FOOTBALL LEGEND COMES TO THE DEFENSE OF GABIGOL AFTER MISSING A PENALTY FOR FLAMENGO

The night after the 1-0 defeat to Peñarol, coach Tite was faced with a barrage of criticism from Flamengo fans. The result did not please many, and the pressure increased considerably on the coach. In a press conference, Tite addressed these reactions calmly, highlighting that criticism is a natural reflection of the fans' passion for the club, especially in moments of frustration with the results on the field.

The coach's statements did not deny the seriousness of the situation, but he opted for an optimistic approach. Tite believes that, with work and a good performance in the second leg, Flamengo can reverse the situation and regain the fans' confidence.

Flamengo entered on the field against Peñarol in an important match, with great expectations of a good result. However, the 1-0 home defeat was a blow to the fans and put more pressure on the squad and coaching staff. Flamengo, one of the most successful clubs and with the biggest fans in Brazil, tends to deal with the constant expectation of victories and good performance. When these objectives are not achieved, reactions are quick to emerge.

The defeat left the team in a delicate situation in the competition, which makes the second leg even more decisive. The need for a positive result in the second match against Peñarol is not only to advance in the competition, but also to calm the spirits of a fan base that is increasingly demanding.

In the last round of the Libertadores group stage, Flamengo, now under the command of coach Tite, saw its long undefeated streak as home team come to an end. The 1-0 defeat marked the end of a run of 28 matches without losing at home in the competition. The negative result was a shock for the fans, mainly because it occurred at a crucial moment in the season and because of the expectations surrounding the team led by a renowned coach like Tite.

The last time Flamengo had been defeated at Maracanã by the Libertadores was in April 2019, when Peñarol beat the red-black team by the same score of 1-0. The current setback, therefore, brought back memories of that game, creating a feeling of déjà vu among fans . It is worth remembering that, at that time, Flamengo was in a moment of transition and seeking to consolidate itself as one of the powers of South American football.

With the arrival of Tite at the helm of Flamengo, the expectation was that the team would gain tactical consistency and competitiveness in important tournaments, such as the Libertadores itself. Tite, who has a respected CV, mainly for his work in the Brazilian national team, was hired with the mission of making Flamengo become dominant again both on the national and international scene.

The defeat at home, however , served as a cold water for part of the fans who expected a quiet victory. Their unbeaten record at home was seen as one of Flamengo's trump cards in continental competition, a guarantee of strength within their domains. By losing this status, the team will now need to deal with the pressure and doubts that arise from this result.

Evaristo de Macedo became a hit on the internet. The stories starring the idol of Flamengo and Bahia, from the perspective of former players and coaches with whom he worked, bring a good laugh from those who listen and watch.

The imitation of his fine tone of voice and the stories behind-the-scenes footage — which has a mix of banter and fun — went viral on social media. At 91, Seu Evaristo "breaks the bubble" and sees his career in football reaching a generation that hasn't seen him on the field or even on the edge of the pitch.

"We joke with him a lot. At Sometimes, we sit down, put it on YouTube and he watches the podcast videos, alongside his grandchildren. He jokes: 'they only tell the jokes, they don't tell the jokes I made'. He jokes: 'I was really talking about Barcelona and. Real Madrid. They didn't know, man. He takes it lightly and, from time to time, he tells a lot of stories."

Luiz Macedo, Evaristo's son

Evaristo, as expected, was remembered and invited by the directors of Flamengo and Bahia to be at Maracanã, but he will follow this Thursday's duel (12) from home. He is still recovering from surgery following a fractured femur, the result of a fall at home in July.

Evaristo de Macedo He started at Madureira and had two spells as a Flamengo player, between 1953 and 1957, and between 1965 and 1967. During this hiatus, he was in Spain, where he defended both sides of the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid, and is still remembered today by Catalans and people from Madrid.

On the field, with Rubro-Negro, he was three-time Rio champion in 1953, 1954 and 1955 and, later, won another State Championship in 1965. He also won the Rio-São Paulo State Champions Cup, in 1955. He was also Fla's coach on three occasions, between the mid-90s and 2000.

He has a reserved space in the Flamengo Museum, opened last year , at the club headquarters, in Gávea. "Evaristo, living legend of Mengão and a hero of the Nation", says a post on the museum's social media page.

Evaristo graduated in physical education from the Federal University of Guanabara, and had a long career as a coach. At Bahia, he was the Brazilian champion coach in 1988, and not for nothing gives his name to the club's training center.

At Tricolor, he won other titles, such as the State titles of 1970, 1971, 1973, 1988, 1998 and 2001, the 2001 Northeast Championship. In 2013, he won the title of Bahian citizen. Last year, when he turned 90, he was honored on Bahia's uniform with a patch saying "Evaristo 90" and his face.

Flamengo and Bahia are two clubs that are close to his heart, it's love and passion. He is very grateful to both of them. To Flamengo for what he achieved as a player, and for his time as a coach, and to Bahia for his titles as a coach. They are a great source of pride.

Evaristo also played and coached the Brazilian national team. He is, to this day, the only one to score a "Manita" — score five goals in the same match — with the Canarian shirt. This happened in 1957, in a 9-0 defeat of Colombia, in the South American Championship.

In recent years, The number of podcasts with themes related to sport has grown exponentially, and with conversations with different coaches, players, managers and former players. In the midst of this scenario, Evaristo de Macedo emerged.

Funny stories involving the former player and former coach were told, and the videos went viral. There are even channels that gathered excerpts from the interviews for a compilation, including parts 1,2,3, and so on.

One of these players was left-back Leandro, who played for clubs like Vitória, Cruzeiro and Palmeiras. In one of the stories, he reproduced a dialogue he had with Evaristo: "He turned around and asked: 'Where are you from, Leandrinho?' I'm from Rio, professor. 'Rio where?' I said: 'I'm from Nova Iguaçu, Austin'. 'Oh, it's not Rio, huh'.

"The other day I was here at the office and there was assistance. There were two guys talking and one of them said he lived in Rio, and the other asked where. He replied: 'Nova Iguaçu' and then heard: ' Oh, Nova Iguaçu is not Rio, huh', imitating the way of speaking. And they both burst out laughing. And they had no idea that I was there, Evaristo's son. The videos went viral, and people reproduced them. , it's funny."

Luiz Macedo