Fabio Paim was once considered a prodigy, better than Cristiano Ronaldo – and Cristiano Ronaldo himself said so. Paim, however, went off the rails and threw away his promising career.
“If you think I’m good, wait until you see Fabio Paim,” Cristiano Ronaldo said in 2003 when he signed for Manchester United, admitting, “He’s better than me.” And yet, the lives of the two footballers developed completely differently. While CR7 racked up titles and individual accolades galore, Paim, three years his junior, not only fell into obscurity, but went off the rails altogether.
Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Paim was trained in the academy of Sporting Lisbon, and early on he attracted the attention of major European clubs. He was also briefly signed by Chelsea FC, but he was no more at home in London than he was at numerous other clubs – a total of 19, rarely top-class, but spread around the world. His CV includes clubs in China, Angola, Lithuania, Qatar, Malta and Brazil.
Paim is still convinced of his talent. “I was special, I know I should be more modest, but I was. Back then there was no Instagram or Facebook like today, so nothing was recorded. I think that even nowadays there is no player with my qualities. Cristiano has arrived at the level he is at thanks to his commitment and hard work. If I had shown the same commitment, I would be better than him. Technically, I was better. I was a little Ronaldinho, but as you can see, it’s not technique that gets you ahead. “
Succumbing to temptations
In fact, Paim, who came through all of Portugal’s junior national teams, did not make much of a name for himself athletically despite his undoubted talent – he succumbed to the lure of easy money, which he had in abundance, especially at a young age, and which he spent with his hands full. “I was overwhelmed by all the money and fame,” Paim now told the English Sun, revealing that he blew his fortune on “cars, women, alcohol and parties.” “I had the illusion that I didn’t have to make an effort. “
Today, he knows he took a wrong turn. “I regret some of the choices I made. I’ve gotten older and can look at things in a more nuanced way. The talent was there, but my mind wasn’t. My head was preoccupied with women and parties – with anything but soccer. My body wasn’t in the best shape and I didn’t listen to people. If I had done that, I would have ended up in Barcelona or Madrid.”
He couldn’t get his life under control, time and again he was in trouble with the law – then in 2019 the very deep fall. In Estoril, he was caught with cocaine. That got him a year in prison – and it was a special prison, because his prison was only a short distance from the headquarters of the Portuguese soccer association Cidade do Futebol. “I was able to watch our team train every day for the EURO 2020 qualifiers,” Paim recalled, admitting that he never had the thought “that I could play on the pitch there now.”
Prison, however, was a lesson for him, the 35-year-old said. “It was really hard and difficult for me and my family. I don’t want pity, it was my decision and my mistake,” Paim said, revealing that he is happier now than he once was. “When I had fame, money and parties, I thought that was happiness. But I didn’t know what happiness was. Today I know – and I’m happier with less. “