Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos returned to football in an unlikely setting on Friday afternoon, turning out for a local pub team.
Having shared the pitch with Ronaldo Nazario, Raul Gonzalez, Zinedine Zidane and Iker Casillas in his career, local players for ‘Bull In The Barne’ had the pleasure of being his teammates for one match only.
After entering into an eBay promotional competition, where teams could be part of a raffle and win a ‘dream transfer’ for a match, the Shropshire side were lucky enough to pull a former galactico out of the hat. The campaign itself was a partnership with charity Football Beyond Borders, which seeks to use football as a tool for the education and social inclusion of young people.
This is Roberto Carlos videocalling Sergio Ramos in a Shropshire pub. Absolute gold. pic.twitter.com/K2xP3HmQ1k
— Alan Feehely (@azulfeehely) March 4, 2022
According to the BBC, Carlos was only on the pitch for a short run out. He did what he could to exhibit some of the famous samba flair in midfield, although he was bogged down by soggy pitch.
Renowned for his set-pieces, he did step up to roll a penalty into the corner. Ultimately, Bull In The Barne lost 4-3 in probably the most enjoyable defeat in their history.
Roberto Carlos was not whisked off by team of suits afterwards however. After the match he joined the team in the pub for a pint, where Chris Kamara was also spotted. One of the characters of 21st century football, he then facetimed another of iconic figure in Sergio Ramos while at the pub – much to the hilarity of the rest of the establishment.
