Author – Amrit Santlani
Former Arsenal and Chelsea player Willian made his breakthrough at Corinthians and, after a difficult spell at the Emirates, the Brazilian returned home for a second spell at his boyhood club in 2021, but things took a turn for the worse.
After just six months, Willian terminated his contract with his boyhood club and Fulham offered him a route back to the Premier League, which he gladly accepted. The 34-year-old now has just two months left on his current contract at Craven Cottage, but the midfielder has stated that he has no plans to return to his home country.
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In an interview with PL Brasil, Willian clarified that, unlike many footballers, he wouldn’t want to end his career in his native Brazil, citing the “inhuman pressure” from the fans.
“It’s a complicated subject because when you criticize the player on the ball, you say he didn’t do well, that happens. A player (sic) is not a machine, he will also have good and bad days. But sometimes the fans don’t accept the bad days” said the Brazilian international.
He continued: “What I see in Brazil is sometimes inhuman pressure, which leads to violence at the grassroots, threatening the family, the children… when it comes to this part, for me, things change. I have to preserve my family, it’s my most precious possession.“
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After his incredibly successful spell at Chelsea between 2013 and 2020, when Willian made 339 appearances for the Stamford Bridge outfit, including 63 goals and 62 assists, the veteran moved to Arsenal on a free transfer and signed a lucrative three-year contract with the Gunners.
The Brazilian only managed to score one goal during his time at the Emirates, providing seven assists, but he himself described his time in north London as “the worst time he’s had as a professional”. He managed to make just 37 appearances in all competitions in a very underwhelming period.
Just a year after joining Arsenal, Willian terminated his contract with the club by mutual consent and joined his boyhood club, Corinthians, for a second spell, but little did he know that things would only get worse.
The Brazilian claimed to have received threats, many of which were directed at his family. After his tumultuous time at Corinthians, he again terminated his contract in August 2022 and decided to return to Europe, where he remains and hopes to end his playing days far from his home country.
“I don’t want to go back to Brazil ever again. I’ve had this thought since before Corinthians. I ended up going back to the club where I started, because Corinthians and I wanted to! But I was already thinking of staying in Europe until the end“, said Willian.
“And now I intend to finish here, whether in Europe, the United States or elsewhere. If it could be in England, that would be perfect. I intend to play for another four or five years. But you never know, because soccer changes a lot” he concluded.
Since joining Fulham, the veteran has contributed 3 goals and 4 assists for the club in 26 appearances in the Premier League and FA Cup. Willian would certainly love to stay at Craven Cottage in the presence of Brazilians Andreas Pereira and Carlos Vinícius. The club is currently in tenth place in the Premier League, with 45 points from 34 games.