The Globe
Gavilán promises to spend the year injury-free at Fla
Paraguayan's flight is cancelled but he guarantees he will be present today with the rest of the squad.
Initially failing medicals and later signed by Flamengo, midfielder Gavilán assures: he will play the entire season for the red-and-black club without serious injuries. He admitted to having a problem in his right knee, which has already undergone surgery. The Paraguayan will report today at Gávea, along with the Flamengo squad.
After passing the exams, Gavilán encountered other obstacles yesterday. While still in Asunción, his flight was canceled and he found an alternative: he traveled to Foz do Iguaçu and, from there, caught another flight to Rio. He called Flamengo's vice president of football, Kléber Leite, assuring him that he would be in Gávea this morning.
In Rio, Gavilán will have to frequent the weight room. The player underwent surgery while still playing for Cerro Porteño in 1999. Since then, he has had to do muscle-strengthening sessions to prevent injuries.
"I've always done this strengthening because I was diagnosed with knee wear during my arthroscopy. But I played the entire season without any problems at Grêmio, and I won't have any at Flamengo either," the player said in an interview with Rádio Brasil. "Flamengo was honest with me, and I was honest with the club."
Meeting about Ronaldo will be next week
Gavilán's contract gives Flamengo the right to terminate the contract if the player has medical problems.
Yesterday, Kléber Leite met with the vice presidents of finance, José Carlos Dias, and marketing, Ricardo Hinrichsen, as well as the executive director, Eduardo Manhães, and collaborator Plínio Serpa Pinto. The group discussed the project and the contract model that will be drafted by the marketing department to present to Ronaldo, who arrived in Dubai yesterday, where he will train with Milan. Flamengo will schedule a meeting with Fabiano Farah, the striker's agent, next week.
- Ronaldo is in the mood - Kléber Leite celebrated, commenting on the fact that the striker wore a Flamengo shirt to the New Year's Eve party.
Sports Journal
Big dreams for 2008
With some major reinforcements, the club is expecting a special year. Ronaldo and Tardelli are still negotiating.
Thiago Bokel and Nathan Lima
Ronaldo has changed his style and has long hair. He wants to relive his glory days.
A month after the celebration and euphoria of qualifying for the Libertadores, the Flamengo group will meet again today at 9am in Gávea to begin preparations for 2008. Fans will see some new faces, but expectations are on who might still arrive.
In addition to signing midfielder Kleberson in October, the Flamengo board has strengthened the defense and midfield. Defender Rodrigo and defensive midfielders Gavilán and Jônatas will be tasked with maintaining Flamengo's reputation for having one of the best defenses in the country. Another new arrival is midfielder Marcinho, signed from Atlético-MG. However, a striker is still missing.
In this sense, vice-president of football Kleber Leite is optimistic, even with Ronaldo having traveled to Dubai to rejoin Milan, and now having two strong competitors in the dispute for Diego Tardelli: Santos and Palmeiras.
"I just had a meeting with Ricardo Hinrichsen, José Carlos Dias, and Plinio Serpa Pinto about Ronaldo's situation. There's no major news. Ricardo will prepare a marketing plan to present to Ronaldo next week. I'm very confident. As for Tardelli, Palmeiras and Santos have every right to make an offer, but we're still in the running. I spoke with São Paulo's board, but nothing has been finalized yet. We'll continue to fight for him," explained Kleber Leite.
Although Ronaldo has become a bit more distant due to the obstacles Milan is putting in place, collaborator Plinio Serpa Pinto remains hopeful for a happy ending to this saga. The striker even spent New Year's Eve in Angra dos Reis wearing a Flamengo jersey.
"The expectation is that Ronaldo will be with us in the Libertadores, but the idea of bringing him now is not easy. If I say too much, it will hinder the project, but we are doing this with simplicity and we count on the player's goodwill. We are working hard to make this signing happen as quickly as possible," said the collaborator.
The group will depart tomorrow afternoon for Teresópolis, where they will stay until the 14th. After that, they will spend another week in Rio preparing for their Carioca debut on the 20th against Boavista at the Maracanã. For a season that promises to go down in Flamengo's history, the first page will be written today.
