Like a true pop star, goalkeeper Bruno, from Flamengo, arrived by helicopter at 18:30 p.m. this Friday at the Municipal Stadium of Ribeirão das Neves, in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte. The venue is the stage for the Bruno Cup of Football, an amateur charity tournament promoted by the goalkeeper, with the support of the city hall of Ribeirão das Neves.
\
\ - Hey, Ribeirão! – shouted Bruno as he got out of the aircraft.
\
\ Flamengo's number 1 spent his childhood and adolescence in the municipality, one of the poorest in the Belo Horizonte metropolitan region, with high crime rates and known as the city of penitentiaries, due to the fact that it is home to two, Dutra\ Ladeira and José Maria Alckmin.
\
"A movie always plays in my head every time I come here, where I grew up, studied, and started my life. This is where my friends are, the people who have always supported me. What I do for the city and the people here is very little," declared the goalkeeper, referring to the charity tournament he helps promote.
\
Before landing, the helicopter flew over the community of Santa Matilde, the hill where the player grew up. It is a poor area where the risk of landslides is constant, especially during rainy seasons.
\
"I faced many difficulties and managed to overcome them. Today, I know I am a role model. I represent 35 million people (Flamengo fans). But I am also the representative of Ribeirão das Neves. That's why I tell everyone: believe in your dreams. They can come true," he said, emotionally.

\ \

 

\ \

The city where Bruno grew up has approximately 340 inhabitants. The municipality suffers from problems such as the lack of paving on the streets, precarious public transportation, and a lack of infrastructure in health services and basic sanitation. 

\ \

 

\ \

 

\ \

The 'Amigos do Bruno' team plays in official Flamengo uniforms. And with the goalkeeper on the line

\ \

In the tournament that bears his name, the protagonist sets aside his gloves to play as a forward for the Amigos do Bruno team. Now in its third edition, the competition, which began on Wednesday and runs until the 27th, brings together 11 other teams from the region. There are four teams per group.
\
"Bruno's team is in the group of death. It's group 3, which brings together Bruno's Friends and the teams Prefeitura, Unipac, and Liberdade," said Juracy Ricardo, superintendent of the municipal sports department of Ribeirão das Neves, with a serious look.
\
Each of the 12 teams had to donate ten food baskets to register for the tournament. To attend the games, each fan must bring one kilo of non-perishable food. And the team that wins the Bruno Cup will receive a R$10 prize. A gift from the Flamengo goalkeeper.
\
The venue for the games, the extremely cramped Ribeirão das Neves Municipal Stadium, has very poor lighting and a very poor pitch. It has no stands. There is only a covered small grandstand with a capacity of one hundred people.

\ \