Éverton Ribeiro: "Today I can say that Flamengo is my home"
The athlete is presented at the Gávea headquarters and declares that playing for the "giant" club was a "long-time dream."
By Francisco Freire and Isabela Abirached - in
The wait is over. For the Nation and for Éverton Ribeiro who, after landing in Rio de Janeiro, went to the Gávea headquarters for his presentation. In the Club's main hall, the 28-year-old athlete sat between president Eduardo Bandeira de Mello and Flamengo's executive director of football, Rodrigo Caetano, to speak to the press in a press conference.
"He's a long-held dream of ours. In recent months, every time I met with fans, they asked me when he was coming. Today he's here, to our delight. Our contact with Éverton Ribeiro goes back months, long before any talk of a transaction involving Vinicius Júnior. These are independent matters. We secured the resources with our fans and with the season ticket holders, which made the signing financially possible," stated Bandeira de Mello, followed by Caetano.
Those who are proud to be members make the team stronger and always have more Flamengo: discounts on tickets and pay-per-view, exclusive videos to stay up-to-date, advantages in official stores to get the jersey and other products, and much more. Click and join now!
"The negotiation wasn't an easy task, but Flamengo's stature led Éverton Ribeiro to choose the club upon his return to Brazil. The negotiation, which had been ongoing since the beginning of the year, involved several important players, in addition to the player himself, whom I would like to highlight: his agent, Robson Ferreira, his lawyer Marcelo, and his family, who are present and showing their support. We are all happy to be here today and proud that the negotiation reached this conclusion because of his choice to be here. Flamengo made a significant investment, considering the realities of Brazilian football, with the conviction that it will yield a technical return. It's a source of pride for the club," stated the Flamengo director.
Not hiding his joy at arriving at Flamengo, Éverton Ribeiro guaranteed that he is hungry for the game and wants to repay the affection he has been receiving from the Biggest Fanbase in the World.
"I'm very happy, feeling a huge desire to be a champion, to play football and to repay the fans for the affection they have for me and my family. There were moments of anxiety until I put on the jersey and announced my arrival, but today it's a reality and I'm very happy," he said.
Check out the highlights from Éverton Ribeiro's press conference:
Arrival
I am very happy to be able to realize the dream of playing for this enormous club that is Flamengo. It is an honor to wear this jersey and now I hope to get to know and be with the group, integrate as quickly as possible and play in front of this sensational fanbase. It's a long-held dream. Every professional player knows the history of Flamengo, how passionate its fanbase is. When the opportunity arose to have this pleasure of playing here, I didn't think twice, it was immediate, I did everything to make it work. I would like to thank Rodrigo (Caetano), the president. It was difficult, but today it's a reality.
Brazil National Team
Certainly, playing for the national team is also a goal. But what made me choose Flamengo was Flamengo itself, its history, my desire to play here. It's incredible to see the fans, the strength of the jersey, and I hope to be very happy here, to win titles... It's how I can leave my mark on this great institution that is Flamengo. It's a little bit of everything. Since I first spoke with Rodrigo (Caetano), he showed me the incredible project of how Flamengo restructured itself. Today, Flamengo will always fight for titles, both because of its structure and its strong squad, with champion players. All of this and the greatness of Flamengo made me happy to return to playing in Brazilian football, and what I want most is to be able to step onto the field. Not to mention the fans, who are a spectacle in themselves. I've played against the Nation before and I know how it motivates a player; it's difficult to play against Flamengo, which today I can say is my home too.
Playing conditions
Today, a player has to adapt to performing various roles. Thank God I have the ability to play both in the middle and on the wing, being able to orchestrate the team by cutting inside, but that's the coach's choice. Zé (Ricardo) will see what's best for the team. Undoubtedly, there's a difference between the United Arab Emirates and Brazil, but football there has evolved a lot, it's growing, and during this period I'll be there, I'll work to get back as quickly as possible, arriving at matches already at 90% so I can then gradually regain my rhythm. Zé Ricardo will have a good headache; the only one who stands to gain is Flamengo. I, personally, will grow a lot with this competition. It's good for everyone; our squad is very strong, and I'm here to help it grow even more. I've been watching the games; the team is doing well, always with a lot of commitment, and I can't wait to contribute to becoming champions. The idea is to start training as soon as possible. I've already talked to Rodrigo (Caetano) about this. Since I'm coming from the end of the season, we have some precautions to take, but I'm physically and clinically sound. This is important so we can do the job. I've already seen the training center in photos and I know it's one of the best in Brazil. I'm taking two days off and I'll be back on Friday to join the group and experience this great atmosphere.