Physical preparation is a priority at Fla
Flamengo returns to work today and the club's physical trainer, Ronaldo Torres, explained to JORNAL DOS SPORTS how the group that will participate in the 2008 season will be prepared.
"Tomorrow (today) we return to activities and will do a linear heart rate assessment, which evaluates the players' heart rates. I don't want to spend too much time on these assessments, as we can do the others during the season. The important thing is to know what my athletes' linear heart rate is so we can do good physical training. After the assessments, we will begin our specific training by the 9th. Then Joel should start working with the ball. My priority, at the moment, is to work on the players' muscles and only then think about the organic part," said the physical trainer, who intends to use the Guanabara Cup games to prepare the athletes for the Libertadores.
"We won't have friendlies, so we're thinking of using the Guanabara Cup matches to refresh the players' rhythm and get them into the Libertadores opener in style. This isn't to belittle our State opponents, of course, but everyone knows that Libertadores matches demand more from the players," added Ronaldo Torres.
Finally, Gavilán performs in Gávea
Paraguayan Gavilán will train with the rest of the Flamengo squad for the first time. He is the tenth midfielder in the group.
Midfielder Gavilán reports today along with the rest of Flamengo's squad for the start of preseason training. The player's transfer process was a turbulent one.
After being announced as a new addition to the club, the midfielder failed his medical and was released. However, the club's board soon reversed course and signed the Paraguayan to a risk-free contract.
The new red-black reinforcement warned that, despite having been treated with great distrust, he did not worry, as he knew that his small problem would not hinder him during the season.
"To tell the truth, I wasn't worried. The medical department did their job, as they have the right to see how the player is progressing. And I was also honest in reporting everything. I'm calm and confident that I'll fulfill my contract," said the defensive midfielder, who underwent an astroscopic examination on his right knee and, as a result, ended up worrying Flamengo's doctors.
"I had this surgery and my knee started to wear out. So I have to be extra careful. But that has never stopped me from playing at a high level," the Paraguayan commented in an interview with Rádio Brasil.
Rain of steering wheels
In addition to Gavilán, Flamengo has nine other defensive midfielders in its squad (Cristian, Kleberson, Jônatas, Ibson, Rômulo, Jaílton, Léo Medeiros, Vinicius Colombiano and Colace), but the player was not worried about this fact.
"It's important to have options when building the team. We have tough competitions ahead," Gavilán added.
Flamengo's basketball team returns to training
First working day of 2008 and the Flamengo/Petrobras team, three-time state champion, has already started training, aiming for the National Basketball Championship that will begin on the 6th. The group returned to coach Paulo Chupeta on the morning of last Wednesday (02/01), at the Hélio Maurício gymnasium, at the Gávea headquarters.
The team trained on the field under the guidance of head coach André Guimarães. This Thursday, the team will hold a morning training session, scheduled to begin at 10:17 AM, and a physical training session at 30:XNUMX PM.
Paulo Chupeta will take command of the red-black squad on Friday, the 4th, in both periods (10 am and 17 pm).
Saturday will be a trip to Lajeado (Rio Grande do Sul), where Flamengo will face its first challenge of 2008. The match, scheduled for 20pm this Sunday (6/01), will be against the UNIVATES/BIRA team.
On Monday, the red-black team will head to Joinville (SC), where they will face the home team, Joinville/Univille/Dânica, on Tuesday, the 8th, at 20 pm.
The three-time champions are scheduled to return to action on Wednesday, with an afternoon training session. On Friday the 11th, the red-and-black team will host CETAF/Vila Velha at 20 p.m.
Maria Helena Braun
By Letter
Hail 2008!
