The day that Robinho signed for Man City was a landmark one for the club. It was also the day they were taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group.
Robinho was supposed to be the signing that ushered in a new era for Man City, one of success. That was September 2008, it would be nearly four years later - Robinho long gone - that they would lift the Premier League trophy.
The Brazilian was ultimately a disappointing signing for Man City. Though his first season was a success, the £32.5 million player would leave the club on loan 18 months after arriving. He was off the books permanently by summer 2010.
Just a month before Robinho signed, Brazilian compatriot Jo moved to Man City from CSKA Moscow. He would turn out to be even more disappointing than Robinho.
Speaking to ESPN this week, Jo recalled an early moment from the Brazilian duo's time in the Premier League. Before a game against Portsmouth - which he wrongly calls Robinho's debut, he had scored his first goal for Man City a week earlier against Chelsea - Jo tells of a moment where his fellow Brazilian realised the physicality of the Premier League.
As Robinho stood looking in awe at a team of Portsmouth giants, old hand Jo, with his month's extra experience of English football, stepped in to give the former Real Madrid player a reality check.
In Robinho’s debut against Portsmouth in 2008 I scored my first goal with Manchester City’s shirt, but this game had a really funny story before.
We were positioned in the tunnel and their defence was Sylvain Distin and Sol Campbell, one of the midfielders was Bouba Diop, and there was Peter Crouch in the attack. It was almost a team only of giants.
Then Robinho looked at the guys and said to me, ‘F***, Jô, are we going to play rugby? Look at the size of the guys’ (laughs). I just replied: ‘Yes, Robinho, welcome to the English League.
Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
