Ladislau Marinho was a footballer in Belo Horizonte who had a dream of playing for Brazil. Marinho never realized that dream – his son did. On the eve of one of the biggest matches of his career a new film from Nike Football sees David Luiz’s father talk about the passion of the Selecao for every Brazilian in the country.
“Playing for Brazil is every child’s dream. As a father to see your son play for the national team, well, that’s my dream come true,” said Ladislau Marinho, father to Brazilian superstar David Luiz.
As a younger man in Belo Horizonte, Marinho had his own dreams of playing for Brazil. As a professional for the local club he was making his own way in the game when the financial constraints, and a young family, forced him to give up his dream.
“To be a Brazilian citizen and a football fan is already something difficult to explain, to be patriotic, dressed in green and yellow. This is the moment when everyone is united, people forget about the rivalries, and are together for the same reason.”
The respect for this passion is mirrored in the process of designing the Brazil shirt.
“Having the opportunity to design this kit was a truly humbling experience,” said Martin Lotti, Creative Director, Nike Football. “The players and fans believe that this kit is as important as the national flag and I truly believe when you play against Brazil, you don’t play against eleven, you play against the 200 million people that support the team. We try to honor and respect that.”