Cruzeiro idol thought about giving up football when he was hired by the club < In Attack

Before beginning his successful career in goal for Cruzeiro, Raul Plassmann briefly spent time at Athletico Paranaense, Coritiba, São Paulo and Nacional-URU. The lack of stability in his career made the former number 1 think about giving up football when he was sold to the Celeste club in 1965.

In an interview with Charla Podcast, the former goalkeeper recalled details of the negotiation that took him to Raposa. With the Minas Gerais team, Raul won the 1966 Taça Brasil, the 1976 Copa Libertadores and ten editions of the Campeonato Mineiro.

“I stayed in Uruguay for two months and they put me back on a bus to Curitiba, then São Paulo. They were on strike there, having not been paid for two months. The business was very amateurish. When I entered São Paulo to reintroduce myself, Aymoré Moreira (former coach) asked who I was. I said it was Raul, and he told me that I was already sold to Cruzeiro”, he explained.

“I didn’t even train. I arrived at the changing room, changed my clothes, and was given a ticket to go to Belo Horizonte. I left and said I was going to Curitiba, to go home. I worked at a bank and was on leave. When I explained the situation to Pagão (São Paulo striker at the time), he [ficou incrédulo]. ‘Do you want to play football or do you want to be on a bench running around, ringing the bell? In football you travel the world, work outdoors, take care of your health, exercise. You are crazy? Are you going to leave this life to work for 30 years in a bank?’. Then he grabbed the van driver and said ‘you’re going to see him get on the plane (to Belo Horizonte)’. He didn’t let me go to Curitiba. That’s when I started my story at Cruzeiro.”

Raul Plassmann

Raul’s trajectory at Cruzeiro

The fifth player to wear Cruzeiro’s shirt most times, Raul played for the club in 557 games between 1965 and 1977. Afterwards, he was coach of the Celeste team in eight games in 1987 – five wins and three draws. Finally, he worked for a decade in Raposa’s communications department. He was dismissed from his position in January 2020.