At the age of 33, after a great season in Turkey for Hatayspor, Ruben Ribeiro is energized in Portugal and looks forward to the next season with boyish ambitions. He does not know where he will play, but intends to fight for titles and continue to rejoice on the field. An ordinary friend with the ball.

In this part of a large interview with BigfootballRuben returns to the dark days of the Alcochete invasion and details what the family went through until the day he decided to terminate his contract with Sporting. A strong and emotional testimony, lived three years after a terrible day at the Leonin Academy.

PART II: “I won in court and I have nothing to pay Sporting.”

PART I: “I spent the club world championship in tears because I could not play”

PART III: “I spoke with President Vieira the day I signed with Sporting.”

Maysfootball – Are there any fears in the Sporting dressing room that something bad might happen in Alcochet?

Ruben Ribeiro Yes, we felt that something might happen. There was a bad episode with a group of fans almost every week. I’m sorry. Even the group’s conversations with the president were bad. We didn’t have peace. We knew that things would go wrong, but no one could have guessed that something so serious would happen. But it happened. I remember talking in the locker room about a message being circulated that said supporters had our addresses and car numbers.

MF – Was your family with Ruben?

R.R. – Yes, because I thought many times that I would stay there. This was the idea. We lived at home in Montijo with Bruno Fernandez. We always went to training together. Bruno is really one of those good people, the brother I won in football. I am very happy with what he is going through, he is an example of a player and a friend. He earned the title of Sporting Champion. I have already said that he can come and compete for the Ballon d’Or, and I keep this idea.

MF – Were you attacked during the invasion of Alcochete?

R.R. – Yes, it was. One of the invaders pressed on me. And he was not a little boy. We were preparing for training. I remember pulling on my boots and starting to hear screams. My family has experienced horrors. The wife began to imagine that she was being followed. And we still had to go and play in the Portuguese Cup final. Someone wanted to play, someone didn’t want to, someone wanted to leave right away. We trained once at Jamora and played.

MF – When did you decide to continue with good reason?

R.R. – First, I talked to my family, and we decided that there were no security conditions for us in Lisbon. What happened and what could happen. My kids were threatened in high school. This was the limit. I felt that there were no conditions. I’m sorry because I would like to continue. If I had a coach with Ruben Amorim, I could still work at Sporting. Young, ambitious, smart, he values ​​his players and makes the team play the way he likes. This Sporting has nothing to do with Sporting, which I have met. I was attacked at work. There is no money to pay for the fear that I saw in the eyes of my family. I refused Porto and Benfica to play for Sporting, and then I had to go back to zero. Spend six months in Dubai without being able to play.

MF – He never had an opportunity on the national team.

R.R. – I’ve never tried it. Most of all I focused on getting into a big team. Once I got there, I had to play and give up. Did not happen. At that distance, I think if I had stayed on Rio Avenue until the summer of 2018 and played the way I played, I would need a call from the national team. [para o Mundial da Rússia]… I never went to the national teams, not even to the Porto District team. Who wouldn’t want to play in the European and World Championships? Did not happen.

MF – What else does Ruben expect from football at 33?

R.R. – I want to be healthy, not have injuries and represent clubs that are fighting for titles. I had a great year in Turkey, I was one of the best midfielders in the championship. I was very inspired by Costinha and Bruno Fernandez, two great recommendations for me. “6” and “8”. I never thought about these positions, but the coach asked me, and I understood the moment of the team. I helped to help me. I’m still hungry for the game, the ball. This pose should be like this. Always aim for a high rating. I found my year in the Turkish league very interesting and exceeded my expectations. We beat Galatasaray and scored a goal, these games motivate me very much. I treat myself well, take good care of my body, rest and eat, so I can play for a few more years at a good level.