On January 20, 2020, Reinier discovered a new world. That day, the young Brazilian, aged 18 at the time, signed a six-year contract for the Merengues. After Vinicius Jr in 2017 then Rodrygo in 2019, the Merengues talent scout, Juni Calafat, was convinced by this great hope from Flamengo. His club had also followed him and had bet 40 million euros on the native of Brasilia. In the middle of his dream, Reinier was ready to conquer Spain and Europe with Casa Blanca. But initially, the residents of the Santiago-Bernabéu stadium felt that it was better to send him with Castilla so that he could adapt. The idea was that he would then evolve with the professional group.
Which never happened in the end. Reinier has not played a single match in four years with the Merengues. Looking back, the player believes he should have prepared better for Europe. “The first thing I would say to young Reinier is to learn languages. I always tell myself that it was the most important thing, it was very difficult for me the first six months there (in Germany in Dortmund). When I was seven or eight, I should have studied other languages, it would have changed everything”he confided to Relevo. Despite everything, he keeps some memories of his short experience in the Spanish capital, where he had 3 matches with Castilla.
Difficult times
“I don’t remember much because it was all so fast. I remember my third match, I was already calm there. During the first two, I didn’t know how to speak (Spanish, editor’s note), I didn’t know how to do anything. I was a bit scared. But people treated me very well, as did Raúl. After the second match, which we lost, the third I played very well, I scored two goals and that’s the memory I have, everything was very fast and then the pandemic arrived. Stopped in full swing, he was unable to adapt as planned. To help him, the Madrilenians sent him on loan to Dortmund, where he remained on loan for two years. Then he joined Girona and finally Frosinone this season. He scored 2 goals and gave 2 assists in 14 games (10 starts).
There, he seems to be smiling again, having not really been happy during his previous loans. Which could have affected him mentally. “Being alone during my first year in Germany was very difficult. I didn’t have much to do there and after the match, when I wasn’t playing, I was going crazy, I didn’t know what to do. I called my parents, my friends too, I had nothing to do and I had to stay there for another year. It was very difficult, but it’s my job and I knew I had to experience that.” In addition to his mind, he also had to deal with a body that sometimes betrayed him. “I didn’t know what else to do. I had physio, I had everything. I slept well, I ate well, I had a cook… I had everything, a fitness trainer, I didn’t know what was happening.”
Reinier wants to stay in Europe for now
He pursues : “the first injury happened, the second, the third too. Thank God I was healed. But I didn’t know what to do, I tried to talk to my family, watch movies… I had nothing to do. He treated me in the morning, in the afternoon and then I had nothing else to do and it was difficult. After the first and second injury, you go crazy and don’t know what to do. I’m calmer here, I have my physiotherapist and I’m fine, people treat me well. He was also able to count on his family during his blues. “I always had my family. I moved closer to her. I wasn’t playing, but my head was focused on working to silence everyone who says stupid things, because my family, Frosinone and I believe in my potential and my football. I’m very confident, I have a clear mind and I think I’m doing my best.”
Some at Real Madrid, like Juni Calafat, Vini Jr and Rodrygo, are also hearing from him. Despite difficult times and missing the country, the player continued to move forward. “It’s a complicated situation. If I tell you I haven’t thought about it, it’s a lie. Of course I thought about it, because being in my country for six months or a year, with my family nearby, where I grew up… imagine coming back to Flamengo, sometimes I watch the matches on TV, the Maracaná full , the fans are singing, it’s hard not to think about coming back. I want to play, I don’t know if it will be in Brazil or elsewhere, but I want to play. I always tell my father that things are difficult but that I have to be calm and live in the moment and I think that for the moment I have to play in Europe. And it is in Italy that Reinier regains his colors, he who still has 2 years of contract in Madrid. Until then, a lot can still happen for him.
