Last Saturday (18), one athlete in particular had extra reasons to smile when he read his name on the list of those involved. For the second time this season, Nixon was part of the delegation in a match, after undergoing a long recovery under the care of the club's doctors and physiotherapists. The athlete did not hide his satisfaction.

"I'm very happy. It was difficult to be inactive for so long, but at the same time, I managed to take positive things from it. I matured both professionally and personally. During this time, I experienced many things that were fundamental to my growth in many aspects of my life," he said.

Nixon commented on his return to the team's training routine and the initial difficulty keeping up with the others. "My teammates end up training at a higher intensity than I do. It's normal, given this long period of inactivity. At first, doing these activities was very painful. Now, I feel prepared both physically and mentally," said the red-and-black number 29.

The athlete recalled the support he received from the coaching staff, a key motivational factor in his daily life. He remembered coach Muricy Ramalho and thanked Zé Ricardo for his confidence in his football.

"Ever since Professor Muricy was still in charge of the team, the entire coaching staff has always been very supportive. Even when I was still coaching the U-20 team, Professor Zé Ricardo would ask me how I was doing when we met at the training center. From the moment we started working together, he always gave me tips and words of encouragement. Until the time came when he decided to bring me back into the relationship," he added.

Finally, Nixon spoke about his hopes for his future with the team. "Things will happen when they have to. I hope to return to action as soon as possible. My goal is to play a series of games, score goals, help the team and, most importantly, Flamengo itself. When the time comes, I know I will have my opportunity, and I will do my best to make the most of it."

The red-black squad becomes even stronger.