Eduardo Vieira and Thiago Barros

Sports Journal

Rio de Janeiro - Preparations for the new futsal season are in full swing at Gávea. After much uncertainty about the project's continuity, Flamengo confirmed its participation in this year's competitions and is already working to assemble a squad that honors the club's traditions on the court. To this end, in addition to the players who remained from the 2008 team, reinforcements are being signed. The new faces on coach Cid Escarlate's team have one thing in common: a past with América. Jacó, Xandoca (who was at Paraná), and Fabinho are the names that have been mentioned and have already signed with Flamengo for the new season. Furthermore, the Gávea team yesterday secured the continued presence of one of the key players from last year's state championship-winning squad. Pivot Gabriel, who suffered a serious facial injury and was out of futsal for about three months, renewed his contract with the club. Elected best player of 2007 by the Rio de Janeiro Futsal Federation (FFSERJ) alongside Diego Panazio, now at Vasco, the athlete expressed his happiness at continuing to wear the Flamengo jersey. "We reached an agreement and I finalized my renewal. I'm happy to continue playing for Flamengo and I hope that this season we have results as good as in 2008," says Gabriel, who, like the rest of the state championship-winning squad, is still owed five months of back pay from last season. Strong foundationAnother key factor in Gabriel's continued presence and Flamengo's continued status as one of the strongest futsal teams in Rio de Janeiro is the core group that remained from last year. Even with the departure of key players like Michel Marques, Arthur, Dudu, and Diego Panazio, coach Cid Escarlate still has a strong team under his command. Besides Gabriel, he has two other pivots: Diego Carvalho and Jaxwell. Goalkeeper Rafael Pazos also renewed his contract. It's a squad that has everything it needs to succeed. "We maintained the core group, which is very good, the players who are arriving are great additions, and I believe we can do well in 2009 as we did in 2008," adds Gabriel.