Have you tried a Shopska? If you live in Brazil, you’ve hardly ever heard of this name on any restaurant menu. Striker Rick, however, is an expert on the subject, though. The Brazilian plays for Ludogorets, from Bulgaria, a country where this salad is one of the best known among the Bulgarian people. Close to completing a year at the club where he has already won two titles (Bulgarian Cup and League), Rick managed to adapt quickly, not just to football, but to the local routine.
“I thought the adaptation phase was very easy, because there were Brazilians playing here, they received me very well, and this reflected positively on and off the field”, he said. In addition to Shopska (a mix of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and peppers, topped with grated syrene cheese), Brazilians also saw another type of crowd.
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Rick started at the younger cathegories of Ceará and stood out in the Vozão professionals, so he got used to the heat of thousands of fans, who pushed the squad during the 90 minutes, a little different from what happens in Bulgaria.
“At first, I found the fan’s calmer attitude strange at game time. Then we end up getting used to it, they always support us, and at the end of the day, that’s what matters and always motivates us,” he commented.
Rick is in the final stages of recovery from knee surgery after tearing ligaments in training in January of this year. The Brazilian already works with the ball at the academy and is expected to return in the club’s preseason in mid-July. For the Bulgarian team he made 45 appearances, with 5 goals and 5 assists.
On the 24th of May, Ludogorets will play in the final of the Bulgarian Cup, against CSKA Sofia. In addition, Rick’s team is still leading the League’s playoffs with 38 points.
