Flamengo presented, this Friday (14), at the Gávea social headquarters, the Argentine Sérgio "Oveja" Hernández as the new coach of FlaBasquete. Announced last Wednesday, the coach arrives to command the red-black team with an extensive curriculum and experience of more than 30 years in the role. The contract with Mais Querido is valid until the end of the next season.

The presentation was led by Flamengo's Director of Olympic Sports, Marcus Freire, making his first public appearance in the role. In addition to highlighting the new manager's importance to the Pride of the Nation project, the director emphasized the sport's transition and strengthening: "We are taking advantage of a change in everything at Flamengo (...) and today we have a new basketball coach, who will establish a new philosophy, a new cycle, a new era—from high performance to the youth level. It's a time of change."

After the presentation, Hernández gave his first press conference. Excited about the new challenge, he made a point of highlighting Flamengo's grandeur and its history in the sport: "I'm very happy to be here. I took a tour of the club; you can breathe history here. The statues of Zico, Olivinha, photos of Oscar, Marcelinho… people I admire greatly. Being at a club with so much history is a source of pride."

The Argentine coach also revealed that the invitation to work at Flamengo was not a new one and that he had already been called by the club before: "A few years ago, Flamengo approached me. I couldn't accept at the time. I always said that I missed that opportunity. Now, it worked out."

Hernández, who replaces Gustavo De Conti, commented on the differences between the two. For him, the main change will be in leadership style: "I don't think there's much of a technical difference, perhaps in style. More of a difference in leadership style than in the game itself. We're both coaches who value teamwork, above any individuality. And with the best possible defense."

The new manager also emphasized the importance of leading a club the size of Flamengo and revealed that his family played an important role in his decision to accept the challenge: "Flamengo is the team with the most fans in the world. Any coach, any player, wants to work for Flamengo and would be very proud of that. I've been a coach for 30 years. I called my two sons and they said, 'If you don't go to Flamengo, you have to retire.' I said, 'Okay, you're right.'"

Check out the full interview below