Everyone knows that Flamengo will be looking for three points against Ponte Preta next Sunday (August 09.08). However, the context of the match will involve other important factors that could make a difference. In addition to taking the field with the power of the Sacred Mantle, the players will carry their fathers' names on their backs. As last year, the club will promote this event on the commemorative date, serving as an additional incentive for the squad. Two players, however, decided to extend the tribute.

Both the players who start the match and those on the bench receive one jersey in the first half and another in the second. And namesakes Cesar and César Martins took advantage of the opportunity to wear a different name in each half of the game. And even in this, they were the same: they chose their father and grandfather. For them, what matters is the feeling of affection and recognizing the importance of each character in their lives.

"I love my father very much, I have a good relationship with him, but my grandfather always took me places, since I was little. I lived with him, my grandmother and my mother when my parents separated and he played that role of father. So, the tribute goes to both of them, to share it nicely (laughs)," explained the red-and-black goalkeeper, who will use the names of his father Éric Dimitri and grandfather Álvaro Bernardo.

As a teenager, César Martins trained and ran in the street with his father, Marcelo Martins, who also wanted to be a soccer player but couldn't due to a heart condition. On weekends, he played in the local area. As the athlete says, his career completely changed course four years ago, when he "left the local area and started playing soccer for real." And his desire to fulfill his dream was heightened after a sad event.

"No matter what happens, a father is a father. As for my grandfather, it all started with him, this football thing. I have a goal in my life, in my career, that I promised him one night when I was 14, and that very morning, he passed away. So, this is the most special reason I have to do what I love, what he loved, and what my father loved. And on Sunday, I'll be able to honor them. I have two fathers in my life, and I'm sure he's very happy up there. My father will be working, he won't be able to go to the game, but I'm sure he'll be happy watching on television," the defender emphasized.

When his parents separated, he was still a baby, and he went to live with his grandfather, Mauro Martins, and his father. Mauro always gave young César everything he asked for, doting on his grandson, who was considered "lucky" to live with the family's most beloved grandfather. After his relative's death, he lived with his mother for a short time, from whom he learned some household chores, and lived with his six siblings. He returned to his father's house about two years later.

"The one who truly raised me was my grandfather. People sometimes joke with me and say that I look like I was raised by my grandmother. I say, 'No, not grandmother. By grandfather!' When he passed away, I thought about giving up; I even became depressed for a while, but my father wouldn't let me give up and reminded me of the promise I made to my grandfather, where I said I would get there. And that's what I did. In these last three and a half years, I've made leaps I never imagined I would make in football. Today I'm at Flamengo, I wear this Sacred Mantle, and I want to bring a lot of joy to the fans," he said.

The two athletes don't hide their joy at being able to perform under the names of people they love; making the sweat of the match count twice as much. For 90 minutes, they will remember that they will be on the field because of their parents and grandparents, who helped shape them as citizens and contributed greatly to their ability to wear the Flamengo jersey today. For both, the club's initiative only further enhances these relationships of love and respect.

"This action by Flamengo is really cool, everyone is happy to receive an honor. When we have the opportunity to receive one, we are happy, so I imagine my grandfather and my father will be happy too to see the shirt with their names on the back," said goalkeeper Cesar.

"I already told my dad I'm going to honor him, and he was happy and said, 'Send me the shirt!' I said, 'You got it!' A father is a father; even when we're far away, we talk once or twice a week. Some people, like Canteros, have a father far away, but they'll watch this tribute and be very happy. This is very important; I hope it happens more often, not just on Father's Day, to honor the people we love, our family. Flamengo is doing something beautiful, which for some people is just a name on the shirt, but for our fathers and family, it's a very big thing. I wish all Flamengo fans a happy Father's Day, a good Sunday, and may it be with another victory, God willing," concluded César Martins.