As part of its plan to reach ever higher levels of football, Flamengo began 2016 with a significant boost: technology. The infrastructure available to the football department during preseason includes state-of-the-art equipment and tests. Marcio Tannure, head of the Mais Querido's medical department, couldn't hide his excitement when discussing the equipment in an interview with FlaTV.

"I've been at Flamengo for 14 years, and since I arrived, what's happening is a huge dream that will become a reality in 2016. I have experience with performance athletes in sports other than football. I saw this a lot and had a great desire to implement this here at Flamengo, which is the club where I started and grew up," he declared.

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The doctor explains that the information collected by the devices and tests helps to individualize training according to each athlete's metabolism and, therefore, make it more efficient.

"We take a saliva and mucous sample and send it to the laboratory for analysis. The results come back in about 20 days, and we create a genetic profile of the athlete. This allows us to see how each athlete recovers, how their muscle metabolism works, and the amount of lactic acid and collagen. This allows us to separate the athletes into groups: those who need more care during recovery, and those who are more prone to injury and require more prevention. We want to individualize training. We want to understand each athlete's limits and help them reach their best. Consequently, this reflects on the team as a whole," he says.

In addition to laboratory tests, which are carried out through a partnership with the specialized company Biogenetika, the club acquired devices with chips and GPS that measure movement and index each athlete's effort.

Marcio Tannure says that Flamengo is at the forefront of scientific innovation in Brazilian football.

"The championship begins with the preseason, and since it's going to be a different year, we've already started doing things differently in the preseason. We started this year doing things that are new in football, things that had never been done before, or rarely done before. Analyzing each athlete's genetic profile, using DNA, to understand their metabolism, was something unprecedented in football. Flamengo was a pioneer. We were able to acquire GPS and training load equipment, which only four clubs in Brazil have. Today, with great pride and happiness, I can say that Flamengo is as good as any other club in Brazil in terms of technology and equipment," he says.

The doctor expresses his gratitude to the club's other departments that supported the investment.

"We achieved this through a joint effort with the board of directors. CEO Fred Luz, the marketing team, and Rodrigo Caetano. Everyone believed in our project, were great supporters, and understood the need for technology and sports science in football. We're looking forward to a great year," he says.

Tannure emphasizes that this structure does not bring titles in itself, but provides conditions for players and staff to perform their work with maximum performance and, thus, the squad can pursue its objectives with greater strength.

"I want to make it clear: This isn't synonymous with being a champion, but we'll have all the support the athletes need to reach their peak performance and the coaching staff needs to avoid injuries this year at Flamengo," he analyzes. He says the reception from the squad has been completely positive.

"The players felt it; it made a huge difference, and I think it will give our coach and fitness coaches the resources they need to do their job to the best of their ability. Consequently, we'll achieve the results we hope for, and at the end of all this, we'll be able to shout 'We're champions!' here at Flamengo. I've experienced this joy before, and it's incomparable!" he recalls.

Watch the video of the interview with Dr. Marcio Tannure on FlaTV: