Article by Ionuţ Iordache – published on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, 16:43 / Updated Tuesday, September 2, 202:43
Roberto Carlos (52) will meet with Gheorghe Hagi at “Legends Charity Game”, the charitable event of autumnwhich will take place in Lisbon, on September 15th. The two had a famous dispute at the 2000 Europe Super Cup, when Galatasaray defeated Real Madrid 2-1
- On September 15, 22:00, GSP.ro will transmit exclusively in Romania a clash of some of the biggest footballers: Legends Charity Game aims to gather donations over one million euros for the victims of wars and conflicts held worldwide;
- Three reporters of the newspaper, Ionuț Iordache, George Nistor and Daniel Grigore, will provide from Lisbon images, real -time information, reports and interviews;
Few footballers managed to stay in the memory of everyone through a single execution. Roberto Carlos did it in 1997, with the famous free kick against France, a shot that defied the laws of physics and was baptized “Banana Kick”, due to the trajectory of the ball.
Experts from various fields have tried to explain how the Brazilian could print such a trajectory, but they left off. “I have to explain to everyone how I gave that void, and I have absolutely no idea!”, The Brazilian would later recognize.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wada2prpo
Roberto Carlos, one of the best left defenders in history
Carlos was at the age of 24 and was at the beginning of a fabulous career. He had just reached Real Madrid, where he was going to become a real legend. In the 11 seasons spent on “Bernabéu”, he won 13 trophies, of which 3 champions. Moreover, he became a world champion with the Brazil's national team in 2002.
And even though he was recognized by many as one of the best left defenders in football history, Roberto Carlos found his “godfather” in a historical match, played on August 25, 2000.
It is about the European Super Cup, won surprisingly by Galatasaray, 2-1 with Real Madrid. With Mircea Lucescu on the bench and with Gheorghe Hagi and Gheorghe Popescu, the Turkish band became the first winner of the former UEFA Cup that would get his hands on the European Super Cup.
The image of the joy of the Turks, after 2-1 with Real Madrid, with Hagi and Popescu among photo protagonists: Imago
Real Madrid had a band full of stars: Casillas, Figo, Makélélé, Guti, Raúl and Roberto Carlos. The Brazilian was at the top of his career, and besides the humility of losing the trophy, Carlos would live in front of Hagi.
The two had a clinic at one point, they faced two roosters, but the last word had the “king”. Somewhere in the middle of the field, Hagi invented a dribbling on another planet. “I cheated Roberto Carlos with a dribbling learned at 31! You have to work all the time, no one knows them all. Everything is to exercise in training, then give free fantasy,” the Romanian would say a few years later.
“Then I knew we could beat Real Madrid”
The phase remained the image of that final, several Turkish players then declaring that they could defeat Real after the moment of superiority offered by Hagi.
In 2017, Roberto Carlos remembered that duel: “I have not too good memories with Hagi, since I met him in the European Super Cup, but, as a player, he has been a phenomenon, a high quality footballer.”
The duel between Hagi and Roberto Carlos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwohgegy5ag
And now the two will have the opportunity to meet, this time being part of the same team, that of the legends of the world, which will face that of the legends of Portugal. The charitable match will take place on September 15 and will be hosted by Estádio “José Alvalade”, the Arena of Sporting Lisbon. The event set out to gather over 1 million euros for 4 charitable associations and will gather over 40 superstars in football history.
“I am honored to be part of Legends Charity Game from Lisbon, a special occasion that brings together two football cultures that means enormously for me. To represent Brazil again, to play against the greatest legends of Portugal and to support incredible causes is something that I am very proud to be.”
Roberto Carlos, former Brazilian International
Team composition at Legends Charity Game
The legends of Portugal: Vitor Baia, Beto, Pepe, Ricardo Carvalho, Fabio Coentrao, Bosingwa, Jorge Andrade, Eliseu, Bruno Alves, Luis Figo, Deco, Dani, Simao, Maniche, Tiago Mendes, Nani, Quaresma, Nuno Gomes, Helder Postiga, Hugo Almeida
Coach: Costinha
The legends of the world: Petr Cech, Edwin van der Sar, Rene Higuita, Cafu, Marco Materazzi, Javier Zanetti, Carles Puyol, John Terry, Roberto Carlos, Kaka, Youri Djorkaeff, Christian Karembeu, Gaizka Mendieta, Krassimir Balakov, Gheorghe Hagi, Giorgos Karagounis, Marek. Hamsik, Alessandro del Piero, Henrik Larsson, Michael Owen, Javier Saviola, Hristo Stoichkov
Coach: Peter Schmeichel
Second coach: Diego Lugano
