His arrival in Russian football had the effect of a bomb exploding. 60 million euros - no Russian club has ever paid so much for a player. A sea of ​​angry comments on the Internet accusing the well-known company of wasting “people’s money”, hundreds of materials about the advisability of purchasing a football player for such an amount, stories on TV, disputes on blogs.

Transfer Hulk really caused a huge stir. But few could have imagined that the arrival of the Brazilian would be an impetus that would create a tsunami within the club itself. Thus, unable to restrain the impulse of a heightened sense of justice, the key supporter Denisov after a while he moved to Anzhi, and Kerzhakov was temporarily transferred to the reserve team. Very tense relations have developed between Russian players and Zenit legionnaires. Nobody hides the fact that the team then split into two camps, and the reason for this was the difference in the salaries of the players.

Question of the day. How can Zenit live without the Hulk?

Hulk may leave Zenit for a Chinese club. How will St. Petersburg residents cope with this loss? We discuss it in the “Question of the Day” section.

Luciano Spalletti He tried his best to smooth out the rough edges, declaring that he came to play football, and not to make money. The footballer himself remained silent for a long time. After an unsuccessful debut in the match with Terek (0:2), he realized that in a difficult period for the team he had to take charge of the game.

Already in the next meeting against Krylia Sovetov, the Brazilian scored with a magnificent shot under the crossbar, bringing the blue-white-blues a draw.

Six months later he showed his temper. 10 minutes before the end of the game with Milan in the Champions League, Spalletti sent his main star to the bench, which caused an outburst of indignation among the footballer. didn’t shake the coach’s hand, and under the San Siro visor he swore and waved his arms so hard that it seemed like he was about to turn green and his swollen muscles would tear his Zenit T-shirt.

“I have settled in well in St. Petersburg, my family feels great in this city. But if conflict situation with Spalletti will not be resolved, I can leave Zenit in January. Am I ready to consider offers from Italy? I don't know yet. Anything is possible,” he said after that match.

“I didn’t like the way he played,” Spalletti retorted. “In this situation, you should only be angry with yourself.”

This episode became one of the turning points in the Hulk's Russian career. Realizing that even in a cold, distant country he had to work hard to get a place in the starting lineup, he apologized to the coach, admitted he was wrong, took the bull by the horns and began to show what everyone had long expected from him.

He was the brightest player in the championship. He rushed around the field like crazy, beat two or three opponents at a time, and attacked the goal from crazy distances. But this was of little use to the team. Spalletti failed to integrate the newcomer into the team game. Having sacrificed the game discipline and coherence of the players of the “pre-Khalkov” period, Luciano received at his disposal one bright individual who played when he should have passed the ball, passed when everyone was waiting for a shot on goal, and hit the goal when it was worth improving the position. Spalletti failed to fit the Hulk into the Italian system. Most often, the Brazilian took the ball and dragged it towards the opponent’s goal, lost it five times, and on the sixth produced a masterpiece and brought a result.


Who and how much? The main transfers in Europe and the Russian Premier League over the past week

Morata, Wanyama, Alves, Ionov, Dudiev and other football players who changed clubs in Europe and Russia.

It was possible to change the situation Andre Villas-Boaso. How the Portuguese managed to adapt the Hulk to team play is a question that only he himself can answer. We'll just sum it up. Under Andre, Givanildo began to play more for his partners, allowing Dzyube take part in the scorers race, became the best player in the championship in the “goal+pass” system, surpassing the achievement Dmitry Loskov, helped Zenit reach the playoffs of the Champions League. However, the title of Russian champions fled from the hands of the St. Petersburg team, and at the 1/8 stage, Benfica tore apart Villas-Boas's charges, led by Hulk, who had already sharpened his skis for China.

Despite his brilliant play, thanks to which, in the eyes of millions of fans, he became the best Zenit player since Arshavin, and perhaps the best foreign player in the history of the RFPL, was never able to win anything truly serious with the St. Petersburg team. It is unlikely that he went to Zenit for the sake of one championship and several cups. The blue-white-blues did not shine in Europe; in their native lands they were one of the flagships, but not a trophy-winning machine.

