Check out part 2 of President Rodolfo Landim's interview with FlaTV
Manager talks about Jorge Jesus' renewal, Filipe Luís' arrival and much more
By Communication - Flamengo - inIn an interview with FlaTV on Tuesday night (31), president Rodolfo Landim spoke about several topics related to Flamengo and how the club is going through this time of the coronavirus pandemic. Check out part 2!
Jorge Jesus' Renewal
"That's the question everyone asks. The information is already public knowledge. We've been talking to him, and there was this break due to the coronavirus. Jesus has returned to Portugal. He should return to Brazil at the end of his vacation period, and we'll talk again. He's already publicly stated that he wants to stay at Flamengo and is happy here. We're happy with him and want him to stay. The natural tendency is for this to happen, and we hope this relationship continues for a long time. Our discussion and our desire regarding him is to extend his contract until the end of 2021, which is the period this board will be in charge of Flamengo."
Influence on the hiring of Filipe Luís
"I imagine I didn't have much influence. Filipe Luís had already been selected by our scouting group as a potentially great addition. His first job was selecting our group, supervised by the football committee. In fact, I didn't know him personally until the Copa América. During that competition, I was invited to be head of the Brazilian delegation, and there I met him. It didn't take long for me to realize he's a great player, with great technical ability. He has some very important qualities. His dedication, his desire to win, he doesn't like to lose, even if it's odd or even. He loves to compete and is focused on winning. The example I saw in the locker room was that of a professional athlete. When he finished a national team match, he would call the physiotherapist and ask him to work on his legs for the next one. This is an example of a professional who ends up infecting the entire group. I was very impressed with him in every aspect. But sometimes, in the middle of the conversation, and with Paquetá's encouragement, the players started joking around. Then, when there was a... As a joke, we'd arrive and join in the fun, adding fuel to the fire. We really wanted to spark his interest in playing for Flamengo. That's something I sought out in our conversations with him, trying to demonstrate how good the club was, our plans, and our desire to win championships. When we stopped, we were trailing in the Brazilian Championship. He was motivated by our project. His decision was also based on other factors, such as the good relationship he had with some people, including his wife. He's very family-oriented and very concerned about his adaptation. So he mentioned to me that his wife should participate. That's why we wanted to create a supportive environment."
Financial impact of coronavirus
"We will be impacted. The whole world won't emerge from this situation the same way. Industries and employers will also face difficulties. Everything will depend largely on the length of the shutdown. We must maintain the expectation of returning to activities as quickly as possible. If the shutdown is short and we can fit all the championship games into the available dates, I would say the impact will be less. If the impact on the calendar is greater, then we will face a significant loss. We are evaluating all the information daily and devising strategies and measures that we will have to take."
Project for Olympic sports
"Yes, there are. For example, we just promoted women's volleyball to the Superliga. We have a very interesting project for next year. Cash flow will become a very important factor in this significant improvement. We are continuing to invest in a number of other Olympic sports. We already saw the performance we had last year in rowing and basketball. We continue to invest heavily in judo, canoeing, gymnastics, and swimming. Now we have both pools operating at full capacity. The number of athletes we have at Flamengo is impressive. In the medium to long term, we will have great results. Flamengo is structuring itself, and naturally, this impacts not only football, but all Olympic sports. The results are already coming in, and I imagine they will continue."
Adaptation to the European calendar
Regarding the calendar, Flamengo believes it should be kept as is. We understand that the points system was how the clubs sold their plans to television stations. This is a very important source of revenue, and we must maintain the calendar as is without affecting the number of scheduled games. That's why we support preserving the 2020 calendar. Regarding adapting to the European calendar, this would cause significant economic problems for the clubs. We would have to extend club revenues until the middle of next year. Our television revenues would certainly be pushed to next year as well, and consequently, this would have a huge impact on the clubs. We are hoping that these revenues will be received normally by December to cover all our commitments and avoid a significant impact.
