A country boy with no tattoos: Arthur is a rarity in modern football
The young Brazilian, who showed glimpses of his brilliance yesterday in Los Angeles, is a humble farmer's son who loves Brazilian country music and looking after the animals on his farm.
Inside the magical Rose Bowl – a place that holds much more magic for Brazilians, who won their fourth World Cup title here back in 1994 – all eyes were on Arthur. Scoring a wonderful goal against Tottenham and managing a pass success rate of 93.5 percent, the Brazilian made an impressive debut for Barcelona and was the name on everyone’s lips at the post-match press conference.
“Rafinha gave me a great pass to set it up. I took a shot and it went in. Scoring is always good because you help the team, but the important thing is that the coach congratulated all of us and he’s very happy about how things went,” the debutant explained after the game.
Arthur already knows his football is a joy to watch. He showed his qualities in his few training sessions with Barca, when he also pointed out that he was above his ideal weight (he may have to pass up steak, his favorite food). He affirmed that he wasn’t nervous (“I was only anxious to start”), and recognized that he had fulfilled a dream he has had since watching the Barcelona of Ronaldinho: “I always imagined myself here and fortunately it has happened. It’s as good as it gets.”
A rarity
In an interview given to Barca TV soon after he landed in his new home city, Arthur Henrique Ramos de Oliveira Melo revealed something that today could be considered a rarity: he is a footballer without tattoos. “I never wanted nor had the courage to get one,” he admitted. Born and raised in Goiana, in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, he loved looking after the animals – dogs, horses and chickens – on his parents’ farm. The 21-year-old, for whom Barcelona paid 40 million euros, declared his love for videogames and movies, and admitted that although he started Spanish classes when his signing was made official in March, he still lacks practice.
A sports fanatic, he says that the he never imagines himself doing anything else, but if he hadn’t become a footballer, he would have been a tennis player or a professional cyclist. Ping-pong, basketball and footvolley are other hobbies, while Sertanejo, a Brazilian style of country music which has its origins in Goiana, is his grand passion.
‘Ainda Sou Tao Seu’, a song by his friend Felipe Araújo, is a favorite song of this humble young footballer with a love for the sea and family, who now faces the greatest challenge of his life.
