Julio Baptista had an outstanding career. The former Brazilian star has played alongside the likes of Thierry Henry, David Beckham, Ronaldo (R9), Zidane, and more. In an exclusive interview with Gambling Zone, he sat down to talk about his time on the field, the best he’s ever played with, former clubs Arsenal and Real Madrid, and more.
Arsenal’s Line Up
Baptista’s former club Arsenal have been busy this summer, and with the signings of Rice and Havertz now complete, Mikel Arteta has an embarrassment of riches to choose from in terms of midfield and attack.
Baptista believes Arteta will need to be able to mix things up this season to go one step further than last season. When asked about formations, he said, “I like 4-3-3 a lot for Arsenal with Rice and Havertz, but maybe it depends on the game, and sometimes you may need to be stronger in midfield with a 4-2-3-1. However, it depends, for instance, if you have good defenders, you can maybe play three centre-backs in a 3-4-3, which I also like a lot.”
He thinks that with Arteta at the helm of the young squad and the additions of Havertz, Rice, and Timber, that times have changed at Arsenal and that they have what it takes to win the league this season. Baptista commented. “I think with Rice and Havertz, Arsenal can go one step further and win the title. I think the team was only missing small parts last season. When you’re in first position for so long but lose in the final games, you’re missing a certain something. They failed where you can’t fail.”
Rice and Havertz will take Arsenal further
Potential Signings For Arsenal
While Arsenal have already had an excellent transfer window, it hasn’t stopped speculation about other players joining. Several names are being linked away with moves from their current clubs, and we floated some past Baptista.
Firstly, former Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has been linked with a move away from the club, with West Ham and Chelsea as potential suitors. When asked whether Arsenal would be a fit for the England star, Baptista said, “Arsenal play high, so I think that the centre-backs need to be tall, but also very quick because they play high, and when you are that high, you need to be fast to recover when the ball goes over the top, and teams are running in-behind you. He’s an incredible player, but I don’t think he has the pace Arsenal need.”
The club was linked with a shock move for Killian Mbappe, but Baptista believes his PSG team-mate Neymar could be an excellent signing. “For Neymar, Arsenal would be an incredible move because he needs a change in his life. He’s given his all for PSG, but maybe they don’t give him what he needs. He needs something different. Players need to be happy. I haven’t spoken to him in a long time, but a move would be the best thing for his career.”
He also believes that Neymar could link up with fellow Brazilian Martinelli to make Arsenal even more dangerous. “Gabriel Martinelli is an incredible player, and he had an amazing season, but I think Neymar could play with him. When you have good players, you try to find the space in the team for all of them, but for sure, Neymar is the kind of player you need to work around. You can put Neymar on the left wing, in the middle or behind the striker.”
Brazilian Stars
Neymar and Martinelli were not the only Brazilian stars to come up in our interview with Julio Baptista. Liverpool star Fabinho is the latest in a long line of players to be linked with a move to Saudi Arabia this summer, and Baptista questioned whether it would be the right move for him. “It’s a tough decision because you never know your best moment to leave. The salary is amazing, but the player has to balance that with what he wants. Does he want money or continue to strive for more in his career?” He would then reveal that he received offers from Qatar himself, but always wanted to put his career ahead of money.
He compared Fabinho’s potential move to Saudi Arabia with fellow Brazilian Oscar’s move to Shanghai Port in 2017. He said players should focus on building their careers, and that while the big money can be tempting, it is not always the best move.
Despite producing some amazing talent, Brazil will go into the 2026 World Cup without lifting the trophy for 24 years. However, Baptista believes that Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti could be the man to get the job “Carlo Ancelotti is the best coach in the world. I think he has the ingredients to help Brazil win the World Cup, but it depends on the situation at the time, the players he’ll have, but he’s an incredible coach.”
Questions around Fabinho's Saudi move
His Own Career
Of course, we also found the time to chat with Baptista about his own incredible career. The Brazilian played for Arsenal, Roma, Real Madrid, and others, rubbing shoulders with some of the best the game has ever produced. When asked who the best he played with was, Baptista singled out former Real Madrid and France star, Zinedine Zidane, saying “I played with amazing players, but the one who showed me the most in games and training was Zinedine Zidane, he was incredible.”
It was in the Premier League where he encountered his toughest opponent, though, picking former Chelsea captain John Terry. “Terry was so strong. He was aggressive and always attacked the ball. He was smart too, and he could play.”
Speaking of former England captains, Baptista also spoke extremely highly of David Beckham. He described the former Real Madrid and Man United star as an elite player, saying, “ David Beckham was top-level, as a person and a footballer. He did the simple things so well. I’ve played with the best in the world, and I tell my players now the bigger the player, the more simple they are.”
Finally, as someone who has shared a pitch with both of them, we asked Baptista to weigh in on the Ronaldo vs Messi debate. He remained neutral though, saying, “If you had Messi without Ronaldo or Ronaldo without Messi, you would be missing something. I think it’s been an amazing era, they are both better because of each other. The competition between both has made both of them want more.”
You can read more about what Baptista had to say, including his comments on R9, Harry Kane, and Arsene Wenger, by reading our exclusive interview here at Gambling Zone.
