SLIGO ROVERS HAVE added some samba flair to their squad with the news that Brazilian midfielder Eduardo Pincelli has signed for the club.
Pincelli arrives at the Showgrounds having spent the majority of the last decade plying his trade in Cyprus. The 34-year-old has signed a one-year deal and will be the first Brazilian — and only the second South American — to play for the club after the late Bolivian striker Carlos Alvarez, who spent the 2005 season in the north-west.
Pincelli made his professional debut in 2000 when he lined out for Brazilian Serie A outfit at the age of just 16. A varied career has since seen him also feature in professional leagues in Sweden, Colombia, Malaysia and Italy.
The Sao Paulo native’s latest move came about following an encounter with former Sligo striker Vinny Faherty, who recently trained with Pincelli’s last club Ethnikos Achna after he departed Ireland at the end of last season.
Despite being informed by a contact in Cyprus that Pincelli’s signature would be far beyond the reach of his club, Rovers boss Ger Lyttle built up a steady relationship with the Brazilian through a series of text messages and phone calls.
A transfer embargo placed upon Achna by Fifa also meant that there were complications when it came to renewing Eduardo’s deal ahead of the new Cypriot season.
“I met Vinny in Cyprus when he trained with Achna”, Pincelli explains. “He told me some great things about Sligo — the supporters, the area and the coach. Achna are having their own problems so I had to look elsewhere.
“Vinny sent Ger my number and we got talking. Then I came over to Ireland and I see now with my own eyes that Vinny was right and things are going well for me so far.”
Sligo’s latest acquisition admits that he knew little about the League of Ireland prior to hearing of Sligo’s interest, using Google as his main point of reference when familiarising himself with what would become his new surroundings.
“I have done a lot of research on the internet because I’ve had a few weeks to consider whether I’m coming over here or not”, he continues. “I know the league is physical, I know Sligo isn’t the biggest team in the league but I know also we won the league in 2012, so there is recent history there to build on.
“I have searched some of the players who play for Sligo but also for our rivals. I’ve told Ger that when some of our local rivals play friendlies, I want to go and watch and to be able to become familiar with these teams and adapt myself to them.”
Pincelli has already lined out for the Bit O’Red, having featured in a pre-season friendly against the Mayo League in Castlebar last weekend. Playing 65 minutes of the 4-2 win, he chipped in with a moment of magic of his own, an audacious close-range lob over the Mayo goalkeeper for Rovers’ third goal.
Reflecting on the game and his first week training with Sligo, he says: “It was great. I should thank my team-mates because they were very good to me. I enjoyed the game but I also understand that the opponent wasn’t the same standard as we will face each week.
“But we need to build a winning mentality and you build that when you win games. It doesn’t matter if you play a Premier Division side or an amateur side.
“So far in training I find it quite hard because it is much stronger here than Cyprus, the whole dynamic is much more physical so I’ll need a little time on that. But the coaches have been great so far and they let me take time out when I feel tired or uncomfortable.”
Turning 35 in April, Pincelli — along with Rovers veteran Raffaele Cretaro (36) — will be two of the older heads in the Showgrounds dressing room this season.
Both men will be expected to lend their experience to what is a relatively young squad. Pincelli is keen to pass on what he has picked up ahead of a season where Rovers are looking to push on from last season’s ninth-place finish.
“I wish to help them all if I can,” he states. “I made my debut for Fluminense when I was just 16 so I know what it’s like for them to be young and to be playing first team football. I don’t know if I’m a leader but I think it comes naturally to me to help the players and not the just the younger ones.”
As for his ambitions during this latest leg of his football journey, the Brazilian says he is keen to make his mark during his time on these shores.
“I know last year’s results didn’t go too well but Sligo managed to stay up and and that’s important. But I am a dreamer and I will try and achieve as much as I can here.”