Bruno Alves: Q&A With journalist Silvio, who works for Radio Renascenca in Porto

[Smile 26,600]

Q: WHAT CAN RANGERS FANS EXPECT FROM BRUNO ALVES? WHAT TYPE OF PLAYER IS HE?*

SV:*“Rangers fans can expect a leader, a true leader. We are talking about a tough, fit player.“He is always paying attention to his fitness because he is getting older. But if you watch Bruno Alves, you wouldn’t say he’s 35.

“I think a two-year contract is good for Rangers and I believe they will get the best out of him. If we’re talking about a leader, we are talking about someone who is used to winning.“I was in France with the national Portuguese squad all the way. Although Bruno wasn’t used that much, he played in the semi-final against Wales.

“He was truly important in that path. I think Bruno was one of the secrets of that national team because he somehow gathered and rallied his*colleagues.“He’s a player who seeks the cohesion and spirit of the team.

“Also you are not talking about just a top, world-class football player. You are talking about a guy that may be captain of Rangers in a short period of time.“He has grown up near the sea. He is seen as a worker, a tough guy in the land of fisherman!”

Q: ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR WEAKNESSES TO HIS GAME?

SV:*“He is not losing his speed, but there is some weaknesses, such as his positioning.“Sometimes he tries to anticipate the play and he loses his positioning timing. Maybe that is his weakest point.“He compensates this with his speed which of course is not the speed he had a few years ago. But he is still a quick central defender.

“He is over-confident sometimes and that can make him commit some positional errors. He is known by his aerial ability, he has scored some goals in his career.“At a club like Rangers, you have to count on defenders that give you goals I think.“He is a central defender that is capable of scoring from a corner or free-kick and that is important.”

Q: HOW HAS HE PERFORMED FOR CALGARI THIS SEASON?

SV:*“He has been a regular and made good, solid performances. He played almost every match in Cagliari.“I have watched a few games and he was the leader of the defence.
“At a team like Cagliari, who are not expected to fight for the top positions, I think his decision to go was a personal decision in order to experience the Italian league because it’s a defensive league and also because it was a pleasant place.

“I think those were the key elements to his decision. After winning the Euro championship, he could have gone elsewhere.“He had solid performances, he was a regular first-team player, the leader of the defence.“If Rangers could have 11 Bruno Alves’ in the line-up, I think Rangers would have a real chance of being Scottish champions.”

Q: ARE YOU SURPRISED RANGERS HAVE MANAGED TO SIGN A PLAYER OF HIS CALIBRE?

SV: “I’m surprised because Bruno could really be in another league.“He could have come back to Portugal, playing for Porto, Benfica or Sporting Lisbon. He could have been in a medium table club in Spain.“He could have easily signed for a league contender in France. So for that I’m surprised.

“But then I’m not surprised because I think it’s a personal decision from him. He is playing in Scotland, he is playing in the United Kingdom, that’s also a goal he had in his career.
“He has the confidence of the coach because I believe he is a Portuguese coach so he could give him some good inputs.

“He is back in Europe and he’ll expect to help Rangers, although he will miss the qualifiers. But I think he has that expectation to play in Europe.“And at the end of the day we’re talking about a huge club and he knows it. He is not one of those players that go to the dressing room and doesn’t know the players.

“He knows the history of Rangers of course and he wants to experience that.“He wants to play in an Old Firm. He wants to tell his grandson he played in an Old Firm – this is his character.”

Q: AT 35-YEARS-OLD, ARE BRUNO’S BEST YEARS BEHIND HIM?*

SV: “Some are, but he has some very good years ahead of him. I think he lost some time in Russia.“So losing some of that time made him eager to recover that lost time. But he is still in the Portuguese squad and he is like a kid fighting for his place.“Of course, we are talking about a 35-year-old guy but I don’t think at all his best years are over and he will do well.

Q: DO YOU THINK HE WILL HAVE ANY PROBLEMS ADAPTING TO SCOTTISH FOOTBALL?

SV: “I see British football fitting like a glove. He is a tough guy. He relishes duels, he likes it. Sometimes, he provokes the duels because that’s his area.“You won’t see him standing behind doing nothing, he’s a competitive guy.“He hasn’t talked yet about retiring from the national squad. This is a sign of his ambition.”

“If you think about Scottish football, you don’t expect someone to go there, dribble and not be knocked down.“I think Bruno will adapt easily. Also he speaks a little English so it will be fine for him.”

