Interview with Carlos Eduardo Mansur and Luciano Ribeiro
Journalists, authors of two new books about Flamengo, will be at the launch this Tuesday, November 24, in Rio
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
Carlos Eduardo Mansur is a sports reporter for the newspaper O Globo. He has worked for Lance! and for Clube de Regatas do Flamengo itself, serving as press officer for the Football Department. Luciano Cordeiro works at GloboEsporte.com after serving as sports editor for Jornal do Brasil. Both are the authors of the newest books about Flamengo on the publishing market: "Meu maior prazer" (My Greatest Pleasure) and "O team do meu coração" (The Team of My Heart) - published by Editora Leitura in partnership with the club's Marketing Department.
At 296 pages, "My Greatest Pleasure" is the first book in the debut collection of the "Paixão entre Linhas" imprint, published by Editora Leitura. The work features 32 accounts of Flamengo personalities, in interviews conducted and organized by journalists - among them conversations with Emperor Adriano and Serbian Petkovic. "The Team of My Heart" is a pocket book, organized by the same authors, with a summary of Flamengo's history, including titles, history decade by decade, great idols, top scorers and unforgettable matches.
The two books will be launched this Tuesday, the 24th, at 19 pm, at the Saraiva bookstore in the Rio Sul shopping mall, in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro.
Read the interview with the authors here, published by Editora Leitura's press office.
What makes Flamengo different from all the others? Why should Flamengo fans be proud of their club?
Carlos Eduardo Mansur and Luciano Ribeiro - Above all, what sets Flamengo apart is its fans. Not just because of its size, being the largest in the country, but because of its involvement with the club. The fans helped build the profile of a club that arouses extreme passions, and above all, the profile of a club that, like no other, is a faithful expression of Brazilian and Rio de Janeiro society. It's impossible to talk about Rio de Janeiro without mentioning Flamengo, it's impossible to talk about Brazilian football without mentioning Flamengo. Furthermore, it has a unique composition among Brazilian clubs: it represents a majority of fans across all social classes in Rio de Janeiro, from the wealthiest to the poorest. Furthermore, it is the only truly national club, with the majority of its fans located outside Rio de Janeiro. Furthermore, adding the fan bases of the other three major Rio de Janeiro clubs together, the number doesn't reach that of Flamengo fans.
Name an unforgettable game in Flamengo's history.
Carlos Eduardo Mansur and Luciano Ribeiro - Passion for a club is deeply connected to the life and identity of every Brazilian. Therefore, each fan experiences their love for a club in a unique way. And if that club is Flamengo, home to the largest fan base in the country, with a universe of followers with such diverse profiles, practically a cross-section of Brazilian society, it's natural that each fan, whether based on their location, their generation, or their personal life experiences, finds reasons to choose a game or a moment in the club's history. Of course, the 3-0 victory over Liverpool, which gave Flamengo the 1981 World Cup title, represents the pinnacle of Flamengo's history and the apogee of the generation led by Zico. But surely those who lived through the 40s will forever remember Valido's goal in the third championship in 44; those who were at the Maracanã in the 50s will recall Dida's superb performance in the third in 55; There are those who, to this day, close their eyes and see Rondinelli's header in 1978, in the victory that inaugurated the sequence of titles for Zico's Flamengo; just as the younger generation will hardly fail to remember Petkovic's free kick goal in the 2001 treble. Ultimately, Flamengo belongs to the fans, to a fans as heterogeneous as Brazil.
Who are the greatest idols in the club's history?
Carlos Eduardo Mansur and Luciano Ribeiro - At some clubs, this question generates debate. At Flamengo, it doesn't. It's impossible to talk about Flamengo without mentioning Zico, arguably its greatest idol. More than that, he's a true symbol of the club, synonymous with Flamengo. However, it's safe to say that one of the reasons for the club's impressive popularity stems from the fact that, throughout its history, it has had many of the greatest idols of Brazilian football. Between the 30s and 40s, there were Leônidas da Silva and Domingos da Guia, then Zizinho emerged, who, for some generations, was better than Pelé. Later came Evaristo, Zagallo, and Dida in the 50s. In the early 70s, the Zico generation began to emerge, which, at the end of the decade and throughout the 80s, led the greatest string of victories in Flamengo's history, with players like Leandro, Andrade, Adílio, and Júnior. Later in this decade, names like Bebeto and Renato Gaúcho shone in the red-and-black jersey. In 1995, the club signed Romário, and in 2001, it won a third championship with players of the caliber of Edílson, Gamarra, and Petkovic.
