Soccer
06 Jan 2025 | 16:25 |
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O Flamengo reinforced its administrative team by hiring Paulo Ribeiro as "Head" of Psychology. The professional, who has 35 years of experience in football, arrives with the mission of restructuring the club's psychological area. In addition to being part of the permanent committee, he will be responsible for implementing broad work, ranging from the youth categories to the professional squad.
This Monday (6), during the preparation for the first rounds of the Carioca Championship, the new psychologist participated in the Mais Querido training session. Ribeiro's presence marks the beginning of a new cycle at the CRF, which has not had a psychologist since 2019, when Alberto Filgueiras was dismissed by Rodolfo Landim's management.
WHO IS PAULO RIBEIRO?
PhD in Psychology, Paulo Ribeiro has an extensive and consolidated career in football. The professional was at Botafogo between 2018 and 2023, but his relationship with Flamengo is long: he played for Mengão for 21 seasons, from 1990 to 2011. The club's expectation is that its experience will help increase the athletes' performance both on and off the field.
Ribeiro returns at a time when Flamengo seeks greater care with the emotional development of its players, especially those in the youth categories. The integrated work aims to offer support in mental and behavioral issues, which is seen as essential to face the pressure of high-level football.
HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY IN FLAMENGO
During Rodolfo Landim's management, football vice-president Marcos Braz did not consider it essential to have a psychologist in the professional squad's routine. In interviews, Braz stated that the team achieved great achievements even without this type of support. — We understand the importance of the psychologist for the base, but I believe that the professional squad does not need this issue. If there was a need, we would hire them on the spot. We don't have psychologists on the main team and, even so, we won everything and were runner-up in the world — commented Braz at the time.
NEW MANAGEMENT VALUES THE ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGY
The arrival of Luiz Eduardo Baptista at Flamengo brought significant changes, including the prioritization of the psychology department. During the presidential campaign, Bap highlighted the importance of including professionals in this area in the club's daily life, both for the main squad and for the youth teams.
Carlo Ancelotti called up the 18-year-old for the national team's training sessions in Teresópolis and the Mengão goalkeeper was praised by the world champion goalkeeper
05 Set 2025 | 19:02 |
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Coach Carlo Ancelotti has selected five athletes from the youth ranks of Rio de Janeiro clubs to participate in the Brazilian national team's training session in Teresópolis. Among those selected is Léo Nanneti, Flamengo's goalkeeper, who shone in the Under-20 Intercontinental Cup victory over Barcelona.
During a press conference, four-time world champion and current goalkeeping coach for the Brazilian national team, Taffarel , made a point of joking and praising the young Flamengo player. " I didn't like him. I didn't like him because in the first training session he asked me to put gloves on him (laughs) ," he said before concluding.
" You know those gloves that are really tight? You can put one on and you can't put the other on. He said, 'Professor, can you put the glove on with me?' I said, 'Get out of here now' (laughs). I'm a coach, I'm not a glove fitter," he said in a relaxed tone.
Tafarel then revealed his admiration for the youngster: " He's a really cool kid. I didn't even realize he was the goalkeeper in that final (of the U-20 World Cup). I was really happy he came here with us; he has great potential. I liked him, especially because he's an 18-year-old kid, but he already has a real professional attitude. I'm sure he'll bring a lot of joy to Flamengo," he concluded.
Léo Nanneti, who came through Flamengo 's youth ranks since the U-9s, is considered one of the club's brightest prospects. A key player in the U-20 World Cup final, the goalkeeper saved two penalty kicks against Barcelona , securing the title for Mengão.
On loan from Mengão until 2026, the 21-year-old midfielder will wear the number 29 shirt for Peixe and the player highlighted the star's message as a decisive factor.
05 Set 2025 | 17:05 |
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Santos officially presented, this Friday (5), midfielder Victor Hugo , 21 years old. The athlete, on loan from Flamengo until mid-2026, will wear the number 29 shirt and was received by idol Clodoaldo during the press conference . The “Cria do Ninho” highlighted that Neymar's message was decisive in his decision to play for the São Paulo club.
"They really had other options. From the moment Neymar sends a message, it makes a difference," the midfielder stated. He also revealed his admiration for the star: " Neymar was the one who made me fall in love with football when I was younger . I've always followed him closely. He's an idol to me. That really had an impact."
The athlete emphasized that his recent stint with Göztepe in Turkey helped improve his defensive performance. However, his desire now is to regain the attacking characteristics that marked his youth development. " In the youth academy, I was always number 10. [...] I have the ability to get forward to score goals. That's something I want to recover, to get forward more, to score more goals, " he projected.
Victor Hugo is considered one of the most promising young players in the Mais Querido youth academy in recent years. Promoted to the main squad in 2022, he participated in the Copa do Brasil and Libertadores victories that year. However, he lost his place under Tite and ended up on loan. Now, at Santos, the youngster hopes to regain prominence and take a new step in his career.
Upon his return, he nearly agreed to a move to Famalicão-POR. The deal fell through, and the player even received a few minutes under Filipe Luís. However, he didn't win over the coaching staff and was underused.
Celeste's number 10 scored a goal in the 3-0 victory over Peru, which secured a spot in the World Cup. Marcelo Bielsa highlighted the midfielder's recovery.
05 Set 2025 | 15:54 |
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Last Thursday (4), Uruguay beat Peru 3-0 at the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo, securing their place in the next World Cup . Arrascaeta started and scored the second goal of the match, remaining on the field for 69 minutes. With the result, the Celeste Olímpica joins Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia and Paraguay as representatives of South America. Venezuela and Bolivia are already competing for a place in the play-offs.
After the victory, Marcelo Bielsa praised the midfielder's performance and highlighted the Gávea club's role in the athlete's recovery, as he had faced physical problems in recent years. The coach made a point of thanking the club's professionals for their work.
“ Regarding Arrascaeta, I would like to give special recognition to Flamengo's technical and medical staff, who have made Arrascaeta a different player this season, this year, than the one I initially knew ,” said Bielsa.
Bielsa highlighted the player's development, emphasizing his importance to both the national team and the club. " Today, he's a player like I'd heard before. And only this year have I been able to see him in terms of his trajectory , what people say about him, and what he's done for the national team. He's very valuable, but what he does at Flamengo , playing twice a week, scoring goals, providing assists... He's a player who, in this form, is very good," the coach added.
Enjoying one of the best moments of his career, the Uruguayan has played 42 games for Mengão in 2024, 37 of them as a starter. The midfielder has excelled in goalscoring and consistent performances, solidifying his position as a key player in the team's strategy.
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