Duel of heavy shirts: FlaBasquete and Boca face each other this Friday in the Champions League Americas
Coach Gustavo De Conti and pivot Vitor Faverani talk about their expectations for the competition, this weekend, at Maracanãzinho
By Isabela Abirached - inA duel marked by the rivalry between Brazil and Argentina will open another edition of the Basketball Champions League Americas. Flamengo and Boca Juniors will take to the court carrying two important jerseys to the gymnasium at 19:30 p.m. this Friday at Maracanãzinho.
Rubro-Negro is in Group D, which also includes Universidad de Concepción from Chile, in addition to the Argentines. The match against the Chileans will be on Sunday, at the same location and time: 19:30 pm, at Maracanãzinho.
Tickets for both matches are on sale online., starting at R$15, and can also be purchased on the day of the match, from 14 pm, at Ticket Office 2 at Maracanã.
Vitor Faverani arrived at Flamengo in June for his first experience playing in his home country. A native of Porto Alegre, the experienced center left Brazil early and shone in Spain, where he played for Valencia, Murcia, Unicaja Malaga, and Barcelona. His strong performances in Europe led him to the Boston Celtics, a traditional NBA franchise. Now, he aims to win a championship with the Red-Blacks.
"Expectations are high. Flamengo doesn't enter any competition to lose; the goal is always to win, and the Champions League is no different. We're prepared for Boca Juniors or any team that comes our way. The important thing is that we play hard to win the game," said Faverani.
Gustavo De Conti, named Coach of the Year by the National Basketball League (LNB), led the team to victory in all competitions last season and is in his fourth year at the helm of the Pride of the Nation. Runner-up in the first and champion in the second Champions League tournament with Flamengo, Gustavinho expects major challenges for the third time in his quest for the continental title.
"Our experience shows that we won't encounter easy matches, regardless of the opponent. They'll always be tough games, with the champions of each country and reinforced by several excellent foreigners. Our first opponent, Boca Juniors, is a team that led much of the Argentine championship and is still among the top teams. They have players from national teams, not just Argentina," said the coach, who also expects a tough match against the Chileans on Sunday.
"The University of Concepción is also a great team, a national champion, packed with top-notch foreign talent. It will be a great spectacle, with the competition at its highest level, as it has always been in the competition," Gustavinho concluded.
The reigning Champions League champion and 2014 League of the Americas winner, FlaBasquete, is seeking a third continental title. FlaBasquete retained, in addition to the "God of Race" and captain Olivinha, Brazilian national team players Yago Mateus and Rafael Mineiro, Argentine Franco Balbi, and American-Mexican Lucas Martinez. Reinforcements included the arrival of North Americans who played in Argentina, Dar Tucker and Brandon Robinson, MVP of the 2020 Champions League Final, Vitor Faverani, JP Batista, and Túlio da Silva.
The basketball teams of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo rely on resources from their sponsors – BRB, MOSS, TIM, AmBev, Rede D'or, IRB Brasil RE, CSN, Brasil Plural, EY – via the Federal Incentive Law/Ministry of Sports (IR) and State Incentive Law/State Secretariat of Sports, Leisure and Youth (Seelje) of Rio de Janeiro, in addition to support from the Brazilian Club Committee (CBC).