Willian, a winger who used to play for Arsenal, has said that he never planned to go back to Brazil, but that his hard time at Arsenal made him make the move anyway.
After Arsenal, winger refuses Brazil comeback
The Brazilian player is currently playing for Fulham. He has made it clear that he wants to finish his career in Europe or the United States. He won’t go back to Brazil, where he had a terrible time and was even threatened with death.
In an interview with “Premier League Brasil,” Willian talked about his time at Arsenal and why he decided to leave and go back to Brazil. He said he didn’t want to go back to Brazil, but he joined Corinthians because he wanted to show his thanks.
“I never, ever want to go back to Brazil. I’ve thought this since before I read Corinthians. “After Arsenal and Corinthians, I went back to the club where I started because I wanted to, but I was already thinking about staying in Europe until the end,” Willian said.
Willian of Corinthians reacts after missing a chance to score during a Brasileirao Series A 2021 game between Corinthians and Athletico Paranaense on November 28, 2021 at Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
“And now I plan to end it here, whether it’s in Europe, the U.S., or somewhere else. It would be great if it could happen in England. I plan to keep playing for another four to five years. But we can’t be sure because sport is always changing.”
Willian then talked about his time at Corinthians and how, even though he was happy for his start there, he did not form a strong bond with the club. He said he knew some people didn’t understand why he was leaving, but he couldn’t make everyone happy.
“I have a great deal of respect for Corinthians,” Willian said. “It’s the place where I was found out and made.
“But I didn’t get my start as a worker at Corinthians, so I can’t say I have a connection… I don’t know if that’s the right word, but he had some kind of business history with the Corinthians. I’m thankful for the club because it was where I lived, but I left when I was very young.
My gift in 2021 was a way to say thank you. Some friends didn’t understand why I left because they thought I was new. Then they only know what they want, and I can’t give everyone what they want.
“It’s a big club with a lot of people, and what I went through was with a small group. But at the same time, it was a small group that hurt my family and other people close to me a lot. What’s left is respect for Corinthians as a person.”
Before moving to Arsenal in 2020, the talented midfielder had a great career at Chelsea from 2013 to 2020. But his time at North London was not great, and after a year he went back to Brazil to play for Corinthians.
Now that Willian is back in England and playing for Fulham, he is loving football again. He has played in 23 of Fulham’s 34 Premier League games this season.
Fulham is in 10th place in the table and is safe from relegation. Willian has scored three goals and set up four others in the league.
