‘Leverkusen was the best time of my career’

Paulo Roberto Rink wore the Werkself shirt for four years. The German-Brazilian, whose great grandfather emigrated to Brazil from Heidelberg in 1904, was twice a runner-up with Bayer 04 and he made a total of 120 appearances for the Black and Reds from 1997 to 2001. He was in the Germany squad at Euro 2000 in the Netherlands and Belgium. Paulo Rink celebrates his 50th birthday today. Bayer 04 wish our former striker many happy returns and we have taken the opportunity to talk to him about his second career as a politician and his memories of his time in Leverkusen.

Paulo, how are you?

Rink: Very well, thank you. I’m at my holiday home on Ilha do Mel, an island some 200 kilometres east of Curitiba, my hometown in Brazil. When I sit on the terrace I can look at the sea and the beach isn’t far away. It’s good living here.

Will you celebrate your 50^th birthday there on Tuesday?

Rink: Yes, with my family and my parents will be here too. We’ll have a small party. My sons Gustavo and Guilherme will be there with their girlfriends.

What work are you doing these days?

Rink: I’ve got a farm where I mainly do forestry and wood management. I also have around 400 cows. I was involved in politics up to 2020 and I was an MP and councillor in the local parliament in Curitiba, my birthplace and hometown. I’m not involved in football at all at the moment. I want to have a quieter life and I’m enjoying my time with my family. My sons Gustavo and Guilherme are now 25 and 21 – both were born in Leverkusen – and they like coming over for meals with their girlfriends. We do a lot together and we go away with them from time to time. I didn’t have enough time for that in past where I was so busy with all the years of work.

Why did you go into politics?

Rink: Probably for the same reasons as most who do it: I wanted to cause a stir, make changes and help shape things.

What areas were you involved in as a local politician?

Rink: I worked on several committees over two legislative periods from 2012 and that included being chair of the finance committee for Curitiba. It’s the capital of the southern Brazilian state of Paraná. Curitiba has a population of around two million. I also worked in town planning. One project very close to my heart was the modernisation and reducing the price of local public transport. But, of course, you don’t always make yourself popular with every measure. For example, I ensured that work accounts for the council employees were introduced. Everybody had to clock in with a fingerprint at the start of work and sign off in the same way when they left their work station. That transparency, which led to greater efficiency, didn’t please everybody as you can imagine.

You are very involved in community affairs including as an ambassador for a project that raises donations for a children’s hospital.

Rink: Yes, it was under the patronage of Pelé, who unfortunately died at the end of last year. A number of former players are involved. And it’s great if you can help out with your reputation and a bit of commitment. One time we ran a campaign for donations for an x-ray machine that is used to take over 8,000 x-rays a year. It’s a great feeling that makes me proud.

Let’s look back at your time at Bayer 04: You joined Leverkusen in 1997 together with your fellow countryman Emerson. But you weren’t a typical Brazilian magician with the ball…

Rink: That’s right. I always came through with my determination, my dynamism and my strength. I wasn’t technically gifted like Zé Roberto or Bernd Schneider who they called the ‘White Brazilian’. I wasn’t that fast either like Olli Neuville and definitely not a complete footballer like Michael Ballack. If I think back to my first time at Leverkusen it wasn’t that easy for me at the start. I’d always been a first choice in Brazil but I was often on the bench at Bayer 04 early on. I had a bit of tension with the coach Christoph Daum back then. But I have to admit I wasn’t that easy to get on with.

In what sense?

Rink: I was extremely ambitious in training and I put in a great effort. Perhaps I was too keen and wanted too much too quickly. And then I was mostly just brought on for a few minutes. When I could speak decent German after six months it went better on the pitch too. Our first son had been born by then and I often talked to Christoph Daum, who I still have great respect for today.

What are your best memories of your time at Bayer 04?

Rink: The first that comes to mind is the fans. The stadium was almost always sold out and the atmosphere was fantastic. I really liked playing at the BayArena. A full house every time. But I also enjoyed the atmosphere away from home. I’ll never forget our 9-1 win in Ulm. When Ulm scored their consolation goal in the last minute they received a great reception from their fans. I thought that was outstanding. I always needed that energy from the stands. I never liked football in front of half empty grounds like it often is here in Brazil.

You took up German nationality in 1998 and you made your debut with Germany against Malta under Berti Vogts. That made you the first Brazilian in a Germany team. What did your family and your Brazilian friends think about that back then?