I was just playing for fun. He flexed his muscles in front of the stands after scoring goals, and was sincerely indignant when the game didn’t go well. Argued with the judges, received optional cards, pushed aside opponents, starred in commercials and, of course, scored. This is probably how we will remember him. An incredibly talented mood player who, despite all his regalia and status, just wanted to play football. Of course, money isn't worth it to him. last place. He probably could have played in almost any top club in Europe. But I chose China.

Now Hulk is facing a new period in his career. All we can do is say goodbye to him and once again review the compilation of his best goals for Zenit...



Comic book fans have long debated whether or not he is the most powerful character in the Marvel universe. Let's leave this question unanswered. But one thing can be said with confidence: Zenitovsky was the strongest foreign player of the St. Petersburg club in its history and, of course, deserved his honorable place in the history of Zenit.

The incredible Hulk (The Incredible Hulk) appeared in comics in 1962, and since then his story has managed to throw many surprises at readers. He grew smarter, dumber, changed color, became a gangster, took control of Bruce Banner, or came under his control, defended the Microverse, fought with internal demons, managed to become a gladiator, king and conqueror, but for most readers he remains the embodiment of strength and rage .

Bruce Banner was born into the family of the feisty, never-drying scientist Brian Banner and his wife, the kind and loving Rebecca. Brian hated his son. He was jealous that his son received more attention than him, and suspected that because of his work with radiation, his son was born a mutant. As a result, Brian killed his wife and was sent to a mental hospital, and Bruce was raised by a kind aunt. He went to college, where he began studying radiation. There he met Tony Stark (the future Iron Man) and Walter Langkowski (the future Sasquatch). He subsequently took a job at a military base under the command of General Thaddeus Ross, where Bruce began developing the gamma bomb.

While testing a gamma bomb, a young guy, Rick Jones, went to the test site. Bruce ran to remove it from the test site, instructing an employee, Igor Starsky, to hold the report. But, being a Soviet spy, Igor did not stop the countdown, hoping that Bruce would die in the explosion and the project would be frozen. Something went wrong. The bomb exploded, Bruce managed to push Rick into the ditch, but he himself received a powerful charge of gamma radiation. And that same evening he turned into the Hulk. Gray. Then the authors and artists decided that green looked cooler.

Marvel Comics

At first, Bruce turned into the Hulk at night. The Hulk was such a brawler, so Bruce in the evening hid in a cave with an armored door that the Hulk could not overcome. But over time, Bruce's body mutated in such a way that the Hulk appeared after an adrenaline surge, most often after an outburst of anger. However, it worked both ways: if he got angry, he became the Hulk, and if he got even more angry, he became Banner again. The uncertainty was only compounded by the fact that Bruce deliberately continued to expose himself to gamma radiation in order to turn into the Hulk when he needed it. True, he was not really able to control the Hulk; he was, in fact, a separate personality who despised Bruce for his weakness and craving for control.

Most of the time, the Hulk just wanted to be left alone, but he kept getting into trouble. Then the aliens will try to take over the Earth. Then supervillains from China, Russia and other potential adversary countries will attack. Then the heroes will be set against him (Ben Grimm from the Fantastic Four became the Hulk’s constant rival). It was the Hulk, becoming Loki's pawn, who became the reason for the creation of the Avengers team. He became one of the founders of the team, but left it quite quickly, since the rest of the team did not particularly trust him.

The Hulk ran into trouble with both villains and heroes; villains like the Mandarin or the Leader repeatedly tried to use him as a pawn (and later regretted it). He was chased by the army, the Avengers and the X-Men attacked him, he confronted the lords of the underworld. In one of his adventures, he shrunk and ended up in a microverse, where he fell in love (quite mutually) with Princess Jarella. She didn't live long after that. But the Hulk became a classic member of the Defenders team (The Defenders), along with Doctor Strange, Silver Surfer and Namor.

Bruce Banner and the Hulk have broken up multiple times, scientifically or magical ways managed to separate the Hulk from Bruce. But each time it ended with the fact that, deprived of Banner's moralism, the Hulk began to destroy everything around him, and Bruce had to wriggle out to reunite. One of these methods did not so much separate Bruce and the Hulk as it made the Hulk the dominant party. The Hulk stopped turning into Bruce Banner, his skin turned grey, he wised up and became a gangster.


Marvel Comics

Taking the nickname "Joe Fixit", the Hulk worked for some time for the owner of a casino. The end of his criminal career came due to the machinations of the mafia organization known as the Maggia. Shortly after this, the Hulk began to be torn apart internal conflicts- his civilized, gray side fought with the wild green essence. However, with the help of hypnosis, the mind of the Gray Hulk was combined with the power of the Green Hulk, resulting in an intelligent and strong monster. The Hulk then temporarily joined the Pantheon (Pantheon), a team of demigods.

Issues of self-control in the Hulk's life arose when he had a chance to fight Maestro - the Hulk from the future, in which he killed all the heroes and became a tyrant. After this, Bruce began to be afraid of losing control; he did not want to turn into the Maestro. Several times when Betty, his wife, was wounded, he reached his boiling point. So much so that from the smart Hulk he turned into Bruce Banner with the body of a man and the mind of a wild, stupid Hulk. The Hulk subsequently sacrificed himself during the battle with Onslaught and was reborn in a pocket universe where all the heroes were a little "different". But then everything returned to normal.

After Betty's death due to a blood transfusion from the Abomination (the Abomination replaced the Hulk's blood with his own), Bruce went crazy and tried to commit suicide. Repeatedly. Everything was unsuccessful - before his death he turned into the Hulk, and the suicide failed. Abandoning unsuccessful suicide attempts, Bruce went to live as a hermit in Alaska. However, Nick Fury tracked him down and asked him to go into space and deactivate Hydra's weapon, which could blow up everything. atomic bombs world at the same time. But the trouble is - the shuttle that was sent for the Hulk did not go back to Earth, but into the depths of space - the superhero company Illuminati decided to take this opportunity to remove the green monster away from the Earth.

The shuttle with the Hulk ended up on the planet Sakaar, passing through a wormhole, which significantly weakened the Hulk. There he was forced to become a gladiator, but gradually regained his strength and led a rebellion, as a result of which he became the new ruler of the planet. Soon after, the Hulk's shuttle exploded, killing several million of his subjects (and his pregnant wife), and an enraged Hulk traveled to Earth seeking revenge. He pretty much beat down a bunch of heroes, but in the end he was blown away and was captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. Not for long - he escaped, managed to fight the new, Red Hulk, and take part in the space battle. In one of the battles, the Red Hulk pumped all the gamma radiation out of Bruce Banner's body, turning him into a normal person. Not for long, of course - during a confrontation with the AIM organization, Bruce had to absorb an unimaginable amount of gamma radiation, and he again became the Hulk.


Marvel Comics

When the Hammers of the Worthy fell to Earth, the Hulk found one and transformed into Nul, the Breaker of Worlds (Nul, Breaker of Worlds) . He made a bit of a fuss, but didn’t have time to create any real problems - Thor threw Nul into orbit. Landing in Romania, Nul set out to face off against Dracula. There, the Hulk overcame Nul's influence and again decided to get rid of Banner. To do this, he turned to Doctor Doom, removed a piece of his brain with Bruce’s consciousness and transplanted it into Bruce’s cloned body, not irradiated with gamma radiation. The Hulk went to live underground, and Bruce went crazy and began experimenting, trying to turn into the Hulk.

It turns out that without Banner, the Hulk gets smarter, and without the Hulk, Banner goes crazy. In the next conflict, Bruce Banner died, and his consciousness returned to the Hulk's body. At the same time, the Hulk became a dominant personality - it was not Banner who turned into him out of anger, but he who turned into Bruce when he calmed down. The Hulk helped the Avengers in the confrontation with the X-Men and began to help S.H.I.E.L.D., both as the Hulk and as a genius inventor.

Bruce Banner was seriously injured when he was shot by an organization that believed his future existence would harm space and time. Tony Stark cured him with the Extremis virus. After which the Hulk became incredibly smart, began to call himself "Doc Green", and decided to rid the world of gamma-mutated creatures like himself. He developed a serum and set out to deprive allies and enemies of gamma powers, but in the end he realized that this way he could turn into a Maestro, and gave up on this idea. Subsequently, he had to absorb excess radiation from the reactor that began to malfunction, and he was in danger of exploding. Excess radiation (and the Hulk's personality) was pumped out of Bruce and pumped into himself young genius Amadeus Cho, thus giving readers an Asian Hulk.

