjägerkanone in his final season with 21 goals, helping his side to another league and DFB Cup double before moving to French club Lyon.
The only non-European to have been inducted into Bayern's Hall of Fame, Elber is now a club ambassador, and recently told AZ that he is expecting big things from the "world-class" Coutinho, who he describes as "almost on a par with Neymar".
2) Paulo Sergio
A FIFA World Cup winner with Brazil in 1994, Paulo Sergio joined Bayern from Roma in summer 1999, having already spent four years in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen. Less of an out-and-out goal-getter than Elber, he nevertheless formed a potent partnership with his compatriot either as a winger or a second striker.
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"If a Brazilian moves to a German club, he is likely to find a fellow countryman there, which makes things easier," he explained to UEFA.com in 2002. With 34 goals and 15 assists in 125 outings, Sergio certainly played his part in the club's Bundesliga successes of 2000 and 2001, though he had Oliver Kahn to thank for his heroics in the 2001 Champions League final; Sergio missed Bayern's first spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out against Valencia, but three saves from 'Der Titan' ensured a fourth European crown for the Bavarians in Milan.
Sergio once joked that the hardest thing for Brazilians to deal with in Germany was "the weather" – but if Coutinho was able to thrive on a muggy Merseyside with Liverpool, he should have no trouble adapting to Munich.
3) Ze Roberto
Like Sergio, Ze Roberto began his Bundesliga career with Leverkusen, although trophies proved frustratingly elusive – Die Werkself finished as Bundesliga runners-up three times during his four-season stint, and also lost the 2002 Champions League final to his old club Real Madrid.
His switch to Bayern that summer marked a rapid turnaround in fortunes. A highly versatile midfielder, Ze Roberto helped the Bavarians claim four Bundesliga-DFB Cup doubles between 2003 and 2008, contributing 20 goals and 62 assists in almost 250 first-team appearances. He also lifted the now-defunct German League Cup on four occasions.
Currently a technical advisor to Brazilian champions Palmeiras, Ze Roberto recently told bundesliga.com that Coutinho was a "top signing" and that he expects him to "bring a huge amount of quality to Bayern".
4) Dante
Bayern's relationship with Brazilian defenders has been somewhat hit-and-miss; Lucio enjoyed success alongside Ze Roberto after following in his footsteps from Leverkusen, but neither Jorginho nor Breno lived up to their potential. However, the club were right on the money when they signed Dante from Borussia Mönchengladbach in summer 2012.
Only goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and captain Philipp Lahm played more minutes than the Brazilian centre-back in Bayern's historic 2012/13 campaign, which saw them become the first German side to complete a Bundesliga, DFB Cup and Champions League treble. First-choice ahead of Jerome Boateng, Daniel Van Buyten and Holger Badstuber, Dante helped Bayern concede just 18 goals in the Bundesliga, which they won by a whopping 25 points.
A mainstay during his three seasons with the club, he won three league titles plus the UEFA Supercup and the FIFA Club World Cup, and even popped up with five goals in his 133 outings in all competitions.
5) Rafinha
A loyal club servant over eight trophy-laden seasons, Rafinha played 266 times for Bayern in all competitions, equalling the record set by Elber for most appearances by a Brazilian. After five years at Schalke between 2005 and 2010, he came to Bavaria via Genoa in 2011 and went on to lift 18 trophies, including seven Bundesliga titles – a record for a non-European player.
Born on Brazilian Independence Day, 7 September, Rafinha proved himself to be a highly dependable squad player, acting as a perfect understudy to captain Lahm and a mentor to Lahm's long-term replacement, Joshua Kimmich. Part of the treble-winning side of 2012/13, the 33-year-old left Bayern without a Brazil player when he departed for Flamengo this summer – until, that is, the arrival of Coutinho.
"Coutinho is a brilliant player," Rafinha explained to Bild. "After James Rodriguez left, Bayern needed another top star in midfield. He'll definitely make them a better team and improve their chances in the Champions League. Hopefully he'll adapt to the Bundesliga quickly."
Watch: Coutinho and Bayern's other summer signings ready and raring to go
After making his Bundesliga bow, Coutinho could probably do worse than flick through highlights reels of his five compatriots above if he is hoping for a smooth transition into life in Germany – because he certainly has some big Brazilian boots to fill in Bavaria.
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