Great Brazilian promise, Diogo receives praise from Zico
Galinho de Quintino has already trained the striker at Olympiakos and hopes he brings a lot of joy to the fans.
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
None other than Zico, Flamengo's greatest idol, endorsed the signing of striker Diogo, who left Brazil as a youngster after excelling at Portuguesa (SP). "Galinho" (Galinho) also praised the athlete's demeanor off the field and hopes the fans can embrace the youngster, who arrives at the Rubro-Negro club full of hope.
"Diogo is a young player who was on the Olympic team before leaving Brazil for Olympiakos (GRE). I can say that he is a very talented kid, possesses great physical strength and has good explosiveness, as well as a good finisher. He is a good athlete to work with and is very calm. He has been in Europe for some time and will need to readapt to Brazilian football. Therefore, I ask for patience from the fans, who will undoubtedly support him," said Zico.
Flamengo's football executive director also highlighted that Diogo was very motivated by the opportunity to play for Brazil's most popular club.
"He arrives at the club very motivated. Diogo is very happy with the opportunity he's getting at Flamengo and I have great hope that he will be a great help to our team," Zico concluded.
Diogo started out at Portuguesa (SP) and rose to prominence in 2007, when the club competed in the Paulistão Série A2. The player, who alternated between midfield and attack, helped the club return to the top flight and was already emerging as a promising prospect for Série B.
In the Second Division, his talent was confirmed: with 18 goals in 28 matches, he was named the best player in Serie B, playing a decisive role in Lusa's second promotion. A call-up to the Brazilian U-23 national team, which played a friendly against the Brasileirão stars, capped his golden year.
Despite being approached by major European clubs, the striker remained at Portuguesa until mid-2008, when he agreed to transfer to Olympiakos in Greece for 9 million euros.
In Greece, Diogo was welcomed like a king. He was registered as the number 10 and responded to the praise with crucial goals and assists. The club secured its fifth championship in 2009, and his performance exceeded expectations.
"Diogo is a young player who was on the Olympic team before leaving Brazil for Olympiakos (GRE). I can say that he is a very talented kid, possesses great physical strength and has good explosiveness, as well as a good finisher. He is a good athlete to work with and is very calm. He has been in Europe for some time and will need to readapt to Brazilian football. Therefore, I ask for patience from the fans, who will undoubtedly support him," said Zico.
Flamengo's football executive director also highlighted that Diogo was very motivated by the opportunity to play for Brazil's most popular club.
"He arrives at the club very motivated. Diogo is very happy with the opportunity he's getting at Flamengo and I have great hope that he will be a great help to our team," Zico concluded.
Diogo started out at Portuguesa (SP) and rose to prominence in 2007, when the club competed in the Paulistão Série A2. The player, who alternated between midfield and attack, helped the club return to the top flight and was already emerging as a promising prospect for Série B.
In the Second Division, his talent was confirmed: with 18 goals in 28 matches, he was named the best player in Serie B, playing a decisive role in Lusa's second promotion. A call-up to the Brazilian U-23 national team, which played a friendly against the Brasileirão stars, capped his golden year.
Despite being approached by major European clubs, the striker remained at Portuguesa until mid-2008, when he agreed to transfer to Olympiakos in Greece for 9 million euros.
In Greece, Diogo was welcomed like a king. He was registered as the number 10 and responded to the praise with crucial goals and assists. The club secured its fifth championship in 2009, and his performance exceeded expectations.
Follow Flamengo's official Twitter profile
\Check out the photo gallery on Flamengo's Official Website
\Check out the audio gallery on Flamengo's Official Website
\Participate in the "Be part of this team" promotion
Participate in the "King Vulture" promotion