Monza, Carlos Augusto: the new emperor who makes Brianza dream

They called it “wooden leg”. Thus, detached, not like Mickey Mouse’s number one rival in the comics, Pietro Gambadilegno, the two-meter cat with green trousers and a walking stick. Carlos Augusto from Campinas, Brazil, full-back full-back of Monza revelation, as a kid he was anything but a phenomenon. Friends made fun of him because every shot on goal was a prayer. “Don’t let me send her off the pitch again, please.” But no, among the weeds. You know those little fields with jackets like poles, right? At the age of six, Carlos played there, and every time he came home with shining face and eyes. Dad, sitting on the sofa, peered at his son out of the corner of his eye, without question, until Carlos emptied the bag. “Today is my birthday, I choose the gift”. “Would be?”. “I would like to enroll in a football school, all I ask is”. Satisfied.

The rest is a story of redemption, sacrifices and climbing, up to the first goal in Serie A against Spezia. A left stab after an (almost) Serginho insertion. Galliani had compared him to him, an offensive winger with assists, goals and trophies on his CV; reason that led him to make him the most expensive player in the history of Monza: 4 million. Palladino, on the other hand, said that someone like Carlos is from the top club. Condor brought him to Brianteo in 2020 after scouting in Brazil, 37 games and a goal with Corinthians. The beauty is that at 17 he played in attack and didn’t see the pitch, always on the bench: “If I hadn’t changed my role I would never have made it. I thought football wasn’t for me.” But he has been in Monza for three years, 79 appearances and 7 goals. Password: self made man. When asked about his path, about his history, Carlos always replies that he made himself. He packed his backpack at base camp, put in everything he needed to tackle the climb patiently, without risk, and then challenged the mountain. All in consortium, helped by those who love him: first in Brazil and then in Monza, from Stroppa to Palladino. Perseverance, will, sacrifice: “I have always worked hard to exploit my chances”. One of the companions with whom he has bonded the most is Dany Mota, the first to help him in difficult moments, when the ‘saudade’ makes itself felt. “He speaks Portuguese like me, he is a friend, the first month was close to me”.

In Monza they call him “the emperor”. A matter of names, homonymous, but also of status. Carlos Augusto, 23, born in the same city as Fabinho and Luis Fabiano, the Sevilla record striker, is in his third season as a starter. In Brianza they compared it to the Roman emperor as a sign of esteem. After all, he was one of the heroes of the promotion and covers the wing for the whole game, but he can also make the third on the left in a three-man defense. The famous ‘arm’. So far he has only missed the match against Napoli due to an ankle problem, then eight appearances and a goal in 688 minutes played, replaced only on two occasions (Turin and Juventus). He was also the captain against Udinese. Italy is now his second home. He misses the churrasco, it is clear, but for some years he has been learning how to cook noodles and chicken fillets. “Sometimes I call my mother for advice, you never know.” In fantasy football he is an intriguing shot: he costs 24 credits and has an average of 6.08 (FM of 6.43). A reliable, safe-yielding fourth slot. Last season he was placed in the top 11 of the championship. Those who made fun of him years ago, in those fields without doors, change their minds today. Now the ball goes into the goal. And nobody prays anymore.