In the process of preparing the books, was there any information about the club that surprised you?
Carlos Eduardo Mansur and Luciano Ribeiro - We came across several, especially during the interviews for the memoir "My Greatest Pleasure." For example, in the interview with radio host and former Flamengo coach Washington Rodrigues, we discovered that a crisis between Romário and the fans was resolved, minutes before a game, when the striker went to a bar near Maracanã Stadium where fans were gathering. Let's face it, it's unimaginable. We were surprised by the emotional way in which Zagallo, a man who won four World Cups, spoke about Flamengo's third title in 2001. He cried and couldn't speak. The life stories of players like Ronaldo Angelim are also striking. Another revealing moment was the conversation with Petkovic. Surely, the fans never imagined that the hero of the 2001 third title almost didn't play, considering not taking the field due to salary issues at the club. Another surprise was the episode revealed by Renato Gaúcho about the intimate relationship between the 1987 Brazilian champion team, made up almost entirely of stars. In a conversation with coach Carlinhos, he clearly stated that he refused to comply with the coach's order to help mark the opposing full-backs. To end the discussion, it was Zico, the biggest star, who said he himself was willing to do the marking. In interviews with the 1981 world champions, incredible stories about the behind-the-scenes of Flamengo's greatest team ever emerged. Above all, we were struck by how profoundly Flamengo influenced the lives of all these characters.
What is the most curious episode in Flamengo's history?
Carlos Eduardo Mansur and Luciano Ribeiro - In a broad analysis, what was most striking was how Flamengo, from its earliest days to the present, in a world where the football market mobilizes millions, has always lived with financial crisis and seemingly scarce resources. And it never stopped winning, never stopped growing. In the beginning, it had no field to train on. Later, champions of the 50s revealed to us that there were salary delays. Today, such problems have become recurrent. Ultimately, the club's strength has never allowed Flamengo to become smaller.
Finally, what do you think of the combination of football and literature?
Carlos Eduardo Mansur and Luciano Ribeiro - A football as rich on the field as Brazil's deserves a literary production to match, producing memories and records of this history for future generations. And this is the great merit of Editora Leitura's initiative.
At 296 pages, "My Greatest Pleasure" is the first book in the debut collection of the "Paixão entre Linhas" imprint, published by Editora Leitura. The work features 32 accounts of Flamengo personalities, in interviews conducted and organized by journalists - among them conversations with Emperor Adriano and Serbian Petkovic. "The Team of My Heart" is a pocket book, organized by the same authors, with a summary of Flamengo's history, including titles, history decade by decade, great idols, top scorers and unforgettable matches.
The two books will be launched this Tuesday, the 24th, at 19 pm, at the Saraiva bookstore in the Rio Sul shopping mall, in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro.
Read the interview with the authors here, published by Editora Leitura's press office.
What makes Flamengo different from all the others? Why should Flamengo fans be proud of their club?
Carlos Eduardo Mansur and Luciano Ribeiro - Above all, what sets Flamengo apart is its fans. Not just because of its size, being the largest in the country, but because of its involvement with the club. The fans helped build the profile of a club that arouses extreme passions, and above all, the profile of a club that, like no other, is a faithful expression of Brazilian and Rio de Janeiro society. It's impossible to talk about Rio de Janeiro without mentioning Flamengo, it's impossible to talk about Brazilian football without mentioning Flamengo. Furthermore, it has a unique composition among Brazilian clubs: it represents a majority of fans across all social classes in Rio de Janeiro, from the wealthiest to the poorest. Furthermore, it is the only truly national club, with the majority of its fans located outside Rio de Janeiro. Furthermore, adding the fan bases of the other three major Rio de Janeiro clubs together, the number doesn't reach that of Flamengo fans.
Name an unforgettable game in Flamengo's history.
