Just a few days ago, FlaBasquete officially began its preseason training, one of the most important tasks for the success of a winning team. Planning, integration, and many evaluations are carried out throughout this process so that the squad, captained by Marcelinho Machado, can become national, American, and world champions many times over. Players with diverse specializations are training in the same environment to achieve the main objective of each competition: the championship trophy. Entering his fifth season with FlaBasquete, Diego Falcão, physical trainer for Flamengo basketball and the Brazilian national team, spoke with the official Flamengo website about his work with the club.

This is our fifth year at Flamengo and we're going into our fourth different plan, this one totally different from all the others because we have a stronger State Championship, and we know our responsibility to win.

We know the goal is to win the Rio de Janeiro state championship, the Americas League, and the NBB (Brazilian basketball league), but we don't need to be undefeated champions; now it's time to focus on our preparation.

We've only had ten days of training, at the start of pre-season, and we already have two preparatory tournaments. We won't even be close to 100%, and the teams here are already at a much higher level of training. The Argentinian team is already finishing their pre-season, the Spanish team has already finished everything, and that highlights the difference in our current situation.

Even if we "steamroll" some games in the Carioca Championship and the NBB, we will always be aligned with where we want to be, as we do every year, focusing on the main objective, but adapting our strategies at the end of the championships.

This year, one of those needs is a more competitive Rio de Janeiro state championship; we have to be ready a little earlier, even because of the difficulty of the state championship.

The coaching staff knows this, Neto knows this, so we know that in some games we will be more tired or sore than others, because we are in the early stages of the season and have some very tough games ahead.

In fact, that's the big secret to physical preparation in team sports. It involves several different biological responses happening at the same time.

Marquinhos had three weeks of rest, so he's had time to recover a bit. The others, like Marcelinho, JP, and Olivinha, had a little more time off. Some needed it. Olivinha, for example, didn't stop training last year. This rest was good for him. Fischer, who is genetically different, is recovering well... The main goal is to bring all these people together, who are in the right place and well at the right time; we have to be aware and respect certain phases to achieve success.

That's what we've been able to do over the last four years.

In the major championships, the major tournaments, and the major objectives, we always have a full team, with no injured players, and the team is physically and tactically prepared to pursue the title. This work is not just about physical conditioning but about the entire coaching staff.

In percentage terms, compared to all scientific articles and the daily routine of other high-level teams, we have a very low injury rate. Our success is due to what I mentioned earlier: interdisciplinary work, of course, with the help of all the athletes who execute everything we plan with complete confidence. I don't know if we can say it was the best, but it was noteworthy because we didn't have any serious injuries. In the first year, we had Marcelo with a cruciate ligament injury, but no other major injuries. In the second year, we had (Vitor) Benite, then we had some other serious injuries, but I don't remember them now. Last year, our goal was to have a longer preseason, starting slower, respecting everyone's schedule, in a progressive training phase until the start of the Liga das Américas and then continuing with the NBB.

Actually, Rafael Bernardelli and I alternate; while one of us is with the group, the other is doing individual training.

We're not worried about Fischer; he had a very well-done surgery and his recovery is almost complete in São Paulo. Now we're in the final stages of his recovery, doing physiotherapy and training separately with the group. We need patience; we want him to be ready for the NBB and Liga das Américas, with game rhythm and confidence.

I think it's extremely important to talk about the work of our committee, our planning, and our mutual respect. We know that when the season starts, we won't be at our best; we don't have a sharp, focused view of today, but rather a broad view of the entire year. This is part of the physical preparation we organize, and Neto fully adheres to this plan. This is a major distinguishing feature of his—respecting all professionals and their respective roles. Of course, we want to win every match, but we know that physiologically that's impossible; we can't always be at our best.

Flamengo's success lies in its teamwork, the respect it fosters, and everyone working towards a common goal.