Coach reaffirms club's commitment to winning

Coach Joel Santana knows the route to the Rogério Steinberg Auditorium well. In his fourth stint at Flamengo, however, the coach couldn't contain the excitement of a beginner. Immediately after receiving a warm welcome from president Márcio Braga and vice president of football Kléber Leite, Joel became emotional. His voice choked, he tried his best to hold back tears, but ended up crying as he spoke of the joy that drives him to once again take charge of the team.

"I'm very excited, grateful for the board's trust and the fans' support in the last few hours. I barely slept last night. I have a new mission and I hope to help Flamengo overcome this situation that bothers everyone," Joel stated, explaining his emotion. "A man also cries with joy." In three stints at Flamengo, Joel Santana led the team in 111 matches, with 62 wins, 31 draws, and 18 losses. Under him, Flamengo scored 193 goals and conceded 107. Now, the new Flamengo coach doesn't want to dwell on the past. His concern is to see Flamengo recognized for its victories again. "Flamengo has the team to be at the top of the table. We can't wait any longer to react. The fans are missing that smile we've become accustomed to seeing. We'll turn things around," he assured. Joel will have Andrade as his assistant, and Ronaldo Torres as his physical trainer. Goalkeeping coach Roberto Barbosa, who worked under Ney Franco, will remain on the coaching staff. The new coach begins full-time training today for Sunday's match against Santos at Vila Belmiro. "We have a tough fight ahead of us. We're going to work hard these days to start reacting against Santos," the coach said.