Sports Journal

At a time when Flamengo is in a very uncomfortable situation in the country's main competition, a meeting took place in Lapa between four members of the greatest generation the club has ever had: the team that won the Libertadores and the World Cup in 1981. Yesterday, former stars Zico, Júnior, Raul and Cláudio Adão met again to remember this magical phase of Flamengo in a discussion group promoted by the Palavra-de-Craque project, created by former player Paulo César Caju and which aims to remember great teams in Brazilian football.

During their talks, the players revealed their immense love and strong identification with the club, allowing spectators to relive moments of glory in Brazilian football, a time when people played for the love of the jersey and the art of playing a beautiful, attacking game.

"It was a generation of great talent, who prioritized good football. At that time, 80% of the squad was formed at Gávea. Those who arrived from other clubs had to adapt," explained idol Zico, whose idea was complemented by the words of former full-back Júnior.

"The players identified with the club. This helped a lot to create an awareness of what we had to represent. With the team we had, everything we achieved was nothing more than our obligation," he added.

Besides them, Raul and Cláudio Adão also expressed their immense gratitude for the club. Former goalkeeper Raul even said that playing for Flamengo made him forget the fact that he had never played in a World Cup, despite having played 17 times for the Brazilian national team.

"This wonderful club made up for my not participating in a World Cup. When you play for Flamengo, especially for the team I played for, you don't miss playing for the national team. So much so that I don't even remember the titles I won, but I remember the packed Maracanã, with that huge crowd cheering us on," he said.

Cláudio Adão, however, was a little more restrained. "The club signed me with a broken leg in '76. I played for that team for five years and I'm very grateful for everything Flamengo did for me," he said.