Speaking

Racism and a culture of respect in sport

The talk starts from a scene Pula recounts from life in Moscow. In a restaurant, a man demanded that he leave, saying he could not eat while Pula was there. Pula paid the man's bill. Later, the man came back in tears and apologised.

The account is his own. From that scene, the talk explores how to respond to prejudice without giving up who you are, and the role of clubs, coaches and families in shaping athletes who respect others and demand respect.¹

• Where it has been delivered

  Seminar on combating racism and a culture of respect in sport, by Grêmio's Athlete Development Programme, on 29 June 2026.¹

A career between two countries

Pula arrived in Moscow in 2004 and learned Russian by listening and taking notes at home. He became a Russian citizen in 2008, after the Brazilian national team did not call him up, and left the Russian national team, in his words, through the front door. The talk covers adaptation, career choices and coming home for family reasons.^2,3,4,5

Deciding in the final seconds

In the 2007 UEFA Futsal Cup final, Dinamo conceded an equaliser two minutes from time and Pula scored the winner with 26 seconds on the clock. The talk uses that moment and the nine goals of 2008 to explore preparation, reading the game and decision-making under pressure.^6,7,8