Maria Helena Braun mbraun@jsports.com.br
Let's say 2007 revived Rio de Janeiro football. I know you'll say that the Fla-Flu duo reached the top four but failed to convince, that it was more due to the incompetence of their opponents than their own merits, that Flamengo was driven by their immense fan base, and that Fluminense kept coming and coming, as if they were aiming for nothing, and ended up like this: fourth place, one behind Flamengo, in an honorable third place. Well, I don't think you, reader, are entirely wrong. In fact, what happened in the Brazilian Championship wasn't exactly eye-catching. Fla rallied from 1-0 to 1-0, one of those very narrow ones, in games where the fans counted the seconds until the final whistle. Flu also had poor performances, even sleepy, since they didn't have a raucous crowd like Flamengo's to keep everyone awake. But the truth is that the Fla-Flu duo, despite all its drawbacks, honored Rio's football, silenced many good people, and made 2007 the year of Rio pride. Yes, that's right, pride, because in 2008 none of the big four will experience the discomfort of playing classics in the second division. Because two clubs are in the Libertadores and two more in the South American. And there's euphoria! But a euphoria that's good for you. It's great to see the red-and-black team shouting "Tokyo," in a highly optimistic allusion to a possible world title win, or to hear on the Tricolor street corners that "the machine is back." What better way to lift the spirits and self-esteem of a people who only see Rio in the police news?
Well, bring on the Libertadores and the South American Cup. 2008 will be different. Flamengo is assembling a respectable team, with Ibson, Kleberson, Renato Augusto, Leonardo Moura, Bruno, Gavilan, and Jônatas. Is it possible or not to face the battle? Flu is also trying to get its house in order, with Washington, Dodô, and more to come. So, yes, it's possible to dream. Vasco and Botafogo are more modest in their acquisitions, perhaps in their ambitions, but let no one underestimate them. Anyway, that's why 2007, which just passed, will be remembered as the year in which Rio de Janeiro football pulled itself out of the mud and returned to the red carpets—or rather, the green carpets, where the ball rolls smoothly, with teams that once again dream of titles and leave behind the battle against relegation, which already seemed like the fate of Rio de Janeiro. Hail 2008! Long live Rio de Janeiro football!
O Dia
Flamengo: Still missing the money
Rubro-Negro already has a plan to bring Ronaldo, but it depends on sponsorship.
Rio - The plan to lure Ronaldo from Milan is in the hands of Flamengo's marketing vice president, Ricardo Hinrichsen. According to Hinrichsen, the proposal will be finalized by tomorrow. However, there will still be a lack of funds to make this dream signing a reality.
"We depend on the sponsors' receptiveness," the director stated. "We'll need financial support to present a concrete project to Ronaldo and his agent. For the club, I think we can finalize everything by the end of the week, but for now, we've only received superficial inquiries," he added.
While Ronaldo arrived in Dubai to join the Milan squad, Ricardo Hinrichsen was making plans for his future. But without a sponsor, it's impossible to know exactly when Ronaldo's future with Flamengo will be.
"We need to formulate a project, find a sponsor, and make an official proposal. This could take three days or three weeks. It's not simple. Let's take action," said the marketing vice president. "The companies liked the concept, but we haven't yet addressed the issue of pricing. And that, of course, is always much more complicated than the conceptual aspect," stated Ricardo.
Ronaldo's contract with Milan doesn't end until mid-year. In a rush to secure the striker for the Copa Libertadores, the Gávea club's directors intend to sign him as quickly as possible.
But, if Milan doesn't want to release him now, Flamengo's board will wait until July, when Ronaldo will no longer have a contract.
Accompanied by Brazilians Kaká, Digão, Dida, and Cafu, the striker arrived in Dubai yesterday, even before the rest of the Milan delegation. While in Brazil, Ronaldo was examined by Flamengo and the national team's doctor, José Luiz Runco, for a calf injury.
The doctor gave an interview to the Italian press, stating that the treatment in Rio had the expected effect and that Ronaldo even has a good chance of participating in Milan's friendly in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday.
The Italian club's delegation will remain in Dubai until Wednesday. Once back in Italy, it will be time to resume the Serie A season. Ronaldo's team's next opponent in the competition will be Napoli on the 13th.
Gavilán has a challenge to overcome
Of the reinforcements who will be presented this morning at Gávea for Flamengo's pre-season, one of them will have to swallow the ball, as a challenge to be overcome: the defensive midfielder Gavilán.
After having his name announced by the club's board as one of the reinforcements for the 2008 season, the former Grêmio player almost saw his signing go up in smoke. Despite failing his medical, his desire to wear the red-and-black jersey was stronger, and he made the club an offer of a risky contract.
Having never set foot in Gávea, Gavilán arrives at the club today with the mission of proving that his right knee will hold up well during this season's marathon, which includes the Copa Libertadores, the main reason for the Paraguayan's insistence on wearing the red-black team's shirt.
