Ricardo Prasel was once one of Brazil’s most promising goalkeepers. Trained at Athletico Paranaense, at just 18 years of age one of Europe’s big names took notice of the two-metre-tall goalkeeper and he ended up moving to London to join Jose Mourinho‘s Chelsea.
Prasel arrived at Stamford Bridge as a promising young player in a team that already boasted Petr Cech and Henrique Hilario in the goalkeeping position.
He earned his first professional contract as the London club’s third goalkeeper, although he hardly had any opportunities between the sticks at the Premier League side.
The Brazilian goalkeeper, however, didn’t lose confidence and, after training, he would ask Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba to stay back and take freekicks and penalties into him.
“It was unbelievable, they didn’t miss a day and Drogba was simply unstoppable,” Prasel confessed to German newspaper Bild more than 10 years later.
A hip injury prevented him from continuing with the English club and, after a year on the sidelines, he tried to resurrect his career in Belgium. The hip issue persisted, however, so Prasel decided to hang up his gloves and change his life completely.
Ricardo Prasel’s move into MMA
A fan of jiu-jitsu, which he did to stay in shape while he was injured, Prasel began to consider fighting for a living and took part in several fight leagues in Brazil, where he became an MMA specialist.
He actually came close to making it to the UFC, but quit after losing a fight in 2019, claiming he wasn’t ready yet.
Now, three years and a few fights later, Prasel wants to try to break into the KSW, Europe’s top MMA league, where he is better known as ‘The German’ because of his father’s nationality. With a record of 11 wins and three defeats, the one-time Chelsea goalkeeper now no longer has to stop Drogba‘s powerful freekicks, but the kicks and punches of his opponents. He is less afraid of them.
Marca
