Undefeated state champion in 1996 and World Cup winner in 1997, former left-back Gilberto is back at Flamengo. More than two decades after his departure, he returns to the club that introduced him to football, playing a key role in developing youth players. With important sports management courses under his belt, Gilberto takes on the role of Coordinator of the PDI (Individual Development Plan), a groundbreaking project in Brazilian football.

"I have a wealth of experience, having been a professional athlete for 18 years and having played for several major clubs around the world. The opportunity Flamengo is giving me now is unique, but I know I'm only here because I prepared so hard for it. This gives me the peace of mind to face this challenge in the best possible way, at such a special time for the club," said Gilberto.

The PDI Project Coordinator also spoke about his personal relationship with Mais Querido, and the importance that returning to the club has in his life:

"I have great respect and gratitude for the club where I practically began my football career and which has given me so much, and being back at Flamengo after so many years, now in a new role, is a unique opportunity in my life. I know the magnitude of the responsibility and the challenge that lies ahead, but I feel prepared to deliver the best possible work by leading this very special and innovative project in Brazilian football," the former full-back revealed.

About the PDI, Gilberto said:

"In the PDI (Individual Development Plan) project, I will work with athletes aged 15 to 20, and I will report to Luiz Carlos, General Manager of Youth Football. It's a new project for the club and for Brazilian football, and I'm certain that Flamengo will reap many rewards in the very near future. The main objective of the PDI is to hone the best talents in our youth academy and prepare them in the best possible way so that they arrive at the professional level even better prepared in terms of technical, tactical, physical, psychological, and nutritional aspects," Gilberto concluded.

General Manager of the Rubro-Negro Youth Football Club, Luiz Carlos also spoke about the importance of the project in the development process of the Garotos do Ninho, and celebrated the arrival of Gilberto:

"In the PDI Project, we select the most promising athletes from the U-15 category onwards and offer them a series of complementary activities outside of training, designed to avoid interfering with their studies. These activities are divided into four pillars: tactical, technical, mental, and physical. Our main goal is to maximize their strengths, with specific, fully personalized and individualized training. This way, we better prepare athletes so they arrive even better prepared for subsequent categories, developing their key characteristics more fully," explained Luiz Carlos.

"We, along with our team of technical coordinators, sought someone capable of contributing to the development of our top athletes. Gilberto was the unanimous choice, and he now joins our already highly qualified technical coordination team. It's a source of satisfaction and great pride to have a former champion athlete back at the club, in such a crucial role. It's important to note that Gilberto not only has a wealth of experience and expertise in football, including international football, but he's also highly qualified for this moment and this role. Because of all this, we believe he has the confidence to teach our athletes some key skills in the development process, which we view very positively. We believe that joining the group of technical coordinators will significantly enhance the development of our athletes, which is the main objective of the PDI project," concluded the General Manager of Youth Football.