Exclusive; Elias Talks (Very Briefly) to SKP

SKP was fortunate enough to nab Brazil midfielder Elias for a (very) quick interview after the game against Ghana last night. While most players made a beeline for the team coach (and really, who can blame them, given the borderline glacial conditions at Craven Cottage?), the recent Sporting Lisbon recruit was kind enough to spare a minute to share his impressions of the stadium, and his appreciation for the Brazilian fans...


SKP: Elias, have you enjoyed being in London?

Elias: I didn't really get to know [the city], I was just here for the match. But I think playing here is lucky for us; the seleção has been coming here a lot, and we're winning games. [London] is the place we've adopted as our 'home' in Europe. Lots of Brazilians came to see the match and enjoyed themselves.

SKP: [Craven Cottage] is a nice little stadium, isn't it?

Elias: It's cool, isn't it! It's different! It reminds me a bit of Rua Javari [the stadium of Juventus, for whom Elias played in 2007] in Brazil. It's a very intimate stadium.

SKP: Thanks very much, Elias!

Elias: No problem!

So there we have it. I did warn you that it was on the brief side, but a short interview is better than no interview at all, right? If you want to read a bit more about Elias, I refer you back to this article, the second half of which is a profile I wrote when he joined Atlético Madrid. I can now supplement my respect for him as a player with the knowledge that he's also a lovely bloke. Valeu, Elias!

(Thanks to the inimitable Rupert Fryer, who lent me his trusty dictaphone for the interview. He was far more prepared for actual journalism than I was.)