Today is a reunion day. Julio Cesar returns to Flamengo after almost fourteen years. The match that will mark his return will be at the stadium where he last played for the Sacred Mantle, the Raulino de Oliveira stadium in Volta Redonda. We've put together 10 interesting facts about the nation's iconic goalkeeper for you to check out below. Welcome back, Julio Cesar!

1) The beginning 

Julio Cesar arrived at Flamengo in 1992, at the age of 13, after shining at Grajaú Country Club. Despite conceding numerous goals, the youngster passed his first tryout because the scouts knew they were looking at someone special. And they weren't wrong. Julio Cesar became a national idol from the moment he debuted. He was always different. 

Julio Cesar took the field with the senior team for the first time in a national derby. The opponent was Palmeiras, the competition was the Copa do Brasil, the pitch was Parque Antárctica, and the mission was to replace the injured legend Zé Carlos. Mission given, mission accomplished. Julio scored, and Flamengo secured a spot in the semifinals. 

A penalty kick specialist. When a penalty taker went up against Julio Cesar, the goal would be inches away. Whether for the national team or Flamengo, JC was a terror against his opponents. And in just his second game, his first as a starter, he demonstrated his quality, saving Ronaldo's penalty. In 2001, he qualified Flamengo for the Mercosur final by saving two Grêmio penalties at the Olímpico Stadium. In the Guanabara Cup that same year, he also saved another penalty from Fluminense, helping the team lift the trophy. 

Julio Cesar won his first World Cup title in 1997. The match was played at the Mané Garrincha Stadium in Brasília, and with a goal from Iranildo, Mengão lifted the trophy in a victory over São Paulo. Grêmio and Santos were also in the competition. The final team was Julio Cesar, Maurinho, Junior Baiano, Fabiano, and Gilberto; Jamir, Evandro Jorginho, and Fabio Baiano; Lucio and Iranildo.

Even after so many years away, Julio Cesar still boasts impressive stats with the Sacred Mantle. He is the third goalkeeper who has played the most for Flamengo, behind only Zé Carlos (352) and Cantarelli (557). He played 284 matches, with 122 wins, 70 draws, and 92 losses. Julio's last match for Flamengo was on December 19, 12 (2004-6 Cruzeiro, Brasileiro).

His connection with Flamengo was always intense. Even from afar, he wanted to know what was going on at his beloved club. After the 2009 Confederations Cup final, the team had just won the title, and in the midst of the celebration, the goalkeeper called his family and asked, "How's Flamengo doing?" It was the day of the Fla-Flu match in the Brazilian Championship. The match would have ended in a 0-0 draw, but his family simply said, "Go celebrate your victory there." 

Julio will wear a special jersey upon his return. The number 12 was retired as a tribute to the fans. The goalkeeper asked for it, and the club complied. Since he's a national idol, it's only fair. The jersey has been "unretired," and only he will have the right to wear it until the end of his career. 

The stage for Julio Cesar's return to Flamengo's goal today was once his farewell. In 2004, in the final round of the Brazilian Championship, the goalkeeper played in the 6-2 rout of Cruzeiro. The club was going through turbulent times at the time, and Julio decided to pursue a career in Europe, specifically at Inter Milan. As fate would have it, and as football goes, he would reunite with the nation on the very field where he said goodbye. 

There are three state championships to his name. The first, however, was as Clemer's backup goalkeeper. A year later, he was one of the main drivers of that historic victory. Yes, everyone remembers Petkovic's magical goal. But if it weren't for Julio Cesar back there, Vasco would have tied. Juninho, Euller, Viola—they all stopped at the goalkeeper's hands, the final barrier to Vasco's glory. In the end, he didn't miss the opportunity to invite his rivals to celebrate, especially one person. 

Julio Cesar is an idol and he's back. Even if only for a short time, it will always be a pleasure to have the star back in the red-and-black goal. Today, against Boavista, will be his first match. Broadcast on Globo and Premiere, for those who can't make it to the stadium. Missing an idol is always good, and missing such a special goalkeeper is even better. Thank you for everything, Julio Cesar! Wear the Mantle and be happy, number 12.