Q: PEDRO MENDES WAS THE LAST PORTUGUESE PLAYER TO PLAY FOR RANGERS. HE QUICKLY BECAME A FANS FAVOURITE AT IBROX. DO YOU EXPECT BRUNO TO DO THE SAME?*

SV: “I do, I really do. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bruno was in the group of captains right away.“He is what you expect to be a true leader. He has been captain everywhere. He was FC Porto captain, one of the key elements in the dressing room.“I think he was also one of the captains at Zenit and in the national squad he has also been the Portugal captain in many matches.”

Q: WHAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP DOES HE HAVE WITH CRISTIANO RONALDO?*

SV: “I believe there is a mutual respect. I don’t know if they are friends or if there is a deep relationship between them.“But I know they like each other and acknowledge each other’s qualities. Of course, Bruno was the last player to be used in the Euro Championship for Portugal and he held that.“That was important and I think Ronaldo also understands his importance.”

Q: WITH 89 CAPS TO HIS NAME, JUST HOW BIG A PLAYER HAS BRUNO BEEN FOR PORTUGAL? HOW HIGHLY-RESPECT IS HE?*

SV: “Here in Portugal, Bruno Alves was loved by FC Porto fans and was hated by the other fans because he is very, very hard on the field and he still manages to be a very good player.“Because of his attitude in the field, he defends his zone, his family and his team-mates. That created an uncomfortable environment when he was at FC Porto.
“But in the national squad people respect him. His dad was a professional football player.

“And he was also seen as a tough player to deal with and he came out often defending Bruno and talking about the critics his son had mainly from the other fans.“But that climate I think is not now a reality in Portugal. He also has two brothers that are football players, so he comes from a footballing family.”

Q: PLAYING IN SCOTTISH FOOTBALL, WILL HE STILL FEATURE IN THE PORTUGAL SQUAD?

SV: “I do yes. For instance, the manager looks at every angle.“But he has his man and I think that it wouldn’t be an obstacle playing in Scotland.“He calls up players that don’t feature that much. For instance there is a goalkeeper that is not playing for Sporting and he is in the squad.”

Q: HOW MANY YEARS DO YOU THINK BRUNO HAS LEFT BEFORE HE DECIDES TO RETIRE?

SV: “In terms of international football, I believe he could start thinking about retiring.“I don’t know what is going on in his mind, but maybe it’s time to focus more on the club and his business.

“If Bruno signed a two-year contract with Rangers, he would think about retiring internationally after 2018 Russia World Cup.“Regarding his retirement from club football, he is contracted until he is 37, I think he would last easily until 39, 40.“Maybe playing in another country, I don’t know if he has an ambition to play in another league but I think he would be fit.” 
 

[davis1986 996]

4 hours ago, Smile said:

Q: WHAT CAN RANGERS FANS EXPECT FROM BRUNO ALVES? WHAT TYPE OF PLAYER IS HE?*

SV:*“Rangers fans can expect a leader, a true leader. We are talking about a tough, fit player.“He is always paying attention to his fitness because he is getting older. But if you watch Bruno Alves, you wouldn’t say he’s 35.

“I think a two-year contract is good for Rangers and I believe they will get the best out of him. If we’re talking about a leader, we are talking about someone who is used to winning.“I was in France with the national Portuguese squad all the way. Although Bruno wasn’t used that much, he played in the semi-final against Wales.

“He was truly important in that path. I think Bruno was one of the secrets of that national team because he somehow gathered and rallied his*colleagues.“He’s a player who seeks the cohesion and spirit of the team.

“Also you are not talking about just a top, world-class football player. You are talking about a guy that may be captain of Rangers in a short period of time.“He has grown up near the sea. He is seen as a worker, a tough guy in the land of fisherman!”

Q: ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR WEAKNESSES TO HIS GAME?

SV:*“He is not losing his speed, but there is some weaknesses, such as his positioning.“Sometimes he tries to anticipate the play and he loses his positioning timing. Maybe that is his weakest point.“He compensates this with his speed which of course is not the speed he had a few years ago. But he is still a quick central defender.

“He is over-confident sometimes and that can make him commit some positional errors. He is known by his aerial ability, he has scored some goals in his career.“At a club like Rangers, you have to count on defenders that give you goals I think.“He is a central defender that is capable of scoring from a corner or free-kick and that is important.”

Q: HOW HAS HE PERFORMED FOR CALGARI THIS SEASON?

