Dante draws inspiration from Lucio
Bayern Munich central defender Dante has paid tribute to compatriot Lucio who he has cited as being his "role-model".
By FOX Sports Staff
The Brazilian has made the defensive berth his own and has regularly featured for the Bavarians this season. He only signed for them last year from Borussia Mönchengladbach but has earned praise for his swift transition within the Bayern setup.
Lucio was also a notable central defender for Bayern and played for the Bundesliga side for five years before moving to Inter Milan in 2009.
Dante has stated that he often watched Lucio and aspired to follow in his footsteps someday.
"Lucio was my main role-model," the 29-year-old Bundesliga.com. "I admired his personality and character.
"His attitude was superb. I liked the aggression and whole-heartedness he always brought to his game. That's why he was my main role model."
The Brazil international is also enjoying his rise to fame as it was not too long ago that he feared his time in the Bundesliga would come to a premature end.
"Two years ago I was still battling relegation with Borussia Monchengladbach," Dante added. "Now two years on I might be winning the Bundesliga title. It is a dream come true."
Furthermore, Dante has been picked by national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari for friendlies against Italy and Russia and he revealed his pride at featuring for the Selecao.
"It means an awful lot to me - everything to me. It's my dream. To us Brazilians it means so, so much."