Wife's post with the "vulture"
We had a lot of laughs on social media. It was actually a crow, not a vulture (laughs). We found it very funny, but it was very rewarding to see that the fans had already embraced us before we even arrived. That makes all the difference... When everyone is thinking positively, the ball ends up going in more easily, everything conspires in your favor. So we're definitely going to have a good relationship with the fans, which started online.
Brasileirão
From my experience, every game is important. The three points from the first round are worth the same as the three points from the last. We have to be focused, always thinking about winning, even away from home. It's not just 11 players, we have a very strong team. This gives the team strength to fight for the title at the end of the year. Flamengo has an obligation to always be fighting for titles, because of its greatness, its players, and the structure it has, which is constantly improving. It is indeed an obligation to enter the competition, and we have a chance. We've had a verbal agreement for some time, and I've been following and cheering them on. We have a great chance, experienced players, champions. Every game is important in the Brasileirão, practically a final, from the first to the last. Every point counts a lot. We'll keep adding points, winning, and in the end, that's when it's decided; we have to fight until the end for the winning streak. At Cruzeiro, I had two spectacular years, winning two Brasileirão titles. I have friends there and a lot of affection for Cruzeiro, but now I want to give my best and build my history at Flamengo. I am certain that it will be a victorious story, full of joy and constant dedication.
Playing alongside Guerrero and Diego
Diego and Guerrero are renowned for their clubs and national teams. They are players of character, always fighting for their club. As I understand it, they are team players, they have no vanity. It's a pleasure and I'm very happy to be able to play alongside not only them but also the entire squad, which has great professionals.
Greatness of the club and the fans
Even though I'm from São Paulo, Flamengo's greatness reaches the whole world. Seeing the Maracanã packed, this jersey being champion... I believe that every child, when they see this shirt, see these colors, dreams of one day playing for this great club, and it's no different for me. I saw Romário scoring goals, Bebeto... they are great players who have played here, and today I have the opportunity to realize my dream. It's difficult to face a packed Maracanã with the Nation pushing for 90 minutes. I kept imagining being able to play in their favor, and today I'm very happy with the reception I'm receiving. I even talked to Rodrigo (Caetano): when the reception is like this, everything is in place for success. Things went well, and I'm sure we'll be very happy together. You can see that the fans are very passionate, they'll demand when they need to, and they encourage us a lot, they give us strength, they give us the support to keep running, fighting. Flamengo is enormous, gigantic. This is a good kind of pressure, because these are quality players; nobody gets here by luck. Together we will seek titles for Flamengo.
"He's a long-held dream of ours. In recent months, every time I met with fans, they asked me when he was coming. Today he's here, to our delight. Our contact with Éverton Ribeiro goes back months, long before any talk of a transaction involving Vinicius Júnior. These are independent matters. We secured the resources with our fans and with the season ticket holders, which made the signing financially possible," stated Bandeira de Mello, followed by Caetano.
Those who are proud to be members make the team stronger and always have more Flamengo: discounts on tickets and pay-per-view, exclusive videos to stay up-to-date, advantages in official stores to get the jersey and other products, and much more. Click and join now!
"The negotiation wasn't an easy task, but Flamengo's stature led Éverton Ribeiro to choose the club upon his return to Brazil. The negotiation, which had been ongoing since the beginning of the year, involved several important players, in addition to the player himself, whom I would like to highlight: his agent, Robson Ferreira, his lawyer Marcelo, and his family, who are present and showing their support. We are all happy to be here today and proud that the negotiation reached this conclusion because of his choice to be here. Flamengo made a significant investment, considering the realities of Brazilian football, with the conviction that it will yield a technical return. It's a source of pride for the club," stated the Flamengo director.
Not hiding his joy at arriving at Flamengo, Éverton Ribeiro guaranteed that he is hungry for the game and wants to repay the affection he has been receiving from the Biggest Fanbase in the World.
"I'm very happy, feeling a huge desire to be a champion, to play football and to repay the fans for the affection they have for me and my family. There were moments of anxiety until I put on the jersey and announced my arrival, but today it's a reality and I'm very happy," he said.
Check out the highlights from Éverton Ribeiro's press conference:
Arrival
I am very happy to be able to realize the dream of playing for this enormous club that is Flamengo. It is an honor to wear this jersey and now I hope to get to know and be with the group, integrate as quickly as possible and play in front of this sensational fanbase. It's a long-held dream. Every professional player knows the history of Flamengo, how passionate its fanbase is. When the opportunity arose to have this pleasure of playing here, I didn't think twice, it was immediate, I did everything to make it work. I would like to thank Rodrigo (Caetano), the president. It was difficult, but today it's a reality.
