Today we are talking to Amanda Moura Pietrzak – Chief Operating Officer of Legia Ladies and Balticus watch ambassador.
1. Where are you from?
I am from Brazil. I was born in Belo Horizonte and lived there until I was 18. Then I moved to the United States (to Connecticut) – that's where I met my husband, and it was for him that I moved to Poland in 2018. We first lived in Leszno in Greater Poland, and now we live in Warsaw.
2. What was your football career like? When did you realize you were better than your peers, and how many boys did you dribble past in the playground? How did they react then?
I started playing football when I was just 3 years old. My brother played too, so my parents quickly noticed that I had a knack for it, I moved well, and I just loved it. It was easier for them to sign me up for training since my brother was already training.
When I was 8–10 years old, I played exclusively with boys, and that was a great time for my football development. Interestingly, I never encountered prejudice from the boys on the team – they were like brothers to me and welcomed me into their group incredibly well. The only difficulties were generated by adults: the parents of other children would shout at the coach when I started in the main squad. And for obvious logistical reasons, I had to change in my dad's car, not in the locker room with the boys.
Back then, as a child, I didn't understand at all why other girls didn't play. I was so close to the boys and that environment that I felt I simply belonged there. Only later, with age, did I understand how enormous that inequality was.
3. When you started playing in your home country, were you seen as a "tomboy," or was it considered normal in Brazil for a girl to play football?
In the 90s and early 2000s, girls playing football in Brazil was not the norm at all. Sure, we had a team at my school and played a lot of futsal matches, but women's teams on full-size grass pitches were a rarity. If any existed, they were mostly in São Paulo – in Belo Horizonte, they appeared much later.
The best evidence for the complete lack of structure, academies, or any development path for girls at the time is the fact that I joined the senior Atlético Mineiro team when I was only 14! I was a kid playing with 30-year-old women. In those realities, it was very difficult to think about any professional future in football, and that was the main reason why I decided to go to the USA – for college.
But going back to my childhood – for me, it was just natural to play with boys. Some accepted it, others laughed or doubted me. And me? I just loved proving them wrong.
4. Which position on the pitch did you play most often?
Throughout my life in Brazil, I was a typical "number nine." Sometimes I played as a lone striker, and sometimes in a front two – and it was in a duo in a 4-4-2 formation that I felt best.
Everything started to change after I moved to the USA, where coaches began setting me up more as a "number ten." In turn, in Poland, while playing for Legia Ladies, I appeared both as a number 10 and as an "eight" in the middle of the field.
5. Who had the greatest influence on you as an athlete and as a person?
I would say my brother – both in a good and a more difficult sense. He was a professional footballer, very famous in Brazil. He is 10 years older than me, and throughout my childhood, he was my absolute hero, whom I looked up to. It was he who often brought me balls, cleats, and kits, and it was with him that I shared this greatest passion.
However, when I grew up, our paths began to diverge. My brother didn't quite agree with me playing professional football or going to the USA. Paradoxically, it was his great success that made me really want to leave Brazil – I needed to build my own identity, go my own way, and write my own story instead of just being "the famous footballer's sister."
A huge influence on my character and who I am today was also the moment I played for the same club as him. I'm not even talking about a deep discussion about global wage inequality in sports, but about simple, proportional justice – women's earnings were treated completely unseriously. This experience shaped my determination and gave birth to a huge need to take real action to change the position of women in sports.
As for who I am as a person, my mother and my husband had the biggest influence – each of them brought something absolutely unique to my life.
My mother always believed in me unconditionally, taught me to aim high, and gave me huge amounts of creativity, empathy, and that specific, life-giving "spark" (my own special sauce). In turn, my husband helped me polish my talents and translate them into concrete actions. He taught me a more substantive, organized, disciplined, and strategic approach to the goals I set for myself. The combination of these two worlds shaped me anew.
