EXCLUSIVE: FLAMENGO ACT WITH CAUTION, BUT WANTS TO RENEW WITH GABIGOL FOR ANOTHER 3 YEARS

Formed in the youth categories of Flamengo and currently midfielder for Sheffield United, in England, Vinicius Souza participated in a game promoted by ESPN to choose the greatest revelation of Rubro-Negro in the 21st century. After a fierce "tournament", Vini Jr. was chosen by the player, largely due to his recent achievement as the best player in the world by FIFA.

The symbolic duel

In the dispute, important names revealed by Flamengo participated: Vini Jr., Reinier , Lucas Paquetá, João Gomes, Hugo Souza (Neneca), Felipe Melo , Adriano Imperador and Renato Augusto.

Quarter-finals:

Vini Jr. beat Reinier;

Paquetá beat João Gomes;

Hugo Souza eliminated Felipe Melo;

Adriano Imperador went by Renato Augusto.

Semifinals:

Vini Jr. defeated Lucas Paquetá;

Adriano Imperador surpassed Hugo Souza.

Final:

In a tight decision betweenVini Jr. and Adriano, the best in the world award weighed in, and the Real Madrid striker was chosen.

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Although Adriano Imperador was included, his revelation in the professionals occurred in 2000, technically still in the 20th centuryThat's why some fans. pointed out the absence of Julius Caesar, another highlight revealed in Flamengo, which also could have been part of the list.

Memories of Jorge Jesus and the comparison with Matic

In the same interview, Vinicius Souza recalled his work with Jorge Jesus in 2019 at Flamengo. The midfielder's playing style is similar to that of the Serbian Nemanja Matic, former Chelsea and Manchester United player who worked with the former Mengão commander in his first spell at Benfica.

“At first, I didn’t know who Matic was. He said: ‘Go watch his videos’. When I watched it, I thought it was incredible. He was tall, with an absurd level, playing for United. Jesus stayed close to me so I could observe his training and his time in Portugal. It was very inspiring”, reported Vinicius.

Vinicius Souza's career

Vinicius was promoted to Flamengo's professionals in 2019, but only played four matches for the club. In 2020, he played four more games before being sold to Lommel (Belgium). He was later loaned to Mechelen (Belgium) and Espanyol (Spain). In 2022, he was acquired by Sheffield United, where he has already played 58 games and scored one goal since his arrival.

Announced byCruzeiro for the next three seasons, Gabigol highlighted the moment it is experiencing in career in one of the first interviews released after confirmation. In an interview with GE, the player surprised by saying that he is experiencing 'the best moment on and off the field', something that does not match the numbers from his last year at Flamengo. And the statement had repercussions.

The journalist Renato Maurício Prado was one of the most incisive and openly criticized the talks about Gabigol. According to him, the striker hasn't played 'bullhufas' for two years and shouldn't say he's in the best phase.

"Gabriel is missing a week... Best moment? He hasn't played a game in two years", commented RMP, criticizing Gabigol for his speech after being announced at Cruzeiro.

FALA DE GABIGOL

"A special moment in my life. I'm 28 years old, I've been through a lot, I've learned a lot. I think it's my best moment on the field and off. achieve some goals that I still have, together with a club that also wants to get back on its feet", he said.

Gabigol also highlighted the favorable record in Belo Horizonte and said he was happy with his own performance when he played there. The striker wants this to continue during his time at the Minas Gerais club.

"I have received enormous affection from all the fans, from everyone the fans. As I said, looking forward to the 4th, to be able to meet them, be with the fans, get to BH, which is my next home. It's a city that I've always really liked, I've always been lucky when I played there. So hopefully keep it up", said the attacker.

Andrade, icon in the history of Flamengo, shone as a coach b> by winning the 2009 Brazilian Championship. However, his career as a coach was brief. In a recent interview during the Jogo das Estrelas, at Maracanã, the former Rubro-Negro commander highlighted that his decision to step away from his role was motivated by personal choices and not by racial issues.

Family as a priority

When asked about the impact of racism on his short career as a coach, Andrade ruled out this possibility and explained:

“No, I don't think so. Roger Machado has been working in big clubs, and so has Jair's son (Jair Ventura). I don't think it's racism, no. These are guys who are studying for this, looking for this space on a daily basis. I also had opportunities, I left to work in other smaller clubs, but I thought it was better to stop and enjoy my family."

The former coach emphasized that, after years dedicated to football, he chose to spend more time with his loved ones.

“I stayed away for a long time, away. That's why I decided to stop as a coach. If I wanted to continue and had studied a little more, I would definitely still be workingas a coach.”

Trajectory as a technician

Andrade took over Flamengo in 2009 and led the team in a historic campaign in the Brazilian Championship, highlighting names like Adriano Imperador and Petkovic Despite the success, the coach was fired in 2010, during the dispute. >Copa Libertadores.

After leaving Flamengo, Andrade led clubs such as Brasiliense (2010) , Paysandu (2011), Bangu-RJ (2012), as well as stints in São João da Barra, Jacobina, and Petrolina, ending his coaching career in 2017.

Career as a player at Flamengo

Before shine as a coach, Andrade was already an idol at Flamengo due to his career as a player. Part of the best Mengão team of all time alongside Zico, Leandro and Júnior, the former number 6 won:

4 Brazilian Championships

1 Copa Libertadores

1 Club World Cup