SV:*“He has been a regular and made good, solid performances. He played almost every match in Cagliari.“I have watched a few games and he was the leader of the defence.
“At a team like Cagliari, who are not expected to fight for the top positions, I think his decision to go was a personal decision in order to experience the Italian league because it’s a defensive league and also because it was a pleasant place.

“I think those were the key elements to his decision. After winning the Euro championship, he could have gone elsewhere.“He had solid performances, he was a regular first-team player, the leader of the defence.“If Rangers could have 11 Bruno Alves’ in the line-up, I think Rangers would have a real chance of being Scottish champions.”

Q: ARE YOU SURPRISED RANGERS HAVE MANAGED TO SIGN A PLAYER OF HIS CALIBRE?

SV: “I’m surprised because Bruno could really be in another league.“He could have come back to Portugal, playing for Porto, Benfica or Sporting Lisbon. He could have been in a medium table club in Spain.“He could have easily signed for a league contender in France. So for that I’m surprised.

“But then I’m not surprised because I think it’s a personal decision from him. He is playing in Scotland, he is playing in the United Kingdom, that’s also a goal he had in his career.
“He has the confidence of the coach because I believe he is a Portuguese coach so he could give him some good inputs.

“He is back in Europe and he’ll expect to help Rangers, although he will miss the qualifiers. But I think he has that expectation to play in Europe.“And at the end of the day we’re talking about a huge club and he knows it. He is not one of those players that go to the dressing room and doesn’t know the players.

“He knows the history of Rangers of course and he wants to experience that.“He wants to play in an Old Firm. He wants to tell his grandson he played in an Old Firm – this is his character.”

Q: AT 35-YEARS-OLD, ARE BRUNO’S BEST YEARS BEHIND HIM?*

SV: “Some are, but he has some very good years ahead of him. I think he lost some time in Russia.“So losing some of that time made him eager to recover that lost time. But he is still in the Portuguese squad and he is like a kid fighting for his place.“Of course, we are talking about a 35-year-old guy but I don’t think at all his best years are over and he will do well.

Q: DO YOU THINK HE WILL HAVE ANY PROBLEMS ADAPTING TO SCOTTISH FOOTBALL?

SV: “I see British football fitting like a glove. He is a tough guy. He relishes duels, he likes it. Sometimes, he provokes the duels because that’s his area.“You won’t see him standing behind doing nothing, he’s a competitive guy.“He hasn’t talked yet about retiring from the national squad. This is a sign of his ambition.”

“If you think about Scottish football, you don’t expect someone to go there, dribble and not be knocked down.“I think Bruno will adapt easily. Also he speaks a little English so it will be fine for him.”

Q: PEDRO MENDES WAS THE LAST PORTUGUESE PLAYER TO PLAY FOR RANGERS. HE QUICKLY BECAME A FANS FAVOURITE AT IBROX. DO YOU EXPECT BRUNO TO DO THE SAME?*

SV: “I do, I really do. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bruno was in the group of captains right away.“He is what you expect to be a true leader. He has been captain everywhere. He was FC Porto captain, one of the key elements in the dressing room.“I think he was also one of the captains at Zenit and in the national squad he has also been the Portugal captain in many matches.”

Q: WHAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP DOES HE HAVE WITH CRISTIANO RONALDO?*

SV: “I believe there is a mutual respect. I don’t know if they are friends or if there is a deep relationship between them.“But I know they like each other and acknowledge each other’s qualities. Of course, Bruno was the last player to be used in the Euro Championship for Portugal and he held that.“That was important and I think Ronaldo also understands his importance.”

Q: WITH 89 CAPS TO HIS NAME, JUST HOW BIG A PLAYER HAS BRUNO BEEN FOR PORTUGAL? HOW HIGHLY-RESPECT IS HE?*

SV: “Here in Portugal, Bruno Alves was loved by FC Porto fans and was hated by the other fans because he is very, very hard on the field and he still manages to be a very good player.“Because of his attitude in the field, he defends his zone, his family and his team-mates. That created an uncomfortable environment when he was at FC Porto.
“But in the national squad people respect him. His dad was a professional football player.

“And he was also seen as a tough player to deal with and he came out often defending Bruno and talking about the critics his son had mainly from the other fans.“But that climate I think is not now a reality in Portugal. He also has two brothers that are football players, so he comes from a footballing family.”

Q: PLAYING IN SCOTTISH FOOTBALL, WILL HE STILL FEATURE IN THE PORTUGAL SQUAD?