Rink: I got the call from Berti Vogts after the disappointing World Cup for Germany in France. He invited me to lunch and he said he wanted me in the national team. I called my father in Brazil and asked him for his opinion. He said to me: ‘My lad, this coach has shown you respect and given you a chance. Take it. You’re not a traitor if you play for Germany. On the contrary, you can be proud of it.‘ So, I said yes to Berti the next day. And that decision really changed my life in Brazil. I’ve never been met with hostility because of that but instead I’ve been seen as the ‘Alemão’, ‘the German’ since then. And my friends respected that immediately. Germany have a very good reputation in Germany. The only worry my friends had: ‘What do you do if you play for Germany against Brazil?’ I answered: ‘Score a goal hopefully.’ (He laughs) Unfortunately, we lost 4-0 to the Selecao in the Confederations Cup in 1999. I had to take a lot of stick but I was only on the bench.

You went out on loan to FC Santos for six months in the summer of 1999. Then you came back and had possibly your best six months at Bayer 04, and scored ten goals in 16 games including two headers in the 3-1 win against Borussia Dortmund. However, there was no happy ending but instead the trauma at Unterhaching…

Rink: Yes, we felt like champions of Germany for a few minutes and then came the own goal from Michael Ballack. Nevertheless: That six months at the start of the new millennium was a great time at Leverkusen. Probably the best time of my career. We had a sensational team and I really believed we’d win the title. I was fit, full of confidence, I could speak German well by then and communicate with everybody. I would have liked to make history with Bayer 04. I still feel sad today if I think about Unterhaching.

There was another disappointment for you at the following Euros in Netherlands and Belgium although you were the only player allowed to appear in all three group matches – or perhaps had to if you like…

Rink: (He laughs) Yes, it was a messed up European Championships from the start. There was no team spirit, some players had a problem with the coach Erich Ribbeck and one player from the team had bought his tickets for a holiday ahead of the last group match against Portugal, which we had to win, because he didn’t believe we could win. That made me incredibly angry. There was no team spirit. Unfortunately, I was in the national side at the wrong time.

At the World Cup in Brazil 14 years later you were at the legendary semi-final in Belo Horizonte between Brazil and Germany in the stands ina Germany shirt. Did you really say: “I felt really great when Germany won”?

Rink: Yes, that’s right. I was part of the local organising committee at the venue of Curitiba at the World Cup and I also helped out the DFB from time to time. I visited the Germany squad at their training camp and I went to nearly every Germany game. I had one special experience the day before the semi-final when I met the Brazil national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari at the airport. He asked me: ‘Alemao, what do you think the result will be tomorrow?’ I answered: ‘I think Germany will win. But I can give you a tip. Play a bit more defensively like the French in the 1-0 defeat to Germany in the quarter-finals and rely on counter-attacks.’ But he said: ‘No, we have to put on the pressure from the start in front of our fans.’ The result is well known. Brazil were mercilessly hit on the break and Germany scored seven goals. Scolari is now the coach at Athletico Paranaense, my hometown club in Curitiba. We recently met up for a meal and discussed 2014 again. ‘Yes,’ said Scolari to me, ‘you were right back then, Paulo.’.

You keep coming back to Germany and you’ve played for the Bayer 04 Veterans when you’ve been over.

Rink: Yes, whenever I’m in Germany I try to get to a game at the BayArena. And if there’s time I like to play for the Veterans team. Unfortunately, there haven’t been so many opportunities over the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. But I’m still in contact with Dirk Dreher, as well as Peter Lehnhoff and Simon Rolfes. I often speak to Olli Neuville, Michael Ballack, Calle Ramelow, Bernd Schneider and Ulf Kirsten on the phone. Yes, I still feel very attached to Bayer 04 and I’ll always be grateful for having been able to play football here.

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Born: 21.2.1973 in Curitiba

At Bayer 04 from: 1997 – 2001

Appearances for Bayer 04: 120 games, 35 goals (Bundesliga: 88 games, 29 goals)

International appearances: 1998 – 2000, 13 internationals for Germany

Other clubs as a player: FC Nürnberg, Energie Cottbus, Olympiakos Nicosia, Vitesse Arnhem, Hyundai Motors (South Korea), Omonia Nicosia, ended career at Athletico Paranaense in Brazil.