Carlos Eduardo Mansur and Luciano Ribeiro - Passion for a club is deeply connected to the life and identity of every Brazilian. Therefore, each fan experiences their love for a club in a unique way. And if that club is Flamengo, home to the largest fan base in the country, with a universe of followers with such diverse profiles, practically a cross-section of Brazilian society, it's natural that each fan, whether based on their location, their generation, or their personal life experiences, finds reasons to choose a game or a moment in the club's history. Of course, the 3-0 victory over Liverpool, which gave Flamengo the 1981 World Cup title, represents the pinnacle of Flamengo's history and the apogee of the generation led by Zico. But surely those who lived through the 40s will forever remember Valido's goal in the third championship in 44; those who were at the Maracanã in the 50s will recall Dida's superb performance in the third in 55; There are those who, to this day, close their eyes and see Rondinelli's header in 1978, in the victory that inaugurated the sequence of titles for Zico's Flamengo; just as the younger generation will hardly fail to remember Petkovic's free kick goal in the 2001 treble. Ultimately, Flamengo belongs to the fans, to a fans as heterogeneous as Brazil.
Who are the greatest idols in the club's history?
Carlos Eduardo Mansur and Luciano Ribeiro - At some clubs, this question generates debate. At Flamengo, it doesn't. It's impossible to talk about Flamengo without mentioning Zico, arguably its greatest idol. More than that, he's a true symbol of the club, synonymous with Flamengo. However, it's safe to say that one of the reasons for the club's impressive popularity stems from the fact that, throughout its history, it has had many of the greatest idols of Brazilian football. Between the 30s and 40s, there were Leônidas da Silva and Domingos da Guia, then Zizinho emerged, who, for some generations, was better than Pelé. Later came Evaristo, Zagallo, and Dida in the 50s. In the early 70s, the Zico generation began to emerge, which, at the end of the decade and throughout the 80s, led the greatest string of victories in Flamengo's history, with players like Leandro, Andrade, Adílio, and Júnior. Later in this decade, names like Bebeto and Renato Gaúcho shone in the red-and-black jersey. In 1995, the club signed Romário, and in 2001, it won a third championship with players of the caliber of Edílson, Gamarra, and Petkovic.
In the process of preparing the books, was there any information about the club that surprised you?
Carlos Eduardo Mansur and Luciano Ribeiro - We came across several, especially during the interviews for the memoir "My Greatest Pleasure." For example, in the interview with radio host and former Flamengo coach Washington Rodrigues, we discovered that a crisis between Romário and the fans was resolved, minutes before a game, when the striker went to a bar near Maracanã Stadium where fans were gathering. Let's face it, it's unimaginable. We were surprised by the emotional way in which Zagallo, a man who won four World Cups, spoke about Flamengo's third title in 2001. He cried and couldn't speak. The life stories of players like Ronaldo Angelim are also striking. Another revealing moment was the conversation with Petkovic. Surely, the fans never imagined that the hero of the 2001 third title almost didn't play, considering not taking the field due to salary issues at the club. Another surprise was the episode revealed by Renato Gaúcho about the intimate relationship between the 1987 Brazilian champion team, made up almost entirely of stars. In a conversation with coach Carlinhos, he clearly stated that he refused to comply with the coach's order to help mark the opposing full-backs. To end the discussion, it was Zico, the biggest star, who said he himself was willing to do the marking. In interviews with the 1981 world champions, incredible stories about the behind-the-scenes of Flamengo's greatest team ever emerged. Above all, we were struck by how profoundly Flamengo influenced the lives of all these characters.
What is the most curious episode in Flamengo's history?
Carlos Eduardo Mansur and Luciano Ribeiro - In a broad analysis, what was most striking was how Flamengo, from its earliest days to the present, in a world where the football market mobilizes millions, has always lived with financial crisis and seemingly scarce resources. And it never stopped winning, never stopped growing. In the beginning, it had no field to train on. Later, champions of the 50s revealed to us that there were salary delays. Today, such problems have become recurrent. Ultimately, the club's strength has never allowed Flamengo to become smaller.
Finally, what do you think of the combination of football and literature?
Carlos Eduardo Mansur and Luciano Ribeiro - A football as rich on the field as Brazil's deserves a literary production to match, producing memories and records of this history for future generations. And this is the great merit of Editora Leitura's initiative.