ROBERTO CARLOS on how his sister’s education led him to sacrifice his childhood:
“I was the second oldest and the only boy in the family. My sister was studying, so I had to do something different. I had to stop studying to help my father work and contribute to the household income. He paid me a very small amount at the time.
When I was 11, I worked with my father. I used to get in his way, and even today, he tells me that I bothered him while he was working because I always wanted to be beside him.
But it was a beautiful childhood. We didn’t come from a financially powerful family, and we were always very humble.
My father worked to take care of the house, buy the things we needed and support the family’s growth. We always maintained peace and tranquillity.
People sometimes ask me what my childhood was like, and I always give the same answer. Just because Roberto Carlos became a famous footballer doesn’t mean my family suddenly had mansions and enormous wealth.”