New Inter shot-stopper Gabriel Brazao said it was “hard to leave Brazil”, but he believes the “Italian goalkeeper school is one of the best in the world”.
The 18-year-old recently finalised a deal to join the Nerazzurri this summer after he spent the past six months on loan at Parma.
Although he failed to make a single appearance for the Gialloblu, it did help him acclimatise and get to learn about Italian training methods.
The teenager arrived in Italy in a partnership between the two Serie A sides, as the Beneamata had no more non-EU spots available, so the Ducali signed him temporarily before sending him to San Siro, with Andrea Adorante heading in the opposite direction.
“It was a tough decision to leave Cruzeiro because it is one of the biggest clubs in Brazil and also the world. I’m very grateful for everything they did for me from the age of 13,” he told the Brazilian newspaper Diario de Uberlandia.
“Together with my family and my agent, we decided that the time was right to make the move and I think it was the right choice because I have a lot of ambition.
“One of the reasons behind my leaving was that I was no longer content to be playing with the youth team, and at Parma, I was always training with the first team and was often called up for Serie A match days even in my first season.
“The Italian goalkeeping school is one of the best in the world. When people ask me which one is better, between the Italian or the Brazilian, I say both. There is no better school, they are just different.
“I tried to adapt as quickly as I could, while not forgetting the things I learned here in Brazil, but it was important for me to adapt to the Italian style. I try to learn as much as I possibly can, so when I’m at training I can show my worth.”
