It's been almost two years since Diego Ribas made his debut with the Sacred Mantle. With all the expectations of someone who arrived in the arms of the Nation, the – until then – number 35 knew the weight that his trajectory carried. On that August 21, 2016, the midfielder faced the same opponent he faces this Wednesday (1st), at 21:45 pm, in the Copa do Brasil.

Mané Garrincha welcomed Flamengo with open arms once again. And Diego made a point of honoring every Flamengo fan who celebrated his arrival with him. Against Grêmio, the "Mais Querido" (the Most Beloved) opened the scoring with a goal from Leandro Damião. In the second half, the debutant continued to fight hard to make his mark on the day. Then, in the 24th minute, Pará found the midfielder's head for the second goal of the afternoon. The final score was 2-1.

Much has happened since then. 99 games, 54 wins, 29 draws, and 16 losses. Diego scored 31 goals and was instrumental in many matches, exercising his characteristic leadership in important clashes. Thus, the now number 10 is once again experiencing the good form he so desperately desired. On the eve of stepping onto the pitch wearing the Manto for the 100th time, the midfielder will once again experience the taste of his debut day as he faces Grêmio once again.

The Copa do Brasil quarterfinal match will be played at Arena do Grêmio, a different venue than on August 21st. Memories, however, are coming back to the player, who will certainly hope for another positive result and qualification. For Diego, this moment will be more important than ever. As he likes to say, he will continue to treat each game as a final. Here's to another 200, 300 matches, goals, and much glory.