"Grêmio was already aware of my problem, but I never had anything serious when I played there. An arthroscopy detected wear in my right knee when I was still playing for Cerro, and it required strengthening work," the player admitted. "The most important thing is that I was honest with Flamengo and its management. I'm calm and confident," Gavilán added yesterday in an interview with Rádio Brasil.
Sports Gazette
Between Santos and Flamengo, Tardelli awaits Tricolor's position
São Paulo (SP) - Two clubs are in the running to sign striker Diego Tardelli. Santos and Flamengo have already approached the player, but they need to reach an agreement with São Paulo, which will only accept a permanent deal for around US$1 million. "I'm waiting. I've received offers from Santos and Flamengo, but nothing is finalized yet. I'll report to São Paulo on Monday," the athlete explained in an interview with Rádio Globo.
Initially, Tardelli dismissed a preference for Santos or Flamengo. "On one hand, there's Professor Leão, who always has confidence in me. Flamengo, on the other hand, would be a new experience in my career," he said evasively.
On the other hand, Tardelli says his priority is to play in the Libertadores with São Paulo. However, competition at Morumbi is fierce, with Adriano, Dagoberto, Aloísio, and Borges playing in his sector. "Right now, I don't know if I'll be useful to Muricy," the athlete concluded.
Ronaldo returns to Milan and complicates negotiations with Fla
Rio de Janeiro (RJ) - Forward Ronaldo filled Flamengo fans with hope by celebrating New Year's Eve in the red-and-black jersey. However, instead of staying closer to Gávea, the "Phenomenon" dashed expectations by traveling this Wednesday morning to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, where he will join the Milan squad for a mini preseason. Both the Milan board and coach Carlo Ancelotti are ignoring Flamengo's interest and insist that Ronaldo will remain in Italy until at least July of this year, when his contract expires. However, negotiations have not yet concluded, and Flamengo's vice-president of football, Kléber Leite, revealed that he will soon meet with the star's representatives and that the saga should end within 20 days.
Tardelli - While the Ronaldo controversy is still ongoing, Flamengo is trying to reach an agreement with another striker, Diego Tardelli. The deal was expected to be finalized on the 30th, but the distance between the locations where each party was spending their vacations hindered the outcome. Flamengo was seeking to loan the player, but São Paulo's board, which holds his federation rights, has already announced that it will only release him if they pay R$1,7 million.
Bruno Moraes also enters the list of possible reinforcements\ Gazeta Press\
Rio de Janeiro (RJ) - In addition to Ronaldo and Diego Tardelli, Flamengo already has a new option if negotiations with Milan and São Paulo, respectively, fail. Striker Bruno Moraes, whose federation rights are tied to Porto, could sign with the red-and-black club. The information was published by the Portuguese press and came from Aluísio Moraes, the player's father and agent. He believes Flamengo would be a good option for his son, who has had few opportunities at his current club due to their participation in the Copa Libertadores da América. Bruno Moraes previously played for Santos and has been with Porto since 2006.
Negotiations with Ronaldo continue, and vice president of football Kléber Leite became more optimistic after learning that the Milan player celebrated New Year's Eve in Angra dos Reis wearing a Flamengo jersey. Although he was unable to meet Ronaldo, where he also spent New Year's Eve, the vice president of football spoke with Fabiano Farah, the striker's agent, and was pleased with the progress of the negotiations.
Kléber Leite intends to meet with Plínio Serpa, the club's former vice president of football, José Carlos Dias, vice president of finance, and Ricardo Hinrichsen, vice president of marketing, to outline a plan that will be submitted to representatives of the "Phenomenon" by the end of January. Ronaldo traveled to Dubai this Tuesday, where he will join the Milan delegation.
