Inter’s left-back, Carlos Augusto, has openly detailed his journey from childhood to professional football during an interview with Dazn.
Augusto first stepped into the world of football at the tender age of 7, where he played for pleasure, stating, “I started playing football at 7 years old for fun.” He realised his potential to become a professional player at the age of 15, despite no one in his family sharing his passion for the sport.
The young footballer said: “Initially I did not want to be a footballer because I did not want to be the worst in school. My parents never pressured me like what often happens in Brazil.” At 18, the looming reality of life off the pitch became all too clear to him when his father warned, “If they don’t offer you a contract, you will come to work with me.”
On his ambitions for the sport, Augusto revealed that he had not set his sights on reaching the lofty heights of his current position. He admitted, “I never thought I would get this far, now I am happy to be here. Even my friends had doubts about me, but I remained calm and in the end I made it.” The turning point in his career came at 15, when changing his role to left-back opened new opportunities for him.
“I realised I could become a professional when they changed my role at 15. As a full-back, I realised I could do well. I played in all areas of the field, but I believe that this is the perfect role for me,” Augusto concluded.