SV: “I do yes. For instance, the manager looks at every angle.“But he has his man and I think that it wouldn’t be an obstacle playing in Scotland.“He calls up players that don’t feature that much. For instance there is a goalkeeper that is not playing for Sporting and he is in the squad.”

Q: HOW MANY YEARS DO YOU THINK BRUNO HAS LEFT BEFORE HE DECIDES TO RETIRE?

SV: “In terms of international football, I believe he could start thinking about retiring.“I don’t know what is going on in his mind, but maybe it’s time to focus more on the club and his business.

“If Bruno signed a two-year contract with Rangers, he would think about retiring internationally after 2018 Russia World Cup.“Regarding his retirement from club football, he is contracted until he is 37, I think he would last easily until 39, 40.“Maybe playing in another country, I don’t know if he has an ambition to play in another league but I think he would be fit.” 
 

Great read and insight thanks for posting 

[deco19761 1,006]

It used to be a team full of davie weirs, not it seems as if a team full of Alves 's will do. 

[Jack The Flipper 5,936]

"SV:*“He is not losing his speed, but there is some weaknesses, such as his positioning.“Sometimes he tries to anticipate the play and he loses his positioning timing. Maybe that is his weakest point.“He compensates this with his speed which of course is not the speed he had a few years ago. But he is still a quick central defender."

[Juniorsparkie 491]

Aye, that made me shudder a wee bit. Maybe he's talking international games 

[Juniorsparkie 491]

The actual interview is good decent questions good answers. 

Thats the equivalent of some of our press muppets who would turn that into a book "coz it's too many wurds"

A solid Q&A session, never once asked do you know what a square go is ?

 You used to get interviews like this in the Scottish Press but not for a long time.

[Jamie0202 12,195]

Canny play in the Euro qualifiers?

[Gman36 3,454]

Thing is though if he keeps it simple here his higher skill level should offset the lack of pace. Look at Clint Hill for example, wasn't quick but made up for it by reading the game. 

[Smell the hotdog 4,015]

47 minutes ago, Jamie0202 said:

Canny play in the Euro qualifiers?

Just the 1st one as he's on international duty. We get passed that qualifier he can play going forward.

[jcb 1,167]

One word stands out for me - Leader.

Something we have been lacking for years imo.

[KeyserSoze 14,494]

strange but for some reason I keep thinking of Lorenzo Amoruso when I read that.....

 

[Bobby Hume 12,970]

4 hours ago, KeyserSoze said:

strange but for some reason I keep thinking of Lorenzo Amoruso when I read that.....

 

Third person singular right enough mate ..... "Lorenzo? .... (wee shrug) ..... he will do what he always does .... he will play football"......   

[bomber 177]

I would be happy if the big man retired from international football and concentrated in giving everything playing for the club.i would imagine given his age that Portugal would want to start building a new younger team after winning the European championships.that would suit both him and us fine and should enable him to enhance his career without playing needless midweek games and having to travel all over the world playing friendlies!!!

[Thermopylae 15,286]

Very positive I have to say ... as has been said elsewhere better signings that Warburton's 

[BenficaFan 20]

51 minutes ago, bomber said:

I would be happy if the big man retired from international football and concentrated in giving everything playing for the club.i would imagine given his age that Portugal would want to start building a new younger team after winning the European championships.that would suit both him and us fine and should enable him to enhance his career without playing needless midweek games and having to travel all over the world playing friendlies!!!

Confederations Cup will be his last cup with National Squad. Anyway if nothing happens with the other 3 CBS he will not play any minute and gonna "rest" for rangers games

[siddiqi_drinker 14,635]

7 hours ago, KeyserSoze said:

strange but for some reason I keep thinking of Lorenzo Amoruso when I read that.....

 

Was thinking the same, that'll do me fine.

[BallochBear 1,613]

Let's be honest guys Davie Weir was never a quick player but his experience and all round ability made up for that.  He will also be a great teacher for our younger defenders.

IMO an excellent signing.

 

[Smile 26,600]

What strikes me about Alves is he has the demeanour of a player who hates losing we do not have that kind of player currently at our Club.

We need more winners and more robust players.

[BrunoAlves 132]

Good interview.

Neither one asked or answered anything about the scum.

[Bad Robot 21,128]

I think he would be a fantastic captain but maybe his little English would be the only obstacle 

[delamonty 992]

@smile Cheers for posting...  This is a great interview imho.  Actually objective!  Pointing out the big man's strength AND weaknesses.  After reading that, I have no issues with Bruno being our Captain (if that happens -- which I think and hope it will) . :-tu: