Ten
questions
to:
Paulo
Nobre

If you could represent your country at any sport during the Olympics, what would you choose? “I always wanted to be a football player, so that’s easy. But then as a teenager I realised I was never going to be good enough so I got into football management instead.”

Who was the best football player in the world? “Another easy question: some say Pele, other people say Maradona but my biggest idol was always Evair, the striker for Palmeiras in the 1990s.”

Do you believe in God? “Yes of course, but I respect that everyone believes in God in their own way, and that every religion deserves respect.”

Buddhists believe in reincarnation. Which animal would you like to come back to earth as? “That’s easy: I’d love to be a pig. I read somewhere that pigs have a 30-minute orgasm during sexual intercourse - but I don’t know if it’s true!”

What’s your favourite holiday destination? “Many Brazilians overlook their own country in favour of abroad. I would go for Fernando de Noronha: it’s an island off the north coast of Brazil and a real paradise.”

Who was the greatest Brazilian racing driver? “Ayrton Senna. I really respect him even though he was a Corinthians fan, which is the biggest rival of my team, Palmeiras. That says something about how much I admired him.”

What was the last book you read? “It was a football book, all about Barcelona and how their football team restructured themselves. I want to be the president of Palmeiras, so this was a really useful book.”

When was the last time you cried? “I’m a very emotional person so I cry a lot, both when I’m happy and when I’m said. I don’t remember the last time I cried but it would have been recently for sure, maybe at a film or after someone was really kind to me.”

What is your philosophy of life? “Don’t give somebody a fish; teach them how to fish instead.”

Are you re-starting the rally tomorrow? “I think so; I’m 90 per cent sure. The damage seems not to be too bad, even though we rolled, so I’m confident the team will be able to fix it.”