Idol, captain, and winner. The obstacles during his current stint at Flamengo haven't stopped midfielder Diego from pursuing his goals: becoming a champion and making history at the club. In an interview with FlaTV this Wednesday (08), the player recalled his early days in football, the injury that most affected him, and the dream year that was 2019.

"I've always loved soccer. I've played since I was a kid, going to sleep and waking up with the ball. I started at Comercial in Ribeirão Preto, then went to Santos, where I played through the youth ranks and made my debut at 16. I stayed there until I was 19, when I began my adventure in Europe. I played for Porto, Werder Bremen, Juventus, Wolfsburg, Atlético de Madrid, and Fenerbahçe until I finally wore the Sacred Mantle. That was a part of my journey. I learned a lot and I'm proud to have gotten to where I am today."

"Since I played my first match against Flamengo at the Maracanã, the desire to play and wear this jersey began to grow in my heart. And over time, it only grew. A lot of it was through conversations with some athletes, like Juan and Júlio César. Every game I watched, title celebrations, goals, my desire grew, until I finally decided to come here. It was a dream I had, and I'm very happy. Winning titles, having wonderful experiences. It's a great pleasure to wear this jersey."

"I dreamed of big titles wearing the Flamengo jersey, but the truth is that it exceeded my expectations. As hard as we work, today we, as a team, club, and all professionals, are in a period of investment, not only financially, but also of determination. It exceeded my expectations, but that doesn't mean I don't want to win anymore. I live dreaming, with goals and objectives. I'm sure we still have many joys to experience together at Flamengo."

"I've learned and continue to learn from him. It's a very open relationship. He's very direct and communicative, and I identify with those characteristics. In terms of positioning and tactics, not only I, but all the players are learning and evolving. There's nothing better than having a coach who can constantly teach you. It's a pleasure to work as a professional and be a human being like him."

"Discovering new skills at home, especially with my wife. I'm closer to my family. In this delicate situation we're in, I try to contribute in some way. I'm taking advantage of this time at home, since we travel and concentrate a lot. It's been a really good time, and it ends up being left for my wife to get a haircut."

"It's truly been a very difficult time. We're trying to follow all the recommendations, and that's the message we're sending to everyone. We're really looking forward to returning; it's what we love to do, and to having contact with the fans, who motivate us every day. We're looking forward to returning. We don't know when it will be, but we're managing our anxiety right now. We've been working hard physically with the support of our fitness coaches and the medical department to ensure we return in the best possible condition."

"The group is very united and demonstrates this constantly. With their actions. It was our decision to feel all the emotion together, always respecting the captain in this case. The most important thing is to win a title, and whoever lifts the ball ends up being the highlight, but in the end, everyone wins. It was a collective decision. We respect each other, and that's what this group represents."

"The most complicated injury of my career, one of the most difficult moments of my life. But in the end, my dream came true. The expected recovery time was 5 to 6 months, and we managed to recover in less than three months. I thank God, my family, the coaching staff, the players, the fans... I didn't accept that situation and did everything I could to return as soon as possible. I just have to thank all the professionals who helped me through this. It's priceless. It had a huge impact on my personal and professional life."

"It's hard to explain in words. One of the most memorable moments of my life. I expected it to be a dangerous play, because Bruno Henrique had looked for space and Gabi was very confident. He was very happy and with his eye for goal, managed to put the ball in the net. I dreamed so much about this moment during my recovery, of playing, of being a champion and being important. It fueled me, and I was confident that the comeback, the goal, could happen. It was an explosion of joy, inexplicable. We will remember it forever. We all want to win more easily, but when we have this emotion, it becomes even more special. I cried, laughed, screamed, hugged my teammates. We still talk about it today. It's something I'll keep in my memory forever."