Where did the center forward who shone in Brazilian football in the early 2000s end up?
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Manuel de Brito Filho, better known in the world of football as Obina, was born on the island of Vera de Vera Cruz, Bahia, on January 31, 1983. The former football player, who played as a striker, had a career peculiar and remarkable in his career, mainly at Vitória, Flamengo and Palmeiras.
You must be anxious to find out where Obina is? Our legendary striker currently lives with his wife and children in Salvador, Bahia. He owns properties in João Pessoa, Salvador and Minas Gerais, in addition to working as a businessman in the construction industry.
Today away from the field, he enjoys his free time to enjoy with his family and play football with friends and at charity events.
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BEGINNING IN FOOTBALL.
His football journey began simply, at the age of 18, when Obina was still playing amateur matches in Baiacu, a district of the city where he grew up. However, his destiny would change when a scout from Vitória, a traditional club from Salvador, discovered him and he was called up for trials with the Bahian team. Under the guidance of then coach Joel Santana, Obina got his first opportunities with the reserve team in 2002.
In search of experience, the player was loaned in 2003, making brief but impactful spells at two clubs: CRB and Fluminense de Feira. In the second of these, Obina scored a goal in the 2003 Copa do Brasil, guaranteeing a draw against Rio's Tricolor, with the final score of 1-1.
His return to Vitória in 2004 marked the beginning of a standout period in Obina's career. That year, he stood out in a team that included big names, such as five-time world champions Vampeta and Edílson. Furthermore, Obina became the top scorer in the 2004 Bahia Championship, sharing the top scorer with Gilmar, also a Vitória player.
Vitória's squad was considered one of the best prepared to compete in that year's national competitions. In the 2004 Copa do Brasil, Obina left his mark with 5 goals, playing a fundamental role in the Bahian team reaching the semi-finals of the competition, being later eliminated by Flamengo.
However, in the Brasileirão of the same season, the team faced difficulties in maintaining regularity. Financial problems resulting from high investments in the season, gave rise to an internal crisis, and despite the impressive 17 goals from Obina, who became the red-black's top scorer that year, the club was relegated to Série B. This sad outcome led to Obina was moved to tears and resulted in intense booing from the fans, leaving the athlete unable to explain the reasons behind the club's decline throughout the competition.
Even with Vitória's relegation, Obina maintained his reputation as a goalscorer, which resulted in a transfer to Al-Ittihad. However, adapting to the Arab club encountered obstacles due to the resistance of the coach, who had no sympathy for Brazilian players.