Gerson joins Cruzeiro: praises project, versatility and trophy ambition

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·13 January 2026

Gerson joins Cruzeiro: praises project, versatility and trophy ambition

Midfielder Gerson was officially presented by Cruzeiro this Tuesday (13), during a press conference held at Toca da Raposa. In his first appearance as a player for the club, the athlete spoke about leaving Zenit, the weight of the sports project presented by the club’s management, the greatness of the club, his relationship with coach Tite, his versatility on the field, and his goals for the future, including the dream of playing in a World Cup.

Right at the start, Gerson made a point of thanking Zenit and explained the reasons that led him to accept Cruzeiro’s offer, highlighting the effort of the management and coaching staff as a decisive factor.

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“First, I want to thank everyone at Zenit in advance. Since the day I arrived there, I was very well received. I’m not someone who likes to complain much; I’m grateful to God for every opportunity He gives me. I accepted coming to Cruzeiro because it was an unmissable project. What also made me accept this project was all the effort that Pedrinho, Pedro Júnior, Bruno, and the coach (Tite) put in, which was very important. I think that when there’s a great effort from one side to have you in an environment, that weighs a lot in the decision.”

Next, the midfielder emphasized the weight of the club’s shirt and detailed how the negotiation process took place, which happened while he was still on vacation, as well as highlighting the importance of his family in his decision.

“It’s an unmissable project for my career. We’re talking about a giant club, and with all due respect to other clubs, we’re not talking about just any club, but a huge one, with a lot of history. I was on vacation when I got here. To be honest, when I arrived, my plan was still to return on the 14th to report back (to Russia). But then my father told me there was a possibility of coming to Cruzeiro, and I told him: ‘Go for it. If you can close the deal, you can be sure I’ll be very happy.’ And today I’m happy to be here. As I’ve said before, the most important thing for me is always my family.”

Gerson also spoke about his role within the squad and his versatility as one of his main characteristics, making himself available to play in different positions as needed by the team.

“So, first and foremost, it’s always the club; then, the players. As I always say, my role is to help. Today, I have — let’s put it this way — not an ease, but a privilege to be able to perform more than one role, always making myself available. The coach already knows me well in this sense, of being there to help the team, regardless of the position. I like one position more than another — since I get asked this a lot — but as I’ve been doing this for quite some time, I’ve gotten used to it. I have a favorite, of course, but the most important thing is always being on the field helping.”

When addressing his medium and long-term goals, the midfielder was direct in talking about his dream of playing in a World Cup and related this goal to Cruzeiro’s sports project.

“Regarding the future, obviously the dream is the World Cup; it’s every player’s dream. And, as I said before, Cruzeiro’s project brings me much closer to that. Of course, I need to do my job on the field, especially since here at Cruzeiro I have all the structure for that.”

Finally, Gerson praised the club’s structure, showed ambition, and highlighted his desire to build a winning path wearing the club’s shirt, recalling his personal story of overcoming adversity.

“The structure, as I’ve said, is complete; here we have everything to do and perform good work on the field. And the most important thing is that I’m getting the opportunity to write my name in a great club. That’s it. I came here, Bruno already knows me and knows how much I want to win. That’s how I was raised in life. I had to win, because I come from a lot of hardship. I know it wasn’t just me; many people go through difficulties. So, I developed the only ‘addiction’ — maybe — that I have in life: winning. I like to win. And that’s it.”

Gerson will wear the number 97 shirt at Cruzeiro and was the most expensive signing in the history of Brazilian football, with values that could reach 30 million euros (27 million fixed plus three million in bonuses). In addition to the midfielder, the club signed goalkeeper Mateus Cunha and forwards Néiser Villarreal and Chico da Costa.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.