Picture courtesy: Clube Atlético Paranaense)
Romeo Fernandes has entered the history books as the first Indian footballer to play a professional game in Brazil on Saturday.
Romeo made his debut for a second-string Brazilian side Clube Atlético Paranaense in their Campeonato Paranaense encounter against Nacional Atlético Clube. Atlético Paranaense fielded a ‘B’ Team with reserve players from the first team and players from their U-23 and U-19 teams, as the first team gears up for their Copa do Brasil (Brazilian Cup) match on Tuesday.
The youngster from Goa was brought on as a second-half substitute for Rafinha in the 70th minute. He was able to experience his first minutes in Brazilian football in front of 3,335 fans at the Estádio Joaquim Américo Guimarães Stadium, commonly referred to as Arena da Baixada.
Atlético Paranaense won the match 5-0 courtesy to goals scored by Crysan (2x), Breno, Nikão and Rafinha.
The Campeonato Paranaense is the State League of the Brazilian state of Paraná, where teams from the state compete for the honours in their region. The league is ranked at 5th level of the Brazilian league system.
Here is a video clip with a few highlights from Romeo’s debut for Atlético Paranaense…