When his signing went official, Bayern Munich midfielder João Palhinha had a feeling some folks would want to compare him to former Bayern star Javi Martinez.
“I have to tell you something I’ll never forget. After a match with a youth national team against the USA – it must have been the U17s or U18s – the opposition coach came up to me and said: ‘You’re the next Javi Martínez’. Of course, I knew who Javi was and what he’d achieved with Bayern, but after that I looked even closer when I saw him play. It was flattering to be compared to him, but I never wanted to copy him. He’s Javi, I’m João,” Palhinha told FCBayern.com.
When asked if he had ever dream of being a player his countrymen, Cristiano Ronaldo, Palhinha also balked at that.
“There are things that I was born with. That I’m relatively tall, that I’m physically strong. But the crucial thing is that you feel inside yourself what contribution you can make on the pitch to be successful as a team. Everyone has their role. There are players who create chances and score goals. Of course I’ll try to do that too, but you also need players who prevent the opposition from scoring. My job is to provide the necessary balance,” said Palhinha.