In the latest comics, a young Inhuman has appeared, capable of seeing the future. Carol Danvers set out to fix the future by arresting criminals before they break the law. Another vision showed the Hulk killing superheroes. Carol and the whole team went to Banner's house, and while Bruce tried to explain that it was a mistake, he was killed with a special arrow, which he gave to Hawkeye in case the Hulk suddenly got out of control.

Where did the Brazilian national team player go and what is his new team like? “Sport Day by Day” talks about the Chinese Championship.

Scolari, Ericsson, Magath!

We can say that Hulk finds himself in familiar tournament conditions. The local super league, like the RFPL, has sixteen teams. The top three at the end of the season qualify for the Asian Champions League, in addition, the winner of the National Cup also gets the opportunity to play in it. The two weakest teams are relegated to the Chinese FNL - League 1. If the Russian championship were still held according to the spring-autumn system, the similarity would be even stronger. It is now the height of the season in China and the first round has been completed.

The main football league of the Celestial Empire also has a limit on foreign players. Each club's entry can include no more than five foreign players, and one foreign player must represent Asia. Only four foreigners are allowed on the field at a time, so the fifth is forced to start the match on the bench.

Hulk was given a four-year contract with a salary of twenty million euros per year, that is, three times more than the Brazilian earned in St. Petersburg. Naturally, the ex-Zenit player is far from the first to be offered crazy conditions in the most populated country in the world. Huge amounts of money are now circulating in Chinese football, Super League clubs are making extremely expensive transfers, and players and coaches are being offered salaries that will be the envy of others.

The strongest team in China at the moment is Guangzhou Evergrande, which has won the last five national championships. In addition to it, after the formation of the Super League in 2004, the winners of gold medals were Shandong Luneng (three titles), Beinjing Guoan, Changchun Yatai, as well as a couple of other clubs that are no longer among the elite. In addition, Guangzhou Evergrande has won the Asian Champions League twice - in 2013 and 2015. In the first case, under the leadership of the famous Italian Marcelo Lippi, and last season under the leadership of the no less famous Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Today, the Chinese Super League employs specialists such as Scolari, Swede Sven-Jeran Eriksson (Hulk’s coach at Shanghai SIPG), Spaniard Gregorio Manzano (Shanghai Shenhua), Serbian Dragan Stojkovic (Guangzhou Fuli). In June, the former coach of the Brazilian national team, Mano Menezes, was replaced at Shandong Luneng by the legendary German Felix Magath. In addition, during the championship, Alberto Zaccheroni was fired from Beinjing Guoan, and Dan Petrescu unexpectedly terminated his contract with Jiangsu Suning a month ago and returned to Kuban. For now, the Italian and Romanian are being replaced by local “temporary workers”.

Martinez, Lavezzi, Bah!

There are also plenty of familiar names among the legionnaires. For example, Hulk’s new team includes ex-Udinese and Sunderland striker, Ghana national team player Asamoah Gyan. There, Argentinean Dario Conca, who never played in Europe, became famous for the fact that in 2011 Guangzhou Evergrande made him the highest paid football player in the world with a salary of fifteen million euros per year.

Jackson Martinez (Porto, Atlético, Colombia national team), Paulinho (Tottenham, Brazilian national team) are playing at Guangzhou Evergrande today. In Hebei China Fortune - Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli, PSG, Argentina national team), midfielder Stephane Mbia (Sevilla, Cameroon national team), Gervinho (Arsenal, Roma, Ivory Coast team), Gael Kakuta (Chelsea). Jiangsu Suning has midfielders Ramirez (Chelsea, Brazil national team), Jo (CSKA), Alex Teixeira (Shakhtar). Shanghai Shenhua has Demba Ba (Chelsea, Senegal national team), Freddy Guarin (Inter, Colombia national team), Obafemi Martins (Rubin, Inter, Wolfsburg, Nigerian national team). In Beinjing Guoan - Renato Augusto (Bayer Leverkusen, Brazilian national team), Burak Yilmaz (Galatasaray, Turkish national team). In Guangzhou Fuli - Eran Zahavi (Palermo, Israeli national team). In "Shijiazhuang Yongchang" - Matheus (Dnepr, Braga), Ruben Mikael (Porto, Portugal national team). In Changchun Yatai - Marcelo Moreno (Shakhtar, Werder, Bolivian national team). At Hangzhou Greentown - Tim Cahill (Everton, Australian national team). In "Shandong Luneng" - Ruxilei, Diego Tardelli (both - "Anji", Brazilian national team).

