#7 It all began with Futsal
Trending
(Video Courtesy: Philipe Coutinho YouTube Channel)
Coutinho’s rise to footballing stardom began in the same way as many; he grew up bordering the Favela da Mangueira in Rio de Janeiro in a family that was operating with a shoestring budget.
That said, it was what was opposite where he lived which proved more iconic – a concrete football pitch. Coutinho marvelled at his older brothers playing football with their friends before taking to the pitch himself from as young as six-years-old.
He became obsessed with ‘Futsal’ – a version of the sport played on a smaller pitch, with smaller teams and a heavier ball, meaning Coutinho began developing brilliant ball control and balance from a very young age. One of his friend’s grandmothers would tell his dad to enter Coutinho into a local team and so Jose Carlos did. Vasco de Gama quickly came calling.