Ronaldo spends New Year's Eve wearing a Flamengo shirt, says newspaper
Rio de Janeiro (RJ) - The biggest dream of the red-black board for 2008, striker Ronaldo would have spent New Year's Eve in Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, wearing the Flamengo shirt, according to information published this Wednesday by columnist Ancelmo Gois in the Rio de Janeiro newspaper O Globo.\ In Flamengo's sights, who want to sign him for the Copa Libertadores da América, the Phenomenon is spending the final part of his vacation in Brazil and should travel to Italy in the next few days to report back to Milan.\
Despite Flamengo's insistence and recent statements from vice-president Kleber Leite, who assured that the player wants to play for the Rio de Janeiro club, the Italian club has already announced that it has no intention of negotiating with him. Ronaldo's contract with Milan runs until next July.
A Flamengo fan at heart, the striker only played for Cruzeiro in Brazilian football. He then moved to Europe and played for PSV, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Milan. Despite this, he never hid his desire to end his career with the Rio de Janeiro club.
PeléNet'
Manager says Fla will do everything to bring Ronaldo
From UOL Esporte\ In Rio de Janeiro\
The dream continues. Plínio Serpa Pinto, a Flamengo board member, assured this Wednesday that the club will spare no effort to finalize the signing of striker Ronaldo, who has already rejoined Milan, as quickly as possible.
"We're convinced that Project Ronaldo is for now. He has to report to Milan, which is the club he has a contract with. But we're working on financial arrangements for him to be with us in the Copa Libertadores. If it doesn't work out, let it be in July," he stressed in an interview with Rádio Tupi.
Plínio made a point of emphasizing that negotiations with the Phenomenon are not a show for the media and red-black fans.
"The fans won't be fooled, this isn't a joke. It won't be a disgrace to not get a deal like this. But we have three loose ends to tie up. I just can't say anything so as not to disrupt the project," the director pointed out.
Gavilán forgets his problems and says he is ready to help Fla
From UOL Esporte\ In Rio de Janeiro\
Flamengo's signing of Gavilán was somewhat turbulent. After being announced as a new addition to the club, the midfielder failed his medical and was released. However, the club's board soon reversed course and signed the former Grêmio player to a risky contract.
Although his first impression wasn't the best, the Paraguayan doesn't feel shaken or burdened with any extra responsibility. According to Gavilán, all the trauma and uncertainty have now been overcome.
"I wasn't worried. The medical department did their job, as they have the right to see how the player is progressing. And I was also honest in reporting everything. I'm calm and confident that I'll fulfill my contract," said the player, who in the past underwent arthroscopy on his right knee and, as a result, worried the red-black doctors.
"I had this surgery and my knee started to wear out. So I have to be extra careful. But that's never stopped me from playing at a high level. I didn't have any problems at Grêmio, for example," he said in an interview with Rádio Brasil.
Gavilán also commented on the excessive number of defensive midfielders in Flamengo's squad. "It's important to have options when building the team. We have tough competitions ahead," he assessed.
Rubro-Negro has seven other players for the position: Cristian, Kleberson, Toró, Léo Medeiros, Jaílton, Jônatas and the young Rômulo.
Compared to Flu, Fla debuts at a disadvantage in the Libertadores
From UOL Esporte\ In Rio de Janeiro\
CONMEBOL has released the dates for the first round of the Copa Libertadores, and the news isn't good for Flamengo. Flamengo's debut is away against Coronel Bolognesi-PER on Wednesday, February 13th.
The problem, however, is that the previous Sunday (February 10th) the team from Gávea faces a classic against Fluminense, another Rio representative in the continental competition. The red-and-blacks fear the team will be exhausted, as after a game of intense rivalry, they will have to face a tiring trip to Peru.
The life of Tricolor das Laranjeiras ended up becoming apparently less complicated, since it only plays its first game in the Libertadores on February 20, against LDU, in Ecuador.
FLAMENGO TABLE
13/02 - Coronel Bolognesi-PER x Flamengo\ 27/02 - Flamengo x Cienciano-PER or Wanderers-URU\ 05/03 - Nacional-URU x Flamengo\ 19/03 - Flamengo x Nacional-URU\ 09/04 - Cienciano-PER or Wanderers-URU x Flamengo\ 23/04 - Flamengo x Coronel BolognesPER\
FLUMINENSE TABLE
20/02 - LDU-EQU x Fluminense\ 28/02 - Fluminense x Arsenal-ARG or Mineros-VEN\ 19/03 - Libertad-PAR x Fluminense\ 02/04 - Fluminense x Libertad-PAR\ 08/04 - Arsenal-ARG or Mineros-VEN x Fluminense\ 17/04 - Fluminense x LDU-EQU\
BalloonSport
Fla still looking for money to have Ronaldo
Marketing vice president says project will be ready this week, but sponsor is missing
Barbara Carvalho
Fla needs sponsors' support to have Ronaldo
Flamengo is racing against time to finalize the project that would enable Ronaldo's signing. According to vice president of marketing Ricardo Hinrichsen, the club will finalize the proposal this week, but the most important thing is missing: financial support to get the idea off the ground.
