Birthday boy of the month 2: Emerson turns 50

Without hesitating for long, Emerson made the move to Europe in 1997 and joined Bayer. In his first year, things were so up-and-down for him that coach Christoph Daum asked him in a team meeting whether he, Christoph Daum, had seen Emma's twin brother while scouting in Brazil and when would he let his brother come to Europe, because he needed him for his team.

the midfield maestro

After tearing a muscle in December 1997, he was out for several weeks, but then he finally took off. From the Rückrunde in 1997/98 season, Emma impressed for the next two and a half years with his long sprints through midfield, his strength in duels and his long passes. In 108 matches, he scored 15 goals for us. In the 1999/2000 season, Bayer 04 were on the verge of a major breakthrough, but Emerson and his colleagues failed due to their own nerves in Unterhaching.

His national team career also began during his time in Leverkusen. He played a total of 73 games for the Selecao, in which he scored six goals. In 1998, as a young player, he was in the Brazil national team squad for the World Cup in France. His call-up was initially met with astonishment and even criticism. Shortly before the tournament, superstar Romário had to be replaced and many expected an established name - not the young, still inexperienced Emerson. But coach Zagallo put his trust in his versatility.

After the season with the Unterhaching drama, Emma moved to AS Roma in Italy in 2000. In the Eternal City, Emerson quickly developed into a central midfielder and the favourite of coach Fabio Capello. He took on managerial responsibility and played a key role in ending a long period without a title for the club. He became Italian champion with the Romans in 2001 and stayed until 2004.

world cup exit 2002 due to fun in goal

These four years in the Italian capital also saw his worst sporting experience. At the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, he was supposed to lead the Selecao through the tournament as captain, but shortly before the start of the World Cup, he was seriously injured during a training session in Asia. During the final training session before the first group game against Turkey, Emma was in goal for fun. He makes a save and suffers a serious injury to his collarbone. The result is bitter - Emerson misses the entire World Cup and can only watch his country win the title from the sidelines.

For the 2004/05 season, the now 28-year-old followed his coach Fabio Capello to Juventus - although he actually fancied a move to Real Madrid. While Emerson was in Germany for the 2006 World Cup, his club Juventus was relegated to Serie B as a result of the match fixing scandal. Emma leaves Turin together with coach Capello and moves to Real Madrid.

However, the World Cup was not the success he hoped for. He not only wanted to defend the title with Brazil, but also actively participate in the World Cup himself this time. He was able to play, but the great triumph failed to materialise as Brazil were eliminated from the tournament surprisingly early.

move to real

His move to Spain after the World Cup brought him the La Liga title in 2007, but he did not play his usual role in the Real team. After one year, he decided to return to Serie A. He joined AC Milan, but does not become a regular in two years. On 21 April 2009, Emerson terminated his contract in Milan for personal reasons and returned to Brazil. There he played for FC Santos. Just a few months later, in October 2009, Emerson ended his playing career and left the football stage for good.

Dear Emma, I wish you all the best for your 50th birthday. Stay healthy and have a good one!