With Galinho, Emerson and Rodrigo Caetano, Gávea hosts the Zico Cup finals
Traditional youth competition brings together non-federated boys and big names in football at the club's headquarters
By Communication - Official Club Website - in
The Gávea Stadium hosted the Zico Cup finals today. The competition featured four categories—under-11, under-13, under-15, and under-17—with teams divided into groups of four, with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals, followed by the semifinals and final. To present the awards, soccer greats such as Zico himself, Emerson, Flamengo's current number 11, and Rodrigo Caetano, the club's director of soccer. Also present at the event were Renato Gaúcho, Léo Moura, and Juninho Pernambucano.
"The kids are very happy to be alongside such great names in the sport. Even if they haven't seen us play, they look up to us because of their parents and grandparents... Of course, they're thrilled to see us hand them medals and trophies. It's an extra motivation for them," said Galinho de Quintino, who took the opportunity to thank Flamengo for the opportunity to hold the decisive games at the club's headquarters.
"It's great for the kids. I wish I had a field like this when I was younger (laughs). It's a delight to play soccer on a pitch like this. I think it's important because it includes kids who often don't have the opportunity to compete in competitions, who aren't registered in the federation. It's a chance for them to show off, to prove themselves, in a good competition, attended by great teams, who give us a huge boost. We've had players who are now professionals and play for big clubs who came from here," concluded the eternal number 10 of Gávea.
The 2015 Zico Cup began on July 18th, but the first edition was in 2008, with the goal of providing opportunities for new talent and integrating diverse classes of young soccer enthusiasts. Teams from condominiums, social projects, communities, and schools compete, according to the established regulations. Before the final, qualifying matches, quarterfinals, and semifinals take place at the Zico Football Center (CFZ).
Check out the winners and runners-up in each category:
Sub-11
Champion: Go Cup
Runner-up: Union
Sub-13
Champion: Union
Runner-up: Corrêas
Sub-15
Champion: Carangola
Runner-up: Boavista
Sub-17
Champion: Rio Sport
Runner-up: Craques da Vida
"The kids are very happy to be alongside such great names in the sport. Even if they haven't seen us play, they look up to us because of their parents and grandparents... Of course, they're thrilled to see us hand them medals and trophies. It's an extra motivation for them," said Galinho de Quintino, who took the opportunity to thank Flamengo for the opportunity to hold the decisive games at the club's headquarters.
"It's great for the kids. I wish I had a field like this when I was younger (laughs). It's a delight to play soccer on a pitch like this. I think it's important because it includes kids who often don't have the opportunity to compete in competitions, who aren't registered in the federation. It's a chance for them to show off, to prove themselves, in a good competition, attended by great teams, who give us a huge boost. We've had players who are now professionals and play for big clubs who came from here," concluded the eternal number 10 of Gávea.
The 2015 Zico Cup began on July 18th, but the first edition was in 2008, with the goal of providing opportunities for new talent and integrating diverse classes of young soccer enthusiasts. Teams from condominiums, social projects, communities, and schools compete, according to the established regulations. Before the final, qualifying matches, quarterfinals, and semifinals take place at the Zico Football Center (CFZ).
Check out the winners and runners-up in each category:
Sub-11
Champion: Go Cup
Runner-up: Union
Sub-13
Champion: Union
Runner-up: Corrêas
Sub-15
Champion: Carangola
Runner-up: Boavista
Sub-17
Champion: Rio Sport
Runner-up: Craques da Vida