This is his seventh season in Serie A, but Claudio dos Santos Sergio – known to all as Serginho – has always been on the fringes of the Milan squad. Usually managing just over 20 League appearances per campaign, he has already notched up 19 games this term and often in the starting line-up. Several factors have contributed to this finally being his year. Marek Jankulovski and Kakha Kaladze struggle to maintain fitness, while Carlo Ancelotti was eager to match the push of Marcos Cafu with an equally effective shadow on the left flank. Above all, he has learned to mix his Brazilian impulses with the tactical acumen of Italian defenders.
“I now know how to play as a full-back and am happy that Ancelotti thinks so too,” explained the 34-year-old. “I must thank him because my progress is down to his hard work and the fact that he follows me so closely. There are also two more secrets – they are called Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta. I have listened to their advice and that has led me to improve and mature.”
It’s quite an advance for a man who fully admitted when he arrived from Sao Paulo in 1999: “I am better offensively than defensively.” In fact, for many years he was transformed into a winger, but returned to his full-back roots to combine those two roles to great effect. “Milan expect speed and crosses from me, they want me to push forward but also to cover. I didn’t understand that at first, but it is all clear now.”
Some of Milan’s best performances this season, including the 5-1 demolition of Udinese in Week 11, had the two Selecao stars providing one of the most attacking defences in European football. It was only the ex-Roma man’s injury problems that prevented this tactic from gelling into the preferred line-up for Ancelotti. But while they wait for Il Pendolino to return, Concorde is covering the same ground. “This is a good moment for me. I feel the faith of the club, my Coach and my teammates. I don’t get agitated if I’m not a first team regular, I’m just looking to prove myself when I get my chance.”
With his lightning pace, pinpoint crosses and often underrated free-kick capabilities, Serginho has earned some prestigious comparisons. “Right now, Serginho is a better and more effective full-back than Roberto Carlos,” noted a gleeful Ancelotti. “He used to be a liability as a defender, as he sometimes lost concentration, but he understands the role now. Carlos Alberto Parreira may not be able to see it, but that makes it all the better for us, as we get to keep him full-time.”
His international career never really materialised, as his first cap was earned at the age of 27 and despite winning the 1999 Copa America and contributing to their qualification for the 2002 World Cup, he has never been trusted with a major tournament position. “Milan are my national side, as my Brazilian experience is now over,” he said. “I have no problems with Parreira, but the Selecao doesn’t interest me anymore. I’m not looking for a World Cup spot. As far as I’m concerned, there is only Milan when thinking about football.”
Posted by: Jimmy @ 21:32pm 01/01/08 | Jimmy's current mood: Content