Brazil striker Luis Fabiano is playing in the World Cup to win a title for his late grandfather.
The Sevilla forward known for his razor-sharp finishing ability and sometimes hot temper turned emotional when asked about his motivation going into the tournament in South Africa. Luis Fabiano was raised by his grandfather Benedito, and said that if Brazil wins the trophy he will dedicate it to the man who helped him become a professional footballer.
``I would like to win this to honor him,'' the 29-year-old player said. ``Unfortunately he has passed away, but the title would be for him.''
Luis Fabiano said that since he was young his grandfather would walk around with newspaper clippings about him in his pocket, bragging about him to everybody.
``He was my biggest fan and an idol to me,'' the striker said. ``I think about him in all my victories.''
Luis Fabiano is expected to play a large role in Brazil's bid for a sixth World Cup title, having scored five goals in helping the team win the Confederations Cup last year. Before that tournament, the striker pledged to score a goal per game - and lived up to his promise.
He's not making any brash predictions this time, but made it no secret that he hopes to contend for the scoring title.
``The striker is there to score goals and in a World Cup every goal usually is decisive,'' he said. ``I want to help Brazil win the World Cup and I will try to score as many goals as possible.''
For a while, however, he worried he may not be able to play at all. He hurt a muscle while playing for Sevilla in May and feared the injury could jeopardize his presence in South Africa.
``I didn't know how serious it was,'' Luis Fabiano said. ``It wasn't until I had the exams and showed them to the Brazilian doctors that I felt relieved. They said there would be enough time for me to recover before the World Cup.''
The left thigh injury kept Fabiano from playing with Sevilla in the Copa del Rey final, but he went into intensive treatment after reporting to the Brazilian national team on May 21. He still is undergoing treatment but has been practicing normally and will likely play in Brazil's friendly at Zimbabwe on Wednesday.
``I'll be a bit cautious in the friendly, but I'll be ready,'' he said.
Besides injuries keeping him off the field, the striker has also been known to earn too many red cards because of his hot temper. He said that's a thing of the past, however, as he has matured with age.
``I didn't accept losing and didn't like getting hit too much on the field,'' the striker said. ``Now I can control myself. I'm not a kid anymore. Time does that to you. I'm a different Luis Fabiano now.''
