The most beloved Argentine among the red-black fans, Franco Balbi participated in Nação's Happy Hour. Last Saturday (13), the FlaBasquete point guard chatted with fan members and spoke about the feeling of being champion with the Mais Querido, the expectations for the Champions League final and much more. 

"It was an ad in my hometown newspaper in Argentina. My father played soccer and he wanted me to play too, but that ad made me choose basketball. I started playing when I was five and I still do." 

"It's a really cool feeling to be a champion wearing this jersey. Having so many Flamengo fans come to the Franca gymnasium to watch us and celebrate with them was really cool. It's very difficult to explain, but it's something that will stay with me forever. Being in this gymnasium celebrating with all my teammates, our assistants, and all our fans who believed we could win this championship—it's an inexplicable feeling, to be a champion wearing a very important jersey, and in my first season too." 

"I'd never experienced anything like this before. I'd never even stepped into the Maracanã stadium, and arriving at Flamengo's first game, seeing all those fans, the passion the Flamengo fans have, is a feeling that's almost on par with being a champion. It's really cool to see the fans singing, cheering for the team. I think everyone who enters the Maracanã stadium packed with Flamengo fans is impressed by the sheer number of people."