ATLÉTICO-MG IN BELO HORIZONTE BRINGS LITERALLY PAINFUL MEMORIES TO PEDRO

If today Pedro is on cloud nine at Flamengo, about a year ago the striker went through one of his most difficult phases in four and a half seasons at the club: an attack suffered shortly after a victory. And it was precisely against Atlético-MG in Belo Horizonte, a scenario that Brazil's top scorer in 2024 (with 26 goals, 24 of which are official) will face again this Wednesday, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time).

On July 29, 2023, Flamengo visited Galo at Independência (the MRV Arena had not yet been opened at the time). Atlético-MG took the lead with Paulinho, but Rubro-Negro turned it around with goals from Arrascaeta and Wesley. Pedro, who had been blocked by Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli, did not leave the bench and became his character after the game.

In the locker room, the physical trainer of Sampaoli's coaching staff, Pablo Fernández, questioned the attacker because he stopped warming up and sat on the bench after Luiz Araújo and Cebolinha came on in the 19th minute of the second half (there was still a substitution to be made). The Argentine considered that the fact that Pedro did not remain in the warm-up area was a lack of respect.

The number 9 replied that those who had no respect for him were Sampaoli's technical committee, claiming that the treatment he received it was not correct and was being undermined since the beginning of the coach's work. Pablo Fernández did not like being retorted and responded by punching the attacker in the face, who was left with a cut in his mouth and filed a police report.

The case was a watershed moment for Flamengo, who was coming off great results and made Sampaoli lose his locker room and end up being fired two months later, after losing the Copa do Brasil final. "It was like broken glass, cracked, it couldn't be glued. Unfortunately, the environment became heavy and bad", said President Rodolfo Landim in an interview last March.

Pablo Fernández acknowledged the error in At that time, he resigned and has not returned to work to this day. He continues to be part of Sampaoli's technical committee, who has also not joined another club and is analyzing proposals from France, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. In turn, Pedro turned the club around and became an absolute starter, top scorer and fan favorite after overcoming the trauma of the attack.