In general, there are more than enough big names. True, not all of them live up to expectations and investments. For example, expensive newcomers Alex Teixeira and Gervinho have not yet scored many points according to the “goal plus pass” system, and Martinez, Lavezzi and Yilmaz missed part of the championship altogether due to injuries. But Ba scored fourteen goals in sixteen matches and confidently leads the list of league scorers, proving that he did not come to China to play the fool. But the best assistant at the moment, oddly enough, is Chinese - thirty-year-old midfielder of Guangzhou Evergrande and the national team Gao Lin, who has already given seven assists. Wherein average salary local players, as they say, is not gigantic - about twenty thousand euros per month. Although they cost unreasonably high due to the limit on foreign players, transfers involving local footballers are surprising in amounts no less than transfers of foreign top players. .

Chinese businessmen and major corporations are investing huge amounts of money in the Super League and League 1. What makes them do this? Of course, at the moment there can be no talk of real income. Basically, this is an attempt to please the authorities, because football in the country is under serious control from the top. State leaders dream of one day seeing their team be the first to compete at the World Cup. Friendship with the powers that be is a necessary condition for successful business in China. In addition, this is an investment in a market that has incredible potential due to the size of the population of the Middle Kingdom. Involving millions and millions of people in football is the goal for the future.

So far, attendance is not as high as it could be, given the capacity of the stadiums and the size of the audience. So, in 2015 it averaged 22,193 viewers. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, in recent seasons, Chinese clubs have often moved from place to place and changed their names. In addition, not so long ago local football was rocked by corruption scandals; naturally, many fans became disillusioned with what was happening after that. However, now in China they are doing everything possible to make the super league look clean and attractive. Finally, the national team rarely pleases on the international stage, which would be an additional incentive for the fans. Maybe he will get to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. In her group is Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Qatar and Syria. In September, the start of qualifying: you need to get into the top two or through the “joints” from third place.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic rejected an offer from the Chinese authorities to play in the Super League in the summer, receiving a contract with a fantastic salary of more than a million euros per week. I chose Manchester United. But Hulk could not refuse the substantial offer from Shanghai SIPG. The ex-Zenit player must help the team get into the top three and compete for victory in the Asian Champions League. Shanghai SIPG have already reached the quarterfinals, while Guangzhou Evergrande sensationally dropped out in the group stage. If Hulk's new team wins the Champions League, Zenit will receive another couple of million euros for his transfer.

Hulk is a Brazilian football player, one of the twenty highest paid players in the world, the owner of the most powerful blow - he sends the ball at a speed of up to 214 km/h. Zenit colleagues remembered, in addition to his undoubted playing talent, one “trick”: the winger came out for the 2nd half, completely changed into a fresh uniform.

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Football player Hulk

Hulk has an easy-going character; it’s not a problem for the forward to give an autograph, take a selfie or answer a couple of questions. This is how journalists learned that the widely circulated news about a Brazilian receiving Japanese citizenship was nothing more than a rumor.

Childhood and youth

Givanildo Vieira de Souza, better known as the Hulk, was born in the municipal town of Campina Grande, Brazil. The parents of the future football player, Giovano and Maria, were engaged in trade before Socorro Souza - they had their own butcher shop at the local market. They also sold used cars at one time. In addition to their son, Giovano and Maria have 6 more daughters: Nayara, Jessica, Angelica, Gilvania, Corrinha and Nilda.

As the only boy in the house, Zhivanildu was forced to help his parents from early childhood in order to feed a large family. The only entertainment he had at a young age was playing football on the street or on the beach with local boys, as well as comics. The child preferred the green giant strongman Hulk to other superheroes, for which he received the nickname from his father. Since then, the athlete began to be called the Hulk.

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Hulk with dogs

IN adolescence the guy spent more time with the ball, and at the age of 12 he entered the local football school “Ze do Egito”. A year later, the young football player was already in the Serrano children's team, which plays in the 4th Brazilian division. The strong-built teenager was of interest to scouts, so at a young age Hulk changed many clubs.

