After becoming an undisputed starter last year and being marked by barely committing fouls throughout the season and receiving only one yellow card in the entire Brazilian Championship, Ronaldo Angelim is another player expecting a successful year for Flamengo, but without losing his characteristic sobriety. Experienced, he sees the clear advantages in the fact that the team is almost the same as it was in 2008 and points out the pitfalls Flamengo can't fall into in the season that begins on the 25th.

"The foundation we've built doesn't mean it'll be easy to win. We have to maintain the level we demonstrated, for example, at the start of last year's Brazilian Championship. But we can never relax. If you lose focus, you won't win," the red-and-black defender explains.

One of Angelim's greatest joys is having Fabio Luciano back in the cast.

"I was certain he would continue. He finished the year playing at a high level; he couldn't stop. Fabio will still help us a lot in our fight for titles."

The wear and tear of preseason training is another "ghost" that doesn't scare the experienced player. He sees all the sacrifice as necessary for a future victory.

- I played for many years in smaller teams that trained for much longer because they played fewer competitions. I'm used to it, and I think everyone should dedicate themselves to taking advantage of it in the future.