6. What do you consider your greatest sporting success?
My greatest success is winning the state championship (Campeonato Mineiro) in Brazil three times with Atlético Mineiro and reaching the nationwide stage of the NCAA Division II academic competition in the United States.
7. Do you have any other hobbies you love just as much as football?
I love television and the world of film – I am an actress by vocation, it's something I have deep in my soul! In Poland, I have already acted in 21 commercials, and I also got a role in a feature series. I absolutely love acting and working in front of the camera!
8. How do you spend your free time?
I love spending free time with my husband, our son, and our dog. We play video games together, read books, and pretend to be superheroes. However, I love sunny days the most – then I just blast Brazilian music, catch good vibes, and enjoy the moment with my family.
9. What do you like about Poland? What differs between these two countries, Poland and Brazil? Did you experience any culture shock upon arriving in Poland?
I love Poland in a completely different way than Brazil. These two countries can be very similar in some respects – such as the issue of religiosity or the openness of people at times – but at the same time, they are extremely different in culture, energy level, and emotional expression. Brazilians are incredibly sentimental, expressive, joyful, and open. When it comes to food and music, I definitely prefer Brazilian ones, and that is something I miss the most, right after my family. Sometimes I also miss a good, totally crazy Brazilian party.
On the other hand – in Poland, I absolutely love the cleanliness, organization, peace, and overall quality of life. That is a huge asset of this country.
This clash of temperaments is also visible on a daily basis. In Poland, I very often hear that I am too loud or too cheerful and that I am bothering someone with it. In Brazil, such expression is the norm, so here I had to get used to it – it was quite a culture shock for me.
10. Let's talk about watches. Did you, and since when, have you been interested in watches? Do you remember your first timepiece? Do you have a favorite watch?
Oh yes, I love watches! I have always been more of a tomboy in terms of interests – I love cars, watches, football, and video games. I believe watches are an absolute classic and brilliant jewelry for women, although I sometimes even prefer men's models myself.
I remember my first watch perfectly – it was an iconic Casio with a calculator, and then a sporty Nike Triax. I have quite a few watches in my collection, ranging from fashion ones to wonderful Balticus timepieces. This is the brand I value and love the most. However, I have the greatest, deepest sentiment for the watches that belonged to my late mother. They have purely emotional value to me. They are absolutely priceless to me.
11. When did your collaboration with Balticus begin? How did it even come about?
Everything started in Zakopane, during a football conference organized by the Ministry of Sport. I was participating in one of the discussion panels then, and in the evening, I met Bartosz Knop – the incredible person behind this brand. He was extremely friendly, showed me his watches, and I was immediately captivated by his idea of promoting the Baltic region and pride in Polish craftsmanship. We hit it off great. Some time later, Bartosz invited me to get to know his watches closer and try them on.
I loved them on the spot and literally became a brand ambassador – I started talking about them to my family and friends, many of whom have already bought their models. Our cooperation is based on complete naturalness: I promote these watches everywhere I appear, I make social media posts, but word-of-mouth marketing is key here – people ask me with delight about the models I have on my wrist themselves. I proudly present them at every major event. Moreover, this relationship translates perfectly into professional grounds – as COO of Legia Ladies, I am very happy that Balticus also works with us as a club partner.
12. What do you expect from the collaboration with our company?
I expect, above all, watches that will stand the test of time and carry beautiful memories with them. For me, this cooperation is not just about a product – it's about relationships, wonderful people I meet on my path, and a shared energy that stays with us for years.
13. Which Balticus watch is closest to you? How many and what watches of our brand do you have in your collection?
My absolute favorite, for which I also receive the most compliments, is the StarDust Meteorite. It is sublime in its own unique way, while at the same time having incredible depth and character. It is simply beautiful.
In my collection, I currently have four watches from this brand: the aforementioned StarDust Meteorite, a Moonfish in the silver-green version, a New Sky in silver-white, and a StarDust Power Reserve in the black version – the latter one is suuuper stylish!
Thank you for the conversation, full of Brazilian temperament and emotion.