According to Ricardo, the meeting with Kléber Leite, vice president of football, and José Carlos Dias, vice president of finance, will take place no later than this Thursday.
"Our meeting should take place between today (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday). We depend on the sponsors' receptiveness. We need financial support to present a concrete project to Ronaldo. For the club, I think we'll have everything finalized by the end of this week. But so far, we've only received superficial inquiries. The companies liked the concept, but we haven't yet addressed the issue of values, and that's much more complicated than the conceptual aspect," explains Ricardo.
The star's contract with Milan runs until the middle of this year. The Gávea club intends to have Ronaldo already for the Copa Libertadores, but if negotiations aren't finalized in January, the board has announced that it will try to secure the striker in July, when he will be released from the Italian club.
Red and Black New Year's Eve
According to the newspaper "O Globo", the Phenomenon spent the New Year's Eve of 2007 to 2008 wearing a Flamengo shirt, in Angra dos Reis (south coast of Rio de Janeiro). However, Kléber Leite, who was also in the city, denies that he met the striker during New Year's Eve.
Ronaldo spends New Year's Eve wearing a Flamengo shirt
Ancelmo Gois reveals that the club's intended player dismissed the white man in Angra
Flamengo fans have already worn an image of Ronaldo on the club's shirt
It's no secret that Ronaldo has been a Flamengo fan since he was a child. However, donning the red-and-black jersey at a time when his favorite club wants him to be their biggest signing this season takes on new meaning, especially for fans of the Rio de Janeiro club. That's what happened on New Year's Eve, according to "O Globo" columnist Ancelmo Gois.
The columnist reveals in this Wednesday's edition that the Milan striker ditched his traditional white outfit on New Year's Eve in Angra dos Reis, a city on Rio de Janeiro's Costa Verde, to wear Flamengo's jersey. Flamengo fans already demonstrated in the stands at Maracanã during the All-Star Game, hosted by Zico on the 27th, that they are eager to see the "Phenomenon" playing for their team.
Negotiations in Angra dos Reis
Although he was unable to meet with Ronaldo in Angra dos Reis, where he also spent New Year's Eve, Flamengo's vice president of football, Kléber Leite, met with the player's agent, Fabiano Farah. Kléber hopes to resolve the situation this month.
"Ronaldo went to Dubai this Tuesday, and I didn't get to meet him. But I did have contact with his attorney. I'm going to meet with Plínio Serpa (former vice president of football for the club), José Carlos Dias (vice president of finance), and Ricardo Hinrichsen (vice president of marketing) to draw up a plan to be delivered to Ronaldo within 15 to 20 days. He'll either come immediately or later in the year," Kléber Leite said in an interview with the newspaper "Lance."
Ronaldo arrives in Dubai ahead of Milan
The phenomenon arrives before the rest of the Milan team, which will play a friendly in the city
Forward Ronaldo traveled to Dubai (United Arab Emirates) on Wednesday, arriving in the city before the rest of the Milan squad, according to the Gazzetta dello Sport website. On the 8th, the team will play a friendly against the local national team.
The delegation will remain in Dubai until January 9th, when it returns to Italy to continue competing in the Italian Championship. The first official match of the year is against Napoli on the 13th.
Ronaldo arrived in the United Arab Emirates accompanied by other Brazilians on the team: Kaká, Digão, Dida and Cafu.
According to Flamengo's doctor, José Luiz Runco, in an interview with the Italian press, the Phenomenon should be able to play after undergoing treatment in Rio de Janeiro.
The Phenomenon spent the holiday season in Brazil and began serious talks with Flamengo about joining the Gávea club this year. According to the newspaper "O Globo," the star even spent New Year's Eve wearing a Flamengo jersey.
