The longest odds currently available for Robinho, who is currently on loan from Premiership side Manchester City to his old club Santos back in Brazil, are a staggering 50-1 from bwin. Other bookmakers’ offerings vary, with Betfred, Blue Square and 888sport giving 33-1, the shortest, and Ladbrokes, Eurobet and William Hill in between with 40-1 on this bet.
Robinho’s transfer to Manchester City from Real Madrid received more publicity than any other movement in the 2008 summer transfer window. With the player widely expected to join Chelsea, a surprise last minute deal with Man City surprised everyone, including it seems, Robinho himself, who in a press conference after the arrangement had been made, famously slipped up and said an offer had been accepted from Chelsea, rather than City.
With Man City under new ownership, the wealthiest in the Premiership, and trying to build up a team fit to compete with the famous “big four” and in Europe, Robinho found himself slipping down the Manchester City pecking order, where he only expected to play one in every two games. For this reason, he went on loan to Santos, in order to get as many games in as possible in preparation for the 2010 World Cup.
Robinho won the Golden Boot and Best Player award in the 2007 Copa America championship, where he scored six goals, three from a hat trick in the game against Chile, and was also on the Brazil team that won the 2009 Confederations Cup.
With competition from team mates Luis Fabiano and Kaka, among others, as well as favourites David Villa, Rooney, Lionel Messi et al, Robinho will need to work hard to repeat his Copa America achievements at the World Cup. With Brazil in the most difficult first round group, including Portugal and the Ivory Coast, who boast other Golden Boot contenders Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba, there is a big task ahead of the player. This probably explains the long odds for a man of his talents.
