Hulk follows in Ronaldinho’s footsteps to Atlético Mineiro’s throne | OneFootball

When Atlético Mineiro fans think of the club’s three greatest idols, everyone agrees: Hulk, Ronaldinho, and Reinaldo. The question that sparks debate is: in what order?

This discussion, at one of Brazil’s most traditional clubs, could be settled on Saturday, when Givanildo Vieira de Souza, known as Hulk, plays the final of the Copa Sudamericana in Asunción, against Lanús from Argentina.

If he wins the title, the 39-year-old captain will finally have a continental trophy with the Belo Horizonte club, and solid arguments to be considered, on his own, the greatest idol in the club’s black-and-white history.

Hulk, in the play that led to Atlético-MG’s goal. (Photo: RODRIGO BUENDIA / AFP)

The competition is fierce: Ronaldinho gave Mineiro its only Copa Libertadores in 2013, after being revered in European stadiums for his acrobatics; Reinaldo, meanwhile, is a legend who holds the record as Galo’s top scorer, with 255 goals.

Hulk is Atlético’s top scorer in the 21st century, with 134 goals in 283 matches, and has also won the 2021 Brasileirão, the Copa do Brasil, and a Supercopa.

Although the Sudamericana is the continent’s second most important tournament, “if we win the Copa Sudamericana, I think Hulk will crown himself as the greatest idol in our history,” says Vinícius França, a 25-year-old sports marketing professional and passionate Mineiro fan, to AFP.

For others, like Tiago França Louvera, a 28-year-old financial analyst, the matter is already settled: “If Atlético wins the Sudamericana, it will just be another step, a detail to make him the greatest idol in history. For me, he already is, but this will tie the final bow.”

Super Athlete

In Belo Horizonte, the name Hulk doesn’t bring to mind the Marvel superhero, but rather the muscular super athlete weighing over 90 kg who arrived at Mineiro in 2023, after stints in Japanese football and European clubs like Porto and Zenit.

In 2024, when the fans already adored him, he came close to reaching Atlético’s Olympus by playing in the Libertadores final.

But the team, led by coach Gabriel Milito, lost 3-1 to Botafogo, even with a man advantage from the second minute after a rival was sent off.

Months later, on the Charla Podcast channel, he said that was one of the worst moments of his career. It’s something “I never want to experience again in my life,” he said.

Photo: Pedro Souza / Atlético-MG

“Supernatural”

In 2013, Galo was a continental sensation. A magical campaign by Ronaldinho, under coach Cuca, culminated in the club’s only Libertadores title.

But despite the historic title, Ronaldinho is not fully identified with the black and white. A year after the victory, he went to Querétaro in Mexico, and ended his career at Fluminense, the fourth Brazilian club he played for, in addition to Flamengo, Grêmio, and Atlético-MG.

Hulk, on the other hand, only wore another shirt in Brazil: Vitória, from Bahia, at the start of his career.

Comparisons with Reinaldo refer to distant times. Between 1973 and 1985, he scored more goals than any other Galo player and became a symbol of resistance against the dominant clubs of the era, from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

He was also an important social figure in the fight against the dictatorship (1964-1985).

But part of the fans do not forgive the fact that he played for Cruzeiro, the biggest rival, and that he confessed, after retiring, that he would have liked to play for Flamengo.

On the other hand, “Hulk is an above-average player, out of the ordinary in our history.”

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