Payments during shutdown
"Flamengo honors its commitments and pays on time. We outline scenarios and, within them, study ways to continue honoring our commitments as we have been doing. We cannot control this scenario, because, for example, if we have a very long shutdown, something will have to be done. No club would be able to maintain full payment for all its players."
Influence to support Flamengo
"My biggest influence in supporting Flamengo was my maternal grandfather. I had to spend a period of my life with him because my brother was sick and my mother had to take very good care of him. And through that, I created a very strong bond with my grandfather, and through this relationship, I ended up becoming a Flamengo fan. My father was, and my two brothers are, Tricolor fans. It was through him and later my uncle, who was a Flamengo fan, that I started going to Maracanã with him a lot."
Most memorable games
"People at home joke about how selective my memory is, because I remember games and goals from way back. My first game at Maracanã was the '63 Carioca final, which I went to with my father, cheering for Fluminense. I've been a Flamengo fan since I was four. My grandfather was a rower for Flamengo, and I always watched the regattas. It was through rowing that I started supporting the club. Even before football. And I told my father that I just wanted to be on the other side cheering, but I was on Fluminense's side. It was interesting. Back then, it wasn't so much of a problem. I was wearing a Flamengo shirt, cheering for Fluminense. The '80 final also stuck with me, then the other Brazilian championship we won against Santos, and also the one against Internacional. So many important games. The 2006 and 2013 Copa do Brasil finals. This year, 2019, was very special. This Libertadores was exquisite, with that comeback at the end. For me, it was the most spectacular game. of my life. I was thrilled in '81, I went to Baixo Leblon with my uncle, but that final in Lima, even considering the position I'm in today, was the most special match of my life."
Celebration of the Libertadores title
"In the stands, there was a representative from Flamengo, River Plate, the CBF, the AFA, the president of CONMEBOL, and the president of Peru. We would be in a reserved area. There was a whole protocol to follow, and I asked Dr. Walter Feldman, secretary of the CBF, to represent the club, since he was the head of the delegation. I'd spent my life waiting to see a Libertadores final and wanted to see it from the stands. Imagining myself in a suit and tie, having to behave would be very difficult. I followed the entire protocol and then addressed the president of CONMEBOL: "I apologize, but he is the head of the delegation, he will accompany you. And I'll watch from the stands." I had already left a pair of pants and a shirt in the locker room to change. At the time, I was hopeful the whole time that we could turn the game around; I was confident we could at least tie and go to extra time. When the goals were coming, I was surrounded, and for the first one, I stood up with my kids and sang "December '81." Then Diego threw that ball, and my son, who's about my height, had his arm around my shoulder. When the goal was scored, I almost lost my balance. It was a sensational celebration. How right my decision was. Walter told me that when the 40th minute arrived, he had to come down from the stands, and the equalizer happened. Then they returned, and the winning goal happened on the way. In other words, if I had been there, I wouldn't have seen either goal. It was the best decision I could have made."
Missing Flamengo
"I and about 42 million people are longing to see Flamengo play. The coronavirus problem is very serious. And it came at a very bad time in sporting terms. We were on a string of very positive games. But that's it. Let's hope this ends quickly and that we can get back to cheering for Flamengo."
Dream
"I dream big. We've always wanted Flamengo to reach the top of the world. Of course, there are many things that need improvement. It's very difficult for us to imagine a championship that isn't seen outside of Brazil, and this affects our investment capacity and knowing what we could aim for. We see Flamengo as a very important source of content. We will increasingly try to create content using these digital platforms, with the challenge of transforming it into a big business, so that we can generate very high revenue. This will allow us not only to reach another level, but also to maintain our place there. We've all been through it, but it's the legacy we want to leave. Flamengo is a crazy passion. We are the size of several European nations, for example."
Message to the Nation
"We are going through a difficult time. We will continue to follow the authorities' guidelines, collaborating as much as possible so that this can end as quickly as possible. May God bless everyone's families, so that we can be together again and cheer for our Flamengo."