After a year spent in Serrano, there was a season in the Portuguese youth club Vilanovense, then another year in the youth team of one of the most titled Brazilian teams, Sao Paulo. Interestingly, in children's and youth football, Hulk played as a defender, and occasionally as a midfielder.

Football

At the age of 16, the aspiring football player joins the Victoria club from the Brazilian city of Salvador and enters into his first professional contract with the team. But Hulk was destined to play only one game for this club. This is how the Brazilian’s sports biography begins. In 2005, the rights to the football player were bought by the Japanese club Kawasaki Frontale, which brought together a whole diaspora of Brazilian players. In Season 1, Hulk played 12 matches, scoring only once. Therefore, the Kawasaki coach decided to loan out the young athlete.

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Football player Hulk

The forward moved to another Japanese club - Consadole Sapporo, which at that time played in the country's second most important football league. At this club, the Brazilian was first used as a forward striker. As a result, having played 38 matches, Hulk scored 25 goals and took 2nd place in the championship scorers race.

In 2007, the striker again went on loan to the Japanese 2nd League club Tokyo Verdi. During the season, Hulk scores 37 goals in 42 matches and becomes the top scorer of the championship. The Tokyo Verdi team, thanks also to the Hulk, enters the main tournament of Japan (J-League) and buys out the contract of its best striker.

However, in the first division, the Brazilian managed to play only 13 games, in which he scored 7 goals. The Portuguese champion drew attention to the productive forward, and Hulk signed a long-term contract with Porto.

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Hulk in the Porto club

The forward’s debut in a blue and white T-shirt was the Portuguese Super Cup match against Sporting, which Hulk’s team lost. After this game, Porto coach Jesualdo Ferreira decided to use the Brazilian as a wing striker, which brought results. During the 4 seasons he spent with this team, Hulk played in 99 matches and scored 54 goals.

The striker became the champion of Portugal three times with Porto, won the Portuguese Cup three times, and also lifted the Portuguese Super Cup three times. And in 2011, having beaten compatriots from Braga in the Europa League final, Hulk and his team became the winner in the second most important European club tournament.

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Hulk and Neymar in the Brazilian national team

Among the player’s personal achievements during that period, the title of top scorer of the Portuguese Championship of the 2010/2011 season was highlighted. The forward was also recognized as the best player in Portugal in 2010 and 2011. This success was noticed by representatives of the management of other clubs. Porto regularly received offers to sell Hulk's transfer sheet. They talked about the interest in the Brazilian from famous European clubs Liverpool, Valencia, and Inter Milan.

The Makhachkala team Anzhi agreed to pay €80 million for the transfer, as well as pay a salary of €10 million every year under the contract. But she was refused by the player himself, since Hulk said that he would only move to a truly strong club that would fight for medals in the national championship and for European trophies. In September 2012, Hulk moved to Zenit. The St. Petersburg team paid €60 million for the player’s transfer.

The athlete played his first match for Zenit against Grozny Terek, but according to personal tradition, he again lost the debut match. Adaptation to the Russian championship was difficult. Hulk's name was regularly associated with dissatisfaction with the coach, players and the situation in the club; several times the player told the press that he would like to leave St. Petersburg.

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Anatoly Timoshchuk and Hulk at the Zenit club

Representatives of the management of London Chelsea, Istanbul Fenerbahce, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid also added fuel to the fire, who openly declared their desire to acquire a physically strong (height 180 cm, weight 85 kg) forward.

Anyone who watched the winger celebrate a successful goal could be convinced of the Hulk's power: he pulled off his T-shirt, showing off his torso and flexing his muscles for the camera. At the same time, the coaches noted that the football player did not have much love for training in the gym and preferred to work with the ball.

The athlete didn’t even tell his friends how he achieved such an impressive muscle mass. And Hulk’s mother claimed that it was all about the milk she gave her son as a child. The striker himself said that even when he was little he loved to carry weights. On top of that, according to rumors, the man has an incredible leg size of 63. Trying to knock down such a hero on the field is not a good idea.

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Hulk in the Zenit club

When Hulk adapted to the new team's playing style, he returned to his former playing form, becoming a key player for Zenit. With this team, the striker became the Russian champion in 2015 and won the Russian Super Cup of the same year. In addition, the forward was recognized as the championship's top scorer, scoring 15 goals in 28 games.

