Alexandre Pato Fansite

Alexandre Pato is coming. But unlike Gabbo, his similarly-hyped counterpart on The Simpsons, there is no mystery surrounding his arrival. Ever since Milan announced in the summer of 2007 that they had beaten Europe’s elite to capture the teenage marvel, fans and reporters alike have been monitoring YouTube and scouring websites for a glimpse of him in action or news of his progress at Milanello.

Indeed, such is the anticipation surrounding the long-awaited debut of the young Brazilian – red tape prevented him being registered with the Via Turati outfit until he had turned 18 – that should he fail to net a hat-trick against Napoli in the Giuseppe Meazza on January 13 there is a danger he will be deemed by some to have failed in his role as the cavalry coming to save the Diavolo’s dismal domestic season. While most are hoping that the peninsula has claimed the new Ronaldo, it is wrong to heap such expectation on the shoulders of one so young.

Regardless, the reputation that has followed Pato from South America makes it hard not to feel excited about seeing him step out at San Siro in the red and black stripes. Only making his debut for Internacional a little over a year ago, he went on to net 12 goals in 26 games, including an appearance at the Club World Cup, before the Euro giants came calling. Feted in Brazil for his teamwork and unselfish assists as much as his scoring ability, his unsurprising billing as the next big thing to come out of Latin America ultimately convinced Milan to part with £15m for a lad who, like Kaka, Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez, had overcome a personal setback as a juvenile – his being a potentially cancerous tumour in his arm.

The news that has filtered out of the Lombardy club’s camp suggests that he could well take Serie A by storm. “He just always scores,” declared former Milan European Cup winner Filippo Galli, now the club’s Primavera Coach. “Aside from that, he always thinks about doing something useful for the team. Of course we’re mainly talking about training matches, but also in the friendly games he has played with Milan. During his time with Internacional he showed he is an extraordinary player.”

Once he reached his landmark birthday he was eligible to play in non-competitive games and marked an unofficial debut in September with a goal against Dynamo Kiev. Since then the hype machine has rolled into effect and there certainly hasn’t been the cotton wool approach so favoured by the Coaches of British sides towards their prodigious youngsters. Rather than diminish expectation, it seems that even the likes of Coach Carlo Ancelotti have been caught up in the fervour, with the tactician suggesting that his new charge will win the next Ballon d’Or. Implying that he could follow Kaka as the winner of France Football’s prestigious award seems outlandish, but you just need to look at Barcelona’s Lionel Messi or Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo to see how far a kid with talent can go in such a short time.

“The judgement on Pato is simple – he is great and that is it,” enthused Ancelotti. “There are no other words to say. He is a phenomenon. Amazing speed, a powerful shot, superb balance, and a great sense of where the goal is. What more do you want from an attacker?” To be honest, at present Milan would take anything from a striker. With Ronaldo’s injury absence the club have been left with just Alberto Gilardino and Pippo Inzaghi – who have managed just five League goals in total. “In certain occasions he will be able to play as the main striker and in other instances he can be used as the second striker,” noted the Milan chief. “There is no longer such a thing as a fixed position in football.”

The decision not to sign any other frontmen in the last transfer window raised some eyebrows. But the Milan gaffer’s belief in the potential of his target was so strong he travelled to Canada to watch him participate in the World Youth Cup last July – and it was perhaps that personal touch which convinced the boy to choose Milan. “Nobody told me that Ancelotti had come to watch me,” recalled Pato. “But that was so that I would stay focused on the tournament. My agent was in contact with Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter as well, but I must say that I had no preference. For me the important thing was just to make the step to a great European club.”

As it happened that step won’t have been quite so daunting, given that on his arrival at Milan he found compatriots like Kaka, Ronaldo, Marcos Cafu and Nelson Dida already at the club. “Unfortunately they were players I only knew of by reputation, not to speak to, so I was not really able to approach them for much advice about joining Milan. But I knew it would be beautiful to play alongside people such as Kaka and Ronaldo.”

Inevitably, the comparisons have been made between the Pato Branco native and the original Fenomeno. “I still have a lot to learn,” he responded modestly. “For me, Ronaldo is an idol – when I was a child he was the master in his role. I followed him and loved to watch him play on TV, so to train and eventually play alongside him will be the realisation of my dreams.”

If Pato does make his bow against the Neapolitans in Week 18 he has the perfect opportunity to spearhead that revolution and the stage is set for him to become an instant San Siro hero, given that the tifosi are still waiting their first home League win of the season. Brazil national Coach Carlos Dunga has already named him in his provisional plans for the Beijing 2008 Olympics, proving it is not just Ancelotti who has been struck by his talents.

However, his new club boss is the one whose faith is the most vocal and, despite a few concerns about early integration, he talks like a man desperate to see his gamble vindicated. “His only deficiency on arrival was that he had not yet learned much Italian, but there are certain players whom you don’t have to tell much,” explained the veteran boss. “They have so much talent and unique ability that it is not necessary to tell them many things, you must avoid complicating their ideas. He uses a lot of instinct and that is something you have inside you which no amount of training will improve.”

It is a colossal risk to rely on a relative rookie to resuscitate Milan’s season and one Pato surely could not have envisaged when the ink dried on the contract back in August. But despite such concerns, Ancelotti remains single-minded. “Together with Gilardino, Pato can represent the future of Milan in the long term. He is a great champion and he will surely prove this.” Wait we must. And while all the signs are positive that we may be about to witness the birth of a legend, there must also be a healthy amount of caution. I have no doubts that Pato will be one of the new stars of 2008, but we also must not expect immediate New Year miracles from Milan’s new No 7.

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