Michael: the Joker of Gávea
Supporter bets on his versatility to win a starting spot at Flamengo
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
Itu (SP) - The tattoo on his left calf couldn't be more fitting. Michael says there's no special meaning to it, but the smiling face of the Joker, a character from the Batman series, seems tailor-made for the Gávea player with a strong personality, a great sense of humor, and versatility: his weapon to win a starting spot at Flamengo.
The midfielder has played 14 matches for the Red-Blacks since the beginning of the year, scoring two goals and providing three assists. He expects these numbers to grow in the second half of the year. Thinking about his family, whom he also wears in the form of a tattoo, and betting on the quality and unity of the squad, Michael has been working hard and dreaming of a seventh title.
In an exclusive interview with Flamengo's official website, the player explained his tattoos, discussed the importance of family, his inspiration from Ronaldinho Gaúcho, and much more. Check out the full interview below.
Tattoos - I have six tattoos. Two honor my family: a Japanese sun, a Jesus Christ, a warrior on my back, and the Joker on my leg. I'm also thinking about getting one of my daughter's face.
Joker of Gávea - It doesn't really mean much. Sometimes I see something, find it interesting, and then I end up doing it. But this Joker thing has a cool story: Toninho Oliveira joked with me about being the team's joker. On the first day here in Itu, there was a physical circuit with four stations, and he had me do them all because he said I adapt quickly to playing multiple positions.
Interseason - This time here has been really great for me and the whole group. We have a great structure, good fields, quality accommodation, and I believe this will be very beneficial for our team.
Correa - Corrêa is a very professional guy, exemplary on and off the field. Over time, everyone will get to know him better, and I'm sure he'll adapt quickly. Both at Palmeiras and Dynamo, he helped me a lot, and now, here at Flamengo, it's a chance to even repay that.
Flamengo - I'm very happy here. I was even talking about it with Leo Moura and Corrêa himself today. Leo said to me, "Michael, tell him if you want to leave." And, really, I don't. If it's up to me, I'll stay here for a long time. The atmosphere is great, the club has welcomed me very well, the group is united, and that's very important.
Ronaldinho - Ronaldinho is an icon to me. He's had a similar life trajectory to mine: he doesn't have a father, he had to fight hard to achieve what he has today, not to mention his quality on the field. He's a brilliant player, who should be at the World Cup in my opinion, and the number 80 was a kind of tribute. Even Professor Isaias (Tinoco, the club's football manager) was surprised when I asked him, but he accepted without hesitation.
Family - Family is my foundation. My mother is my foundation. There are six of us in my family, and we're all very close. To this day, even though I live alone, I still consider my mother's house my home. This year she even told me it took me a while to move there, but there's no way around it; there's nothing like my mother's house.
Motivation - The elimination from the Libertadores left the group very upset, especially since, after Flamengo and Corinthians, everyone said the winner would definitely advance to the final. We ended up exiting the tournament early. I'm happy to have performed well in some matches, but I would trade all that for advancing in the competition. But now we'll focus on the Brazilian Championship.
Future - I'm expecting good things, and I'm sure they will happen. Last year, no one believed in us, and Flamengo rose at the right time. I believe we can repeat that this season. A lot of people are saying we're not as strong, that Love might leave, that Adriano has already left, but we're very motivated.
The midfielder has played 14 matches for the Red-Blacks since the beginning of the year, scoring two goals and providing three assists. He expects these numbers to grow in the second half of the year. Thinking about his family, whom he also wears in the form of a tattoo, and betting on the quality and unity of the squad, Michael has been working hard and dreaming of a seventh title.
In an exclusive interview with Flamengo's official website, the player explained his tattoos, discussed the importance of family, his inspiration from Ronaldinho Gaúcho, and much more. Check out the full interview below.
Tattoos - I have six tattoos. Two honor my family: a Japanese sun, a Jesus Christ, a warrior on my back, and the Joker on my leg. I'm also thinking about getting one of my daughter's face.
Joker of Gávea - It doesn't really mean much. Sometimes I see something, find it interesting, and then I end up doing it. But this Joker thing has a cool story: Toninho Oliveira joked with me about being the team's joker. On the first day here in Itu, there was a physical circuit with four stations, and he had me do them all because he said I adapt quickly to playing multiple positions.
Interseason - This time here has been really great for me and the whole group. We have a great structure, good fields, quality accommodation, and I believe this will be very beneficial for our team.
Correa - Corrêa is a very professional guy, exemplary on and off the field. Over time, everyone will get to know him better, and I'm sure he'll adapt quickly. Both at Palmeiras and Dynamo, he helped me a lot, and now, here at Flamengo, it's a chance to even repay that.
Flamengo - I'm very happy here. I was even talking about it with Leo Moura and Corrêa himself today. Leo said to me, "Michael, tell him if you want to leave." And, really, I don't. If it's up to me, I'll stay here for a long time. The atmosphere is great, the club has welcomed me very well, the group is united, and that's very important.
Ronaldinho - Ronaldinho is an icon to me. He's had a similar life trajectory to mine: he doesn't have a father, he had to fight hard to achieve what he has today, not to mention his quality on the field. He's a brilliant player, who should be at the World Cup in my opinion, and the number 80 was a kind of tribute. Even Professor Isaias (Tinoco, the club's football manager) was surprised when I asked him, but he accepted without hesitation.
Family - Family is my foundation. My mother is my foundation. There are six of us in my family, and we're all very close. To this day, even though I live alone, I still consider my mother's house my home. This year she even told me it took me a while to move there, but there's no way around it; there's nothing like my mother's house.
Motivation - The elimination from the Libertadores left the group very upset, especially since, after Flamengo and Corinthians, everyone said the winner would definitely advance to the final. We ended up exiting the tournament early. I'm happy to have performed well in some matches, but I would trade all that for advancing in the competition. But now we'll focus on the Brazilian Championship.
Future - I'm expecting good things, and I'm sure they will happen. Last year, no one believed in us, and Flamengo rose at the right time. I believe we can repeat that this season. A lot of people are saying we're not as strong, that Love might leave, that Adriano has already left, but we're very motivated.