Money isn’t everything. That’s the motto that’s taken Willian from Brazil to Ukraine, then to England and back to Brazil. After a couple of bad decisions, he’s now happy to play for Fulham and live in London, which he now calls his home.Speaking to The Athletic, the former Brazil international said everyone called him crazy when he decided to tear up his three-year, $228,000-per-week contract with Arsenal only a year after signing it.”I think I’m maybe the only player who has done something like this. Any other player in my situation would have stayed until the end of the contract and kept picking up the money. But I’m not like this. Money is not the most important thing in the world. I have to feel good to feel motivated to go to training. I wasn’t having that there so I decided to leave.”The 34-year-old star jumped on a chance to sign for his first club Corinthians back in Brazil, even though everyone, including his wife, told him that going back to his homeland wasn’t a good idea when he could still earn more money and lead a better life elsewhere. Still, he opted to return to his boyhood club on a free transfer. In the process, he saved Arsenal millions.”On my last day at Arsenal, I spoke with the manager Mikel Arteta. I thanked him for what he had done for me, for bringing me to the club. I just wished him all the best. He is a good manager, and I have great respect for Arsenal. They are doing well, they have good players. They can achieve good things this season.”Willian has registered more assist than Mount, Havertz, Pulisic and Ziyech in the Premier League this season 🎯He’s played fewer minutes than all of them 👀 pic.twitter.com/dTWIhg7ns4— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) September 17, 2022 Unfortunately, the move to Brazil turned sour. Corinthians fans weren’t satisfied with his tally of one goal and six assists in 45 games, although Willian is adamant he was judged unfairly.”The numbers weren’t the ones I expected in terms of goals and assists, but I still think my performances were good. I had problems with injury and adapting to a different country. There were a lot of games, so I had no time to rest. Also, the pitches there were not the best, not like here.”After his family had been subjected to abuse on social media and in the streets, Willian decided that he wanted to go back to Europe.”As a family, we feel we can enjoy life here in England. If you have a bad result, it will not have a bad impact on your personal life. In Brazil, you can’t leave your house if you lose a game.”##NAJAVA_MECA_6663625##Fulham made the biggest push to sign Willian when he opted to leave Corinthians a couple of months ago. After initially training with them for a few weeks, both parties were convinced it was a move they wanted to happen. Even though it’s taken him a bit to adjust to the pace of English football, Willian is enjoying playing for manager Marco Silva.”Before I signed, I had conversations with the manager about everything — the positions I can play, the way the team is playing. He is a very good coach and also a nice guy. We are doing well at the moment. The team is playing good. It’s a club that can’t keep going up, down, up and down again. This year, Fulham can do good things by staying in the Premier League and then fighting for a good position in the table.”Willian – Chelsea ➡️ ArsenalFee: FreeDate: August 2020. pic.twitter.com/kQb1fuEHUi— Worst Football Transfers Of All Time (@WrstTransfers) September 20, 2022 One of the reasons Fulham have begun so well is striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has scored six goals in seven Premier League matches. Willian already likes what he sees from the Serbian.”Aleksandar is an excellent player. He reminds me of Didier Drogba and Diego Costa. He is strong. He can hold the ball, can attack space and can score goals like them. We have an understanding already and are trying to build it even more.”
