This is me: Thiagus Petrus

THIS IS ME: Thiagus Petrus Gonçalves dos Santos

Like all the kids in Brazil, I was mad about football, I loved football and I loved playing football. It is just like this, you saw it, probably, everywhere and you know how talented Brazilian players are. It is something natural, it is something that can hardly be explained, but it is just like a magnet, the sport is something that goes into everybody’s veins in Brazil. You can play it on the streets, in the favelas, or on the beach, on the famous Copacabana. And you feel amazing.

I was born in Juiz de Fora, in Minas Gerais, a city of over 500,000 people near Rio de Janeiro, a city which everybody knows. The Christ the Redeemer statue, the Copacabana, the vibes… everybody knows it. But when I changed neighbourhood and city, I went to a different school. And that is where I discovered handball.

Most of the kids in my classroom played handball. And it was different. It was something entirely different. I did not know the rules. I knew nothing about handball, to be honest. But there I was, at 13 years old, starting to play handball and enjoying a new sport, which was totally different from football. You cannot hit the ball with your foot in handball, right? You lose possession!

First, it was all fun. But a career? One which would bring me to the top? Nah, that was too far-fetched in my mind. It would have been too much. Because, back then, handball was not so popular in Brazil. Money was scarce, there were many players, but not professional players, they were only playing at an amateur level. So, it was some luck and a good decision which brought me to the next level.

I moved to São Paulo, another huge city in Brazil, where I started playing for Pinheiros, one of the big clubs in the country. It was 2007, I was only 18 years old, and somewhere in my mind I knew that this is going to be my future. It was a huge step forward, it was something new, another new challenge for me.

I learnt a lot there. I have always wanted to learn. And it helped me a lot. But when the move to Spain happened, I knew that this was going to be the next step. After five years at Pinheiros, it was time to move on and try my hand in Europe. First, it was Spain, the place I live in now, but not at Barça - my first years there were at La Rioja.

I was still 23 years old, I was not a kid anymore, but I think it was quite a change for me. I would not necessarily call it a shock, but it was something that I was not used to, because there is a totally different environment. I am not criticising Brazil, it is my home country and I love it, but I felt a big change.

First of all, the security is bigger in Spain and in Europe in general. The quality of life is also better, the people have more money and they live a better life, because they have bigger salaries. But that did not matter so much for me, I was there to learn, to improve and to play handball. A thing that helped me immensely was having another Brazilian player there, Arthur Malburg Patrianova, who had been there for some years already.

He basically took me under his wing, he helped with the language, with what I needed, with everything to start playing handball better and better. Of course, at times, it was difficult, with such a big difference and such a long distance to Brazil. But I knew what I was getting into and I knew I had to perform.

Then I got to Szeged, I spent three years there, and since 2018, I have been at Barça, which has been a dream. Of course, Barça are well known in Brazil, not necessarily for handball, but also for football. But now, people are also watching our matches, because there are Brazilians there.

It is huge, it is impressive, it is a city that has absolutely everything. It is the perfect place to live. The temperature throughout the year is excellent. You have the mountains close. You have the beach close. What more do you want? It is a perfect environment to have good performances. The quality of life, the opportunities… it is one of the best cities in the world to live in.

Yet the longing feeling, that feeling of being home, is still there. 11 years, right? I have been away from Brazil for 11 years now and it is very difficult to be away from my family – from my mother, from my brothers, from my nephews. Of course, I have my partner here, in Barcelona, but the family is still in Brazil and it is very difficult to be here.

Brazil! To be back there, it would be amazing. But I think it is still a long way off in my career, hopefully I will be able to play at this high level for a few more years. And then, I have already completed some coaching courses, as I would like to stay in handball over the next chapter in my career.

I have also completed some studies, I have a master in sport management, therefore I can also continue in this role. Maybe in Brazil, who knows? It depends on plenty of things. But if I do not go back home, I would love to remain in Europe. I have found a place here. I like it here.

Thiagus Petrus Gonçalves dos Santos
November 2023