Tragic memories
Douglas Luiz: “They were stabbed in front of me”
Brazil footballer Douglas Luiz has given emotional insights into his years in the Rio de Janeiro favela. According to the midfielder, he had to witness a lot as a child. People were stabbed and shot in front of him.
"I wanted to train with my Brazilian club Vasco de Gama, but someone in the favela was shot in the head," Luiz recalls in an interview with the Daily Mail. Instead of driving him to training, his father had to save the life of the man who had been shot, says the Aston Villa footballer, emphasizing: "Some things are more important than soccer".
However, this is not an isolated incident for the 26-year-old, as he emphasizes. Growing up in the Rio favela, he experienced formative moments together with his parents and two brothers: "I've seen everything in my life. I've seen people stabbed to death in front of me. I've seen people shot dead."
The favela in his heart
But then came his leap into European professional soccer. Manchester City became aware of the midfielder in 2017 and decided to transfer him. He was eventually loaned out to Girona and now plays for Aston Villa. They even qualified for the Champions League the following year.
Despite his sporting rise, the Brazilian international will never forget his roots. He is involved in several projects that aim to improve living conditions in Brazil's poor neighborhoods.
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