Also, the Brazilian legionnaire was included in the list of the best football players of the Russian championship three times, and in 2014 he won the “Most famous people Petersburg" in the category "Athletes". In total, Hulk played 148 matches in a Zenit jersey, in which he managed to score 77 goals.

In June 2016, for €55 million, the leader of the St. Petersburg club went to the Chinese Shanghai SIPG (Shanghai Tellays) to conquer another peak. According to press reports, the forward's salary in the new team was €20 million per year. In the 2016/2017 season, the Brazilian striker managed to score 8 goals for the club and gave 5 assists.

Hulk's best goals for Zenit

The first match for the Asian team ended in the 21st minute - Hulk suffered an ankle injury and was out of the game for 2 months. After receiving medical treatment, he secured bronze medals in the Chinese Super League for Shanghai. The following season, the club, with the help of the productive Brazilian, reached 2nd place and reached the final of the Chinese Football Association Cup for the first time.

Nevertheless, against the backdrop of his performances at Zenit, the Brazilian’s “Chinese tour” seemed to Russian fans to be a mistake. On Instagram and other social networks, fans have repeatedly turned to their idol with a request to return to Russia, because fans remember the video of the amazing goals with which the Hulk so pleased the fans.

In May 2017, Hulk was accused of attacking Guaizhou coach Yu Ming and hatred of the Chinese. The management of Shanghai SIPG did not confirm these reports, saying that such statements provoke hostility between representatives different nationalities. According to the player, it was all due to lack of knowledge of the language; people simply did not understand each other.

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Hulk in the Shanghai SIPG club

In June 2017, information appeared in the Russian media that Zenit management was studying the possibility of returning the footballer to the team. Sports director of the “blue-white-blue” Konstantin Sarsania told reporters about this. It was assumed that Hulk would return to Zenit on loan.

“As long as I play football, I will always strive to defend the Brazilian flag. Not everything depends on me, but I will definitely come to Russia – if not as a player, then certainly as a fan.”

In addition to the offer from the Russian club, the Brazilian had several other options from other European teams under consideration.

Hulk’s career in the national team is not as successful as his club career. The forward was called up to the country's main team for the first time in 2009. The debut was a friendly game against the England team. In 2013, Hulk won the Confederations Cup with the Brazilian national team. So far this is the only achievement of the striker in the national team. Also with the Olympic team, the football player won 2nd place and silver medals at the Olympic Games in London in 2012.

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Hulk in the Brazilian national team

At the disastrous home World Cup for Brazil in 2014, Hulk took part in almost all matches and became the main striker in the national team along with Neymar and Fred. At the world championship, the forward scored the only goal, but the goal was canceled due to a violation of the rules. After this World Cup, the coach of the national team stopped calling Hulk to the team.

According to polls conducted by O Globo, compatriots did not include the football player in the symbolic team that they would like to see at the World Cup in Russia. There was a place in the team for David Luiz and Thiago Silva, but not for the Hulk. So the Brazilian national team came to the tournament - without one of the brightest and most optimistic players.

Personal life

Hulk met his future wife, Iran, while playing in Japan. One day, in a store that sold goods from Brazil, a man noticed an attractive girl and left her a phone number. Iran is 8 years older than the Hulk.

On July 25, 1986, Givanildo Vieira do Sousa was born in the Brazilian town of Campina Grande. For football fans, he is better known as Hulk or, in Portuguese, Ulk. Since 2012, the Brazilian has been playing for Zenit St. Petersburg. Role: right and center forward.

Interesting facts about the Hulk:

  • in children's mini-football he was a defender;
  • when he was angry, he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, like the Incredible Hulk from the comic book;
  • I couldn’t stand Japanese judges - I constantly quarreled with them;
  • before joining Porto, he suffered from “football egoism” - he did not like to give the ball or pass;
  • I met my wife in Japan.

On the field, he can be compared to a tank: the Brazilian, compared to other players, looks more like a heavyweight boxer than a football player (Givanildou weighs 85 kg with a height of 180 cm). And his nickname, the Hulk, makes the attacker the namesake of the comic book character - a hefty green monster of incredible strength. On the one hand, this allows him (the real Hulk, not the fictional one) to literally break through the defense line, on the other hand, his technique suffers. Of course, the Zenit striker looks great among Russian football players, but he didn’t show anything special as part of the Brazilian national team at the 2014 World Cup. In principle, it could have been a disappointment for the Selecao if the entire team had not completely disappointed their fans at the home World Cup.

