*’They Left My Account At Zero… I Lost 99% Of What I Earned In Football’
Real Madrid icon and one of the most prestigious left-backs in football history, Roberto Carlos, was one of the standout figures at the opening of the second day of the Portugal Football Summit today and took part in a panel discussion on ‘Beyond The Pitch: Building A Brand And A Legacy In Football’.
The 53-year-old former Brazilian international and world champion in 2002, revealed that he always sought to prepare for his future while still playing at the highest level.
“I always thought about the stage after my career. It’s about building a story as a player and making the most of your image.
“When I decided to leave football, I already had the sporting director’s license and was working with many brands,” explained the current Real Madrid ambassador.
The newspaper Record echoes Roberto Carlos’s confession that, despite his planning, he suffered a severe financial setback to the point of losing virtually the entire fortune accumulated over decades of his career.
He said: “I had problems with people who left my bank account at zero. Because of agents and family issues, I lost 99 percent of everything I had earned in football. I made mistakes and, because of that, I ask the younger ones not to do the same.”
Roberto Carlos, who played 527 matches for Real Madrid and 127 for the Brazil national team, clarified that “I had a serious problem with my former agent. I had an extremely serious family problem. On Thursday I went to bed at midnight and, on Friday, I received a pile of documents whose existence I was unaware of. That’s when I lost my entire history.”
Recounting how he managed to crawl back from the pit of lack, the legendary defender added: “Paul reorganized my life. With Entourage, I managed to restructure my financial and family life.”
Paul is part of Entourage, a sports management and wealth advisory group that helped steady him once again.
He said the matter of riches-to-grass has affected many footballers.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Roberto Carlos…in his Real Madrid heydays.
