Emerson: I am talked about more than Cristiano Ronaldo in Milan, but they are all negative. If I stay in the team, it will not be the right choice.

After leaving England and Italy, Emerson returned to his native Brazil to find the happiness brought by football. Today, he is Flamengo's regular main player, having scored 1 goal and provided 1 assist. In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, he discussed various topics about his career.

About my current feelings

I feel very good now and am finally happy again. Coming back here after so many years living abroad is very special to me. We are participating in two important events. One of the reasons for choosing to return home is that I hope to be more recognized by my compatriots, because I have been abroad for a long time, and this feeling of being appreciated is very wonderful.

About reuniting with Sandro, Danilo and Jorginho

I have known Danilo and Sandro since we were in the national team, but we have never played together in the same club. I faced Jorginho a lot when I was at Chelsea and I really liked the way he played and I wanted to be a team-mate with him. They are both experienced players and it is an honor to play alongside them.

Regarding whether to watch Serie A games

I will watch it when time permits. Serie A games here start very early, but I try to watch Milan games. I have a lot of friends there, especially Leo, and we are in constant contact. I was interested in how they were doing and wanted to support them at home.

About the decision to join Milan in 2024

Milan first contacted my agent, then the club’s senior management called me personally, and finally Ibrahimovic also contacted me. They explained the team's plan to me and I liked it so I accepted it.

About the experience of playing football in Italy

I had a strange feeling when I first arrived in Italy. Every time I speak or do something, people talk about me more than they talk about Cristiano Ronaldo, but it's all negative. I felt like I had to work twice as hard to be accepted, but in the end it didn't work out.

About the pressure I faced in Milan

I got the main position in Milan, and my teammates and the club had confidence in me. The problem is that the Italian media is very influential and I didn't realize that. The comments from the outside world are very intense and have a great impact on the players.

About the decision to leave Milan

I decided to leave after discussing it with my family and agent. I didn’t want to continue living with that feeling. I was in a similar situation at Tottenham but in the end I won over the fans. But at Milan this feeling was even more pronounced, especially after the injury, when I realized that staying there was not the right choice.

On whether I miss Italy

I don’t miss Italy, although it is a beautiful country and Milan is also a top club. But I miss Spain and England more. Now I am very happy with Flamengo and hope to return to the national team.