Fla returns to work with the base maintained
Of the team that finished the Brazilian Championship, only Roger left the club. Five reinforcements arrived.
Defender Rodrigo is one of Fla's new faces for the season
After a month of vacation, soccer matches, speculation, and signings, Flamengo's squad returns this Thursday to kick off the 2008 season. Riding the wave of fans still euphoric about qualifying for the Copa Libertadores, the Rubro-Negro unveils two more signings: defensive midfielders Gavilán and Jônatas, who returns to the club after a year and a half with Espanyol Barcelona. The Flamengo players undergo the traditional medical examinations under the supervision of Dr. José Luís Runco and on Friday head to Teresópolis, where they will conduct preseason training at Granja Comary.
In addition to Jônatas and Gavilán, defender Rodrigo and midfielder Marcinho are also meeting their new teammates for the first time. Kleberson, the other new addition, has been training with the group since last year. Still chasing Ronaldo and Diego Tardelli to complete the signing cycle, Flamengo returns to training with virtually the entire 2007 squad retained. The only absence is midfielder Roger, who has been released.
At Fla, Jônatas wants to 'rediscover his level'
In an interview with a Spanish newspaper, the midfielder says goodbye to Espanyol and praises the club's fans
Jônatas is one of Flamengo's key signings for the season. Having played for Espanyol since mid-2006, Jônatas returned to Flamengo in 2008 promising to prove he deserved to be considered a star, a title he received upon being traded. In an interview with the newspaper "As" before traveling to Brazil last week, the player expressed optimism about his return to the Red-Blacks.
- I'm starting a new stage in Brazil, where I hope to find my level - he says.
Jônatas is highly praised by the newspaper in the article. "He was possibly the most talented player to have played for Espanyol in the club's recent history," the article states. The Brazilian was even nicknamed "Pelé" for scoring a goal from midfield while wearing the team's jersey. And the newspaper bids farewell to the athlete by comparing him to the King: "The Pelé they didn't let triumph at the Olympic Stadium."
The midfielder's time at the club was turbulent, with issues with teammates and the coach. Despite this, Jônatas says he will miss the Catalan team.
"The fans love me, and I'll never forget that. Even when I wasn't playing, they always stopped me on the street, and I happily helped them. Fans are the lifeblood of every club: without them, football, anywhere and in any division, would be dead," he concludes.
Throw
Diego Tardelli is getting closer and closer to Fla
But the Rio de Janeiro club would not be willing to pay US$1 million for him.
LANCEPRESS!
Flamengo took a significant step toward acquiring striker Diego Tardelli this Wednesday. Vice President of Football Kléber Leite spoke with Carlos Augusto de Barros e Silva, known as Leco, São Paulo's vice president of football, about the player.
Regarding Tardelli, Kléber emphasized that the matter is well underway and could have a positive outcome in the coming days.
"I spoke with Leco and formalized our intention. We've already discussed the terms and hope to finalize this quickly," said Kléber, who was unable to speak with Tardelli's agent, Giuliano Bertoluci.
Flamengo was not willing to pay US$1 million, as São Paulo wanted, but managed to negotiate the amount to have Tardelli permanently for four or five years.
Gavilán explains his knee problem
Paraguayan midfielder gave an exclusive interview to Radio L!
Midfielder defended Grêmio in the last Brasileirão (Credit: Archive)
LANCEPRESS!
Flamengo's signing of midfielder Gavilán sparked suspicion. After all, the Paraguayan failed his medical due to a knee problem. However, the player offered a risky contract, and the Flamengo board accepted. Confirmed as Mengão's reinforcement for the Copa Libertadores, Gavilán explained his problem on Rádio L!'s "LANCE! Final" segment:
radio l! - I've been playing for a long time and the injury has never stopped me from working. Of course, I have to be careful with some work and, for my part, I'll do whatever it takes to keep my knee healthy - he said. (Click and listen)
Éder, ex-Guarani, should be presented to Fla
Striker is the promise for the attack that the manager guaranteed
LANCEPRESS!
Twenty-year-old striker Éder is expected to be the promising attacking prospect that vice president of football Kléber Leite had promised. According to sources, the player resigned from the Guarani court and could be presented to Flamengo this Thursday.
