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This Thursday (18), Flamengo begins the dispute of the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores against Estudiantes, at Maracanã. On the eve of the confrontation, the president and idol of the Argentine club, Juan Sebastián Verón, spoke about the expectations for the duel against Rubro-Negro.

DIFFERENT LEVELS

During an institutional event in La Plata, Verón highlighted the financial difference between the teams , with Mengão being the team with the highest market value among the tournament participants, but recalled Estudiantes ' tradition of overcoming opponents considered favorites.

Estudiantes' Verón on Flamengo in the Libertadores: "Yes, the challenge is difficult"

"Obviously, we know the power of our opponent, but we also know that we've been through similar situations against important teams, and that the club, given its history, has risen to the occasion. We've always kept this in mind: yes, the challenge is difficult, but we can excel and represent the club well , regardless of the result. We've experienced this before, and we continue to do so," the director stated.

VERON X FLAMENGO

In the early 1990s, Verón began his career at Estudiantes and played in the 2-0 victory over Flamengo in the 1994 Supercopa Libertadores . In addition to his former club, the former midfielder also shone for major teams such as Boca Juniors, Lazio, Manchester United and Inter Milan . In 2007, he returned to Estudiantes and was a key player in their 2009 Copa Libertadores victory.

Verón retired in 2014, but returned to the field three years later as a player-president . His last official match came in 2017, against Botafogo, also in the Copa Libertadores, during the group stage.

Flamengo beat Juventude this Sunday (14), 2-0, in a game valid for the 23rd round of the Brasileirão. Defender Danilo started due to Léo Ortiz's suspension and, after the match, highlighted the historical importance of the triumph at Alfredo Jaconi, the stadium where he watched Rubro-Negro as a child .

Danilo on Flamengo's victory against Juventude away: "There was this historical context and we really wanted to change that"

"As a fan, I saw Flamengo suffer a lot here when I was a kid. This was discussed before the game because of this historical context, and we really wanted to change that. And, of course, also for the three points, for our continued progress in the championship. We understand that every game is of the utmost importance . There's no next game, there's this one we're living through," he stated.

The defender then emphasized the importance of the team's mindset: "We've been doing this, working game by game, without thinking too much about the future. I think this is the strategy for achieving great things at the end of the season . Now we're entering a phase where points matter even more, in the last three months. We have to continue this path, giving maximum importance to each moment," he concluded.

FLAMENGO BREAKS 28-YEAR TABOO

With the result in Caxias do Sul, Flamengo beat Juventude again away from home after almost 28 years . The last victory had been on October 1, 1997, 1-0, with an own goal by Rodrigo Costa. Since then, Flamengo has accumulated six draws and seven losses at the Rio Grande do Sul stadium.

NEXT DECISIVE GAME

Now, Flamengo turns its focus to the Copa Libertadores. The next match will be this Thursday (18), against Estudiantes (ARG), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time) , at Maracanã, for the first leg of the quarterfinals. Mengão wants to get a victory with a large score to be more comfortable in the return leg.

Spanish midfielder Saúl experienced a weekend of intense emotions on and off the field. One of the key players in Flamengo's 2-0 victory over Juventude in the Brazilian Championship , he played the full 90 minutes despite accumulated fatigue. He had traveled to attend the birth of his third child and, despite having little rest, contributed an assist in the match played in Caxias do Sul.

" It's been crazy. Marco was born at 4:16 a.m. Luckily, everything went very well; my wife is already home with him. We spent the whole night at the hospital. At 6 a.m., we went to our room, and at 8 a.m., they sent me a message from the club telling me to try to get to training at Ninho do Urubu," Saúl reported.

STEERING WHEEL FACES DAWN IN CLEAR

Freed to spend Saturday with his family, Saúl had to wake up at dawn again to travel from Saturday to Sunday to meet the red-and-black delegation. The Spaniard had only 40 minutes of rest before taking the field .

"I went home, met my other two children, and took them to the hospital so they could meet Marco. We stayed until 7:30 or 8:00 p.m., and then we all went home. Then I went to bed, woke up at 3:00 a.m., and arrived at the airport at 5:00 a.m. I caught a flight to Campinas and then to Caxias do Sul. I went straight to the hotel and managed to rest for about 40 minutes. It was a rush. The important thing is that everything went well," he said.

SAÚL RECEIVES PRAISES FROM FILIPE LUÍS

An undisputed starter in Flamengo 's midfield, Saúl has been a mainstay of the team under Filipe Luís. The coach even stated that "we're seeing the best Saúl, perhaps the best of his career ."

The midfielder, however, prefers to keep his feet on the ground. " I don't think so. I think I've had some really good times. Mentally, I'm in a great place. My family is with me on this adventure, and I know it's not easy for my wife ," he said before concluding.

"Every time I spend with my teammates, I aim to participate, but for those who follow us, it's never easy. I've had some very memorable moments, and now I'm experiencing another very good one too. We can have bad times, it's part of the game, so we have to enjoy the good ones too," he said.