After the 2014 World Cup, Hulk was no longer called up to the Brazilian national team.

But Hulk has always been praised for his dribbling, excellent shots from afar, accurate passes and free kicks. One way or another, after the failure at the 2014 World Cup, the new coach of the national team, Dunga, stopped calling the player to the national team.

Hulk has played for the Brazilian national team since 2009. These were mostly friendly matches. Of the tournaments, he only managed to take part in the 2013 Confederations Cup and the last World Cup. He scored 9 goals for the national team and played 40 matches.

Where did the nickname Hulk come from? It's simple: as a child, the boy tried to imitate that same superhero. That's what the father began to call his son. Hulk, by the way, was born into a family with seven children. Six of them were girls, so Hulk had to start working early to help his parents feed the family. The family had its own butcher shop at the market, and until the age of 16, the future football player sold meat. But he thought more about football: at the age of 12, the boy entered a children's football school, and 4 years later he began his professional career at the Vitoria club.

He played only one match for the main team of his first “adult” team. And already in 2005 he moved to the Japanese Kawasaki Frontatel, where he joined Juninho, Marcus and Augusto.

After playing in Japan until 2008 and changing three teams there, Hulk ended up in the Portuguese Porto, where he spent five seasons. Having played 165 matches, the Brazilian scored 78 goals, that is, statistically he scored in every second match.

They invited Hulk to Porto after watching a video of his game. The signing of the contract took place in Japan, and the newcomer’s debut was lumpy: in his first match for the club, the blue-and-white “dragons” lost to “Sporting” 2:0.

It was at Porto that Zalk met Jesualdo Ferreiro, who coached the team. The coach practically molded the young football player anew. So much so that Hulk became Portugal's top scorer in 2010. True, before that he managed to fight with the stewards in the match with Benfica and was disqualified for 4 months. Well, whatever you name the yacht, that’s how it will sail! The Brazilian football player's favorite comic book hero was also distinguished by his intemperance and tough temperament.

In 2012, Halka moved to Zenit for 60 million euros. The football player got about 10 million, the rest of the amount went to Porto and Renistas (Uruguay). The last club owned 15% of the player's transfer. Another part of the money was given to Vittoria, as the team that raised the player.

Hulk with his wife and children

Having sponsored European, Uruguayan and Brazilian football, Zenit immediately fielded Portugal's top scorer against Terek. Alas, the Hulk is not given his debuts: the St. Petersburg team lost 2:0 to the team from Grozny.

Just a week later, on September 22, 2012, Hulk proved that it was not in vain that he receives millions of euros from Gazprom, and scored his first goal in Russia. True, that match between Zenit and Krylya Sovetov ended in a 2:2 draw.

Hulk’s chances of getting into the Brazilian national team practically disappeared when he switched to Russian football, many observers and experts believe. The Selecao coaching staff practically does not follow the Brazilians from our clubs. This will only happen if Zenit stubbornly remains in first place in the Premier League, and this will clearly be the merit of the team’s forward.

Now the big Hulk will begin to turn into a huge Hulk!

By the way, the Hulk was “used” incorrectly by the team at the World Championships, according to the same sports analysts. For example, they did not allow the forward to take a free kick, although he is good at them. But in defense, the Brazilian himself is to blame for the poor ratings: out of 12 duels, he won only three and did not make a single interception.

Today Hulk and his entire family (the football player has two children) live in St. Petersburg. Last summer there were rumors about the possible departure of the Brazilian from Zenit, but for now the football “tank” remained on the team. Before this, Hulk wanted to leave back in 2012, having quarreled with the then blue-white-blue coach Luciano Spalletti, who directly stated that the forward was not playing well. But later the Hulk apologized and admitted that he was wrong and would try to play better.

Hulk has already played 89 matches for Zenit in three seasons. He scored 44 goals, which again is approximately 1 goal per 2 games according to statistics. As a result, over the course of his entire career at the end of 2014, the Brazilian had 366 matches and 198 goals.