The club is still looking for two more players in this position. And the strongest names continue to be Diego Tardelli, from São Paulo, and Ronaldo, from Milan.
Flamengo performs this Thursday in Gávea
The group travels to Granja Comary on Friday for pre-season
LANCEPRESS!
Flamengo's players will report to training this Thursday in Gávea. In the morning, they will undergo medical exams and begin physical training in the afternoon. On Friday, the delegation will travel to Granja Comary, where they will conduct preseason training until the 15th, when they return to Rio.
This will be a chance for fans to meet the new players for the season. Three have already been officially introduced (Rodrigo, Marcinho, and Kleberson), and Jônatas and Gavilán will arrive tomorrow.
Flamengo debuts in the Campeonato Carioca on the 20th, against Boavista, at Maracanã
Flamengo Juniors travel this Friday
The team will debut on Saturday in the São Paulo Junior Cup against Nacional
LANCEPRESS!
Flamengo's juniors will travel tomorrow to compete in the São Paulo Junior Cup. They will travel by bus to Piracicaba, the city where Flamengo will play its first-round matches.
The debut will be on Saturday, against Nacional, from Amazonas. XV de Piracicaba-SP and Ypiranga-AP complete the group.
Flamengo director guarantees the seriousness of the 'Ronaldo Project'
Plínio Serpa says that if they don't sign Ronaldo now, they will try in July
LANCEPRESS!
Flamengo board member Plínio Serpa Pinto, a member of the task force to bring Ronaldo to Gávea, assures that the project exists and that the board will not deceive fans. If they are unable to sign Ronaldo for the Libertadores, the board will do everything possible to secure him in July of this year, when the player's contract with Milan, his current club, expires.
"The project is for now, and we'll do the financial engineering. It won't be easy, and we might not be able to do it in time, but we already want to bring it to the Libertadores. If that's not possible, we'll try in July. The fans can rest assured that they won't be deceived; there is a plan, but of course it may not work out. As I said, it's a very difficult project," the director told Rádio Tupi.
Regarding the fact that the Italian club's directors said they were unaware of any type of proposal from Flamengo for the Phenomenon, Plínio found the statements normal.
"Of course, Milan has to be unaware. As of July 1st, Ronaldo is no longer a player for the Italian club, and they don't have to know. First, we have to reach an agreement with Ronaldo, and Milan will find out at the right time," he added.
Diego: 'It would be an honor to play for Fla'
In an interview with Rádio L!, the player reveals his desire to play for the Gávea club
Tardelli is close to fulfilling his dream of playing for Fla (Credit: Ivan Storti)
LANCEPRESS!
In advanced negotiations with Flamengo, striker Diego Tardelli revealed to Rádio LANCE! that he wants to play for Flamengo. The Gávea club is trying to negotiate a contract that could be a loan. The player currently plays for São Paulo but is expected to receive little use from coach Muricy Ramalho if he stays for the 2008 season.
radio l! - Many famous players like Zico and Romário have played there, so it would be an honor for me to be playing, wearing the Flamengo shirt - he admitted. (click and listen)
The main reason Tardelli wants to play at Gávea is Adriano's arrival at Morumbi. With the new signing, it's unlikely the striker will have a chance with the current Brazilian champions.
radio l! - With another striker arriving and not knowing if Muricy will count on me, I think it would be good for me to leave so I can play in the Libertadores for a different club. If I'm not useful to São Paulo and Muricy, I would like to leave - he confessed. (click and listen)
Despite his desire to play for Flamengo, the striker admitted that his first intention was to stay with the São Paulo club to have a greater sequence of matches.
radio l! - My first goal was to stay at São Paulo and compete in the Libertadores. I arrived in the middle of the Brazilian Championship and had few opportunities with the team. This year, starting from the Paulista until the end of the Brasileirão would be easier - said Tardelli. (click and listen)
For Flamengo fans who don't yet know the player very well, he made a point of explaining his main characteristics on the field:
radio l! - I move a lot, I leave the area, I like to look for the game, I'm not that fixed player who plays the pivot up front - said the possible new teammate of Obina, Souza and Co. (click and listen)