Carlos Eduardo: "My absolute favourite club" | OneFootball

Carlos Eduardo was one of TSG Hoffenheim's first stars and a defining player in the team that gained promotion to the Bundesliga in 2008 and subsequently thrilled the fans. Now, the former international is returning to the Kraichgau for the anniversary matchday against SV Werder Bremen (Sunday at 17:30 CEST / Live Ticker at tsg-hoffenheim.de). In an interview, the 37-year-old spoke about TSG's reputation in Brazil, his time in the Kraichgau and his feelings when he came to Hoffenheim for the first time – and realised that he had moved to a metropolitan region rather than a metropolis.

Carlos, you visited the Barra FC training camp last year and also met TSG Hoffenheim staff. Now you're back in Hoffenheim for the anniversary matchday. What has it been like to get back in touch with your former club and wear the club colours?

"I've been really delighted. Hoffenheim is my absolute favourite club. I experienced incredible things with TSG and still associate a very positive energy with these colours. To now see this shirt again, with so many Brazilian children wearing it, has given me great joy and brought back many memories."

What do you think about TSG's involvement with Barra FC in Brazil?

"It's a really nice cooperation, which did of course surprise me at the beginning. It is something special to suddenly encounter TSG in my home country after so many years. It has been a lot of fun for me and the Hoffenheim staff had a cool vibe. I think we should repeat this and do it regularly. Congratulations to both clubs, something is happening there."

How is Barra FC's cooperation with TSG perceived in Brazil?

"I received a lot of nice and positive comments afterwards. TSG Hoffenheim are very highly regarded here in Brazil. Perhaps also a bit because of Luiz Gustavo and me, we did help to shape Hoffenheim's early days in professional football a bit; but also because of Roberto Firmino, the successes in the Bundesliga and the qualification for the Champions League. People know and like TSG. They appreciate the fact that they are actively promoting Barra FC – and therefore also young people."

You played in Hoffenheim from 2007 to 2010, were promoted with TSG and scored 13 goals in 58 Bundesliga appearances. Do you often think about your time in Hoffenheim?

"Definitely. It was a very special time in my career and I have wonderful memories of it. I learned to be a professional at TSG. The club helped me to grow as an athlete – and as a person too. I'm proud that many fans still consider me to be one of the best TSG players in the club's history."

How did the move to TSG come about back then?

"It was my decision to leave Brazil and go to Germany. The TSG project convinced me at the time, I liked the club's ambitions and had the feeling that it would be the right next step in my development. TSG also really coveted me and showed me that they absolutely wanted me and believed in me."

However, the early days were not entirely unproblematic. It is often said that you did not know prior to your transfer to TSG that Hoffenheim was a small village and that you thought you were moving to a German metropolis – and not to a metropolitan region. What were your thoughts when you drove through Hoffenheim for the first time?

"I was a little shocked at first (laughs). I had lived in Porto Alegre beforehand, a big city in Brazil with almost three million inhabitants. But I grew accustomed to Hoffenheim and the village life very quickly and took it to my heart. In addition, we had a great team in which I felt very comfortable and we achieved a lot together, that helped a lot. It was a great time."