Representatives of the five World Cup titles won by the Brazilian national team participated in the sixth edition of the Mesa Redonda Trophy. Before the awards ceremony, the veterans praised midfielder Petkovic, center forward Adriano, and coach Andrade, who were considered key figures in Flamengo's Brazilian Championship title.

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"What I liked most was Andrade's appointment. He kept coming and going as Flamengo's manager and no one appreciated him, but Andrade stayed and proved his competence. A former player always has an advantage when it comes to becoming a coach," said Dadá Maravilha, world champion in 1970 and hero of Atlético-MG's only Brazilian title in the 1971 season.

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Present at the national team's two-time championship win in 1958 and 1962, Pepe lamented midfielder Petkovic's nationality. "It's a shame he's Serbian; I wish he were Brazilian. He's an extremely talented athlete, a great passer, has grit, and even scores goals. He was one of the stars of the championship," said the former player, a five-time Copa Brasil champion with Santos in the 1960s.

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A player in the historic 1970 three-peat and known for his "atomic kick," Rivellino was pleased to see another high-level left-footer in action in the Brazilian Championship. "Adriano is a killer, strong, with a presence in the box, and intelligent at times. He has a wonderful left foot and was eager to play. I hope he stays in Brazil," he declared.

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Repatriated after a controversial stint in Italy, Adriano was the top scorer in the Brazilian Championship alongside Atlético's Diego Tardelli with 19 goals. In the 14th round, Andrade took over the 11th-place team as interim manager, replacing Cuca, and was eventually made permanent after two consecutive victories. Petkovic, meanwhile, scored eight goals, two of them Olympic goals (against Palmeiras and Atlético-MG), and also provided five assists.

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Having won his fourth title with the national team in 1994, Zetti approved of the Brazilian Championship won by Flamengo. "The consistency of the teams was different from other years. If there had been only two standout teams, it wouldn't have been as exciting. This year was a very good competition, everyone won, and I think it brought a different kind of joy to the fans," analyzed the former goalkeeper, national champion with São Paulo in 1991.

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Of all the world champions in the awards ceremony, the only one to have participated in the 2009 Brazilian Championship was goalkeeper Marcos, who lamented the loss of the trophy. "I did everything I could and lost a few games in the tournament, but I get upset when Palmeiras doesn't win anything. In the end, I was left with the feeling that we could have achieved something more," said the athlete, a five-time champion with the national team in 2002 and present for the club's national titles in 1993 and 1994.