Brazil National Team
Certainly, playing for the national team is also a goal. But what made me choose Flamengo was Flamengo itself, its history, my desire to play here. It's incredible to see the fans, the strength of the jersey, and I hope to be very happy here, to win titles... It's how I can leave my mark on this great institution that is Flamengo. It's a little bit of everything. Since I first spoke with Rodrigo (Caetano), he showed me the incredible project of how Flamengo restructured itself. Today, Flamengo will always fight for titles, both because of its structure and its strong squad, with champion players. All of this and the greatness of Flamengo made me happy to return to playing in Brazilian football, and what I want most is to be able to step onto the field. Not to mention the fans, who are a spectacle in themselves. I've played against the Nation before and I know how it motivates a player; it's difficult to play against Flamengo, which today I can say is my home too.
Playing conditions
Today, a player has to adapt to performing various roles. Thank God I have the ability to play both in the middle and on the wing, being able to orchestrate the team by cutting inside, but that's the coach's choice. Zé (Ricardo) will see what's best for the team. Undoubtedly, there's a difference between the United Arab Emirates and Brazil, but football there has evolved a lot, it's growing, and during this period I'll be there, I'll work to get back as quickly as possible, arriving at matches already at 90% so I can then gradually regain my rhythm. Zé Ricardo will have a good headache; the only one who stands to gain is Flamengo. I, personally, will grow a lot with this competition. It's good for everyone; our squad is very strong, and I'm here to help it grow even more. I've been watching the games; the team is doing well, always with a lot of commitment, and I can't wait to contribute to becoming champions. The idea is to start training as soon as possible. I've already talked to Rodrigo (Caetano) about this. Since I'm coming from the end of the season, we have some precautions to take, but I'm physically and clinically sound. This is important so we can do the job. I've already seen the training center in photos and I know it's one of the best in Brazil. I'm taking two days off and I'll be back on Friday to join the group and experience this great atmosphere.
Wife's post with the "vulture"
We had a lot of laughs on social media. It was actually a crow, not a vulture (laughs). We found it very funny, but it was very rewarding to see that the fans had already embraced us before we even arrived. That makes all the difference... When everyone is thinking positively, the ball ends up going in more easily, everything conspires in your favor. So we're definitely going to have a good relationship with the fans, which started online.
Brasileirão
From my experience, every game is important. The three points from the first round are worth the same as the three points from the last. We have to be focused, always thinking about winning, even away from home. It's not just 11 players, we have a very strong team. This gives the team strength to fight for the title at the end of the year. Flamengo has an obligation to always be fighting for titles, because of its greatness, its players, and the structure it has, which is constantly improving. It is indeed an obligation to enter the competition, and we have a chance. We've had a verbal agreement for some time, and I've been following and cheering them on. We have a great chance, experienced players, champions. Every game is important in the Brasileirão, practically a final, from the first to the last. Every point counts a lot. We'll keep adding points, winning, and in the end, that's when it's decided; we have to fight until the end for the winning streak. At Cruzeiro, I had two spectacular years, winning two Brasileirão titles. I have friends there and a lot of affection for Cruzeiro, but now I want to give my best and build my history at Flamengo. I am certain that it will be a victorious story, full of joy and constant dedication.
Playing alongside Guerrero and Diego
Diego and Guerrero are renowned for their clubs and national teams. They are players of character, always fighting for their club. As I understand it, they are team players, they have no vanity. It's a pleasure and I'm very happy to be able to play alongside not only them but also the entire squad, which has great professionals.
Greatness of the club and the fans
Even though I'm from São Paulo, Flamengo's greatness reaches the whole world. Seeing the Maracanã packed, this jersey being champion... I believe that every child, when they see this shirt, see these colors, dreams of one day playing for this great club, and it's no different for me. I saw Romário scoring goals, Bebeto... they are great players who have played here, and today I have the opportunity to realize my dream. It's difficult to face a packed Maracanã with the Nation pushing for 90 minutes. I kept imagining being able to play in their favor, and today I'm very happy with the reception I'm receiving. I even talked to Rodrigo (Caetano): when the reception is like this, everything is in place for success. Things went well, and I'm sure we'll be very happy together. You can see that the fans are very passionate, they'll demand when they need to, and they encourage us a lot, they give us strength, they give us the support to keep running, fighting. Flamengo is enormous, gigantic. This is a good kind of pressure, because these are quality players; nobody gets here by luck. Together we will seek titles for Flamengo.