In an exclusive interview, the vice-president of football talks about the final stretch of the Brazilian Championship and controversial issues involving Brazil's Most Beloved.

Managing Flamengo's football team is no easy task. The Rubro-Negro is always in the spotlight, and everything that emerges from Gávea generates an unimaginable level of repercussion, depending on the content of the news and how the topics are covered. Vice-president of football, Kleber Leite, is responsible for managing everything related to football at Brazil's Most Beloved. This year, the director has already had to navigate a series of crises the club has faced: elimination from the Libertadores Cup at the Maracanã stadium, players involved with call girls, and the recent controversies involving speculation about the arrival of players and the departure of coach Caio Júnior. Meanwhile, Flamengo competes for the top spots in the Brazilian Championship, and shielding the group from all the gossip is part of Kleber Leite's daily work.

In an exclusive interview with reporter Vinicius Castro, from NATIONAL NEWSPAPER and website FLAMENGO RJ, the manager opened the game and commented on all the issues involving Flamengo at the moment, in addition to revealing first-hand the planning for the Rubro-Negro's last four games of the season.

Final stretch of the Brazilian Championship:

"The Brazilian Championship is very difficult and evenly matched. We must remain humble and continue to do our best. This week will be crucial. We will get our house in order to provide peace of mind for our players and coaching staff. We already paid a month's salary last week and hope to settle the remaining balances by the middle of this week. We will also define the prize money for the Brazilian Championship by Friday. This will be discussed with the players and coaching staff. We have different amounts for fourth and first place. We will discuss it and decide what's best for Flamengo together with them."

Caio Junior:

"We'll give our coach our full support in this final stretch. It's important to protect the players and not overexert them physically. We're at the end of the season, and we could run an unnecessary risk if we don't protect the players at this point. That's basically it. Now it's in Caio's hands, and we trust him for this final stretch."

A series of speculations at Flamengo involving the name of coach Renato Gaúcho, as the team's likely coach in 2009:

"This kind of thing doesn't just happen at Flamengo. Someone plants this kind of news; no one invents it. Just as a tortoise doesn't climb a tree by itself, news doesn't appear out of nowhere. I don't see it as a problem, and it's not Flamengo's responsibility. It's normal for there to be a lot of talk at the end of a season. I can assure Flamengo fans that we have a coach with a contract until December 2009, and we're not considering replacing him. If for some reason it's in his interest not to stay with us next year, I guarantee that Renato Gaúcho's name has no traction at the club. The chance of him becoming our coach is zero. These days, these kinds of news fade in half a day. With the internet, you spread a story and we can immediately deny it. This is part of being a great football club. Flamengo only thinks about the final four games. The next season will only be discussed at the end of the Brazilian Championship."

The importance of the Red-Black Nation:

"We had a small crowd against Botafogo, which is understandable. The fans were frustrated with the recent results and felt the pressure. However, the Brazilian Championship is very balanced. One day we're up there, and the next, depending on the results, we could drop down the table. It's important to have a clear understanding of the Championship's balance. Our fans can make all the difference in this final stretch. Their support is crucial, and we're counting on it. Flamengo has always had this characteristic, and I'm sure it will be no different now."

E-MAIL: vinicius.castro@flamengorj.com.br

Vinicius Castro is a reporter for JORNAL DA NAÇÃO and the FLAMENGO RJ website.