Baby is the only new addition to Fla's re-presentation
Marcelinho, Duda and Lamonte were absent from the team that performed this Monday in Gávea
By Media Relations - in
Without Marcelinho and Duda, who are training with the Brazilian National Teams, respectively, and American forward Kyle Lamonte, who will only arrive in Rio in the second week of August, Flamengo's basketball team returned to training this Monday at the Hélio Maurício Gymnasium in Gávea with few new faces. The only new addition to the Brazilian runner-up's squad was center Baby, who returns to the club after a stint with Paulistano. A 2009 National League champion with the red-and-black team, the former Brazilian national team player couldn't hide his joy at returning home.
"I'm very happy with this return. I never wanted to leave here, but that's in the past and now I just want to think about winning titles with Flamengo next season. I'm really looking forward to wearing the red and black shirt again and meeting our fans again," said the center, who signed a two-year contract.
Baby was joined by Fred, Hélio, Guilherme Teichmann, Jefferson, and Wagner, as well as the entire coaching staff. Training is scheduled to begin next Monday (the 2nd) in Gávea. The first two weeks of preparation will be entirely focused on physical fitness.
"In this initial phase of preparation, the players will undergo medical exams and individual physical assessments to get a clear understanding of their condition. We will focus on the physical aspect of the game so the players can gain strength, and only starting on August 15th will we alternate physical training here in Gávea with technical and tactical training, which will take place at the HSBC Arena," explained physical trainer Rafael Bernardelli.
One of the most excited about the red-and-black team's return was coach Paulo Chupeta. Happy with the retention of the Brazilian runner-up base, the coach celebrated the arrival of the reinforcements.
"We still need to bring in two adult players and two youth players to complete the group, but the signings of Baby and Lamonte were sensational. They are two unique players who will fit perfectly into our squad. Lamonte will be important to share some of our offensive volume with Marcelo. Baby is that key player in the paint who we sorely missed in the final playoffs against Brasília. But we can't forget the management's efforts to renew the youth academy that gave us our two-time Brazilian championship," Chupeta emphasized.
"I'm very happy with this return. I never wanted to leave here, but that's in the past and now I just want to think about winning titles with Flamengo next season. I'm really looking forward to wearing the red and black shirt again and meeting our fans again," said the center, who signed a two-year contract.
Baby was joined by Fred, Hélio, Guilherme Teichmann, Jefferson, and Wagner, as well as the entire coaching staff. Training is scheduled to begin next Monday (the 2nd) in Gávea. The first two weeks of preparation will be entirely focused on physical fitness.
"In this initial phase of preparation, the players will undergo medical exams and individual physical assessments to get a clear understanding of their condition. We will focus on the physical aspect of the game so the players can gain strength, and only starting on August 15th will we alternate physical training here in Gávea with technical and tactical training, which will take place at the HSBC Arena," explained physical trainer Rafael Bernardelli.
One of the most excited about the red-and-black team's return was coach Paulo Chupeta. Happy with the retention of the Brazilian runner-up base, the coach celebrated the arrival of the reinforcements.
"We still need to bring in two adult players and two youth players to complete the group, but the signings of Baby and Lamonte were sensational. They are two unique players who will fit perfectly into our squad. Lamonte will be important to share some of our offensive volume with Marcelo. Baby is that key player in the paint who we sorely missed in the final playoffs against Brasília. But we can't forget the management's efforts to renew the youth academy that gave us our two-time Brazilian championship," Chupeta emphasized.