Weverton amazed by Kannemann’s pre-Gre-Nal ritual, calls it frightening | OneFootball

After Grêmio’s 3-1 Gre-Nal win that sealed a Copa do Brasil semi-final place, Weverton revealed details of Walter Kannemann’s intense pre-match ritual, saying it startled him.

"Kannemann is a living piece of Grêmio history. For me, with more than 20 years in football, his ritual to take the pitch is actually frightening. He simply starts breaking the dressing room. Yesterday I went to the bathroom a little earlier, Kannemann was throwing water on his face, punching himself in the face, kicking the bathroom door, swearing. I said, 'What is this? We are going to play football, not going to war.' He is old school, a character football is slowly losing," the goalkeeper said. He was speaking to ESPN.

His unconventional build-up had already caught the eye before the first Gre-Nal at Beira-Rio, which finished 0-0. Grêmio’s behind-the-scenes footage showed the defender geeing up team-mates with shouts, shoves and shirt tugs during the warm-up.

At 35, Kannemann has lost his starting spot under Luís Castro. Even so, the Portuguese coach leaned on his experience for the two decisive Gre-Nais in the cup, despite Gustavo Martins returning from injury. On Thursday night he was taken off 15 minutes into the second half.

A fans’ favourite since joining in 2016, Kannemann started and played key roles in Grêmio’s 2016 Copa do Brasil, 2017 Libertadores and 2018 Recopa Sudamericana triumphs. He has also won seven Campeonato Gaúcho titles and has made 352 appearances for the club. His contract runs until the end of 2027.

Source: Globo.com

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