Exclusive | Luis Henrique on a Brazil call-up, his breakthrough at Marseille, and harnessing the power of the Vélodrome | OneFootball

With 15 goal contributions this season for Olympique de Marseille, Luis Henrique (23) ranks amongst the most efficient Brazilian players in Europe’s top five divisions. In an exclusive interview with Get French Football News, he spoke about his recent breakthrough, a potential Brazil call-up, harnessing the power of the Vélodrome and his ambitions for the future.

After a loan spell back to Botafogo in July 2022, it looked like it would never happen for you at Marseille. Did you have the same feeling at the time?

I never had doubts like that. I always just tried to stay fully focused. I trained hard, worked hard at home and football is like that. The moment came and I was ready for it.

And did you expect such a start to the current campaign?

No, I didn’t expect it necessarily. But with Roberto De Zerbi arriving and then having a great pre-season, that gave me a lot of confidence, and then I started the season well by scoring goals; that gave me the confidence to get to the next level.

How do you explain this rise to prominence?

I think it is the confidence that Roberto has given me, with his staff and with the players that have arrived too. For example, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is always talking with me, giving me confidence and telling me to be calm when playing and at ease. That helps me a lot.

You have described your relationship with De Zerbi as a ‘father-son relationship’. How special is that relationship?

He is like that with all of his players. Everyone who has played under him will say that. He is a coach who likes to play football. He gives you confidence and is there every day with us.

You are in the top five of most decisive Brazilians in Europe’s top five divisions. What does it mean to be amongst the likes of Vinícius Junior, Raphinha, and Rodrygo?

To be among those players is important for me and for my career. I am very happy about that. I will continue to [work to] keep at the top with those players. I watch them all the time. I think they are brave players, Brazilians that are important for their clubs and so I watch them and I want to be like them too.

Can you reach their level?

I hope so. I know that I have to work hard to get there but you never know – that is football. I just want to keep doing that, and do even more: score more goals and make more assists. That is how I will get there.

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Do you have a Brazil call-up on your mind?

Of course [I am thinking about it]. I hope [to get a call-up]. It is a dream too. As I said, I have to work. When the moment comes, I have to be ready.

Back to OM, what are the objectives for the end of the season?

I think that the first objective this year was to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. We will fight to get it until the end. It is very important for Marseille, for me and my career too. It would be great for the coach too, for everyone at the club. An obligation to qualify? I think so. It is a famous club and we have to be there. It is a club that should be at the highest level.

The supporters have high expectations but that is why the club is so big – it is because of the fans. We will go after the Champions League, after the title too, if possible. We will focus on ourselves. We will try to win the league and we have to believe until the end. There is a big favourite (Paris Saint-Germain) but they have lost matches too.

OM have at times struggled to play at the Vélodrome this season with some players succumbing under the pressure. What is your experience of playing in the stadium?

It is true that it is a stadium with an intense atmosphere, the fans too have high expectations. At the start, it was hard for the players to adapt. Now, we have managed to reverse the trend. Today, they help us a lot. With the win against Olympique Lyonnais, we showed that the fans really help us and support us. The atmosphere at the end was exceptional. It is true that I managed to use this pressure in a positive way. Today, I managed to change my mentality when I step on the pitch and I use it as a strength. I’ve always wanted to make the fans proud and light up the stadium. At the moment, I am happy as I am managing to do that and I hope to continue scoring to keep making them proud, as I have done in the previous matches.

You reference that match against Lyon, which you decided with a late volleyed winner (3-2). John Textor made a joke about OM being a ‘small club’ when you joined his side, Botafogo, back in 2022. What did you make of those comments?

I know that he made these comments about OM and it wasn’t necessarily a good thing. We showed on the pitch though that we are a big club! We had a happy result. But these are the little provocations that you get in football. It’s not too important!

Ligue 1 is often a stepping stone for many players to play in other big European leagues. What are your personal ambitions?

I think that there are big leagues to play in (Get French Football News understands that Henrique is the subject of interest from the Premier League). I am with my head here at OM. I have still three years left on my contract. I love being with the club and being at a top level and that is what I’m thinking about. After that, we’ll see. I have personal dreams. I’m in the moment at Marseille and my head is here.

And your objective for the end of the season – is it to reach that 10 goals, 10 assists mark?

I want that. Maybe 15 even (laughs). We’ll work for it in any case.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle