Flamengo's recent appearances in the Copa Libertadores da América don't bring back fond memories for Leonardo Moura. In 2007 and 2008, the team entered the competition with great enthusiasm, but ended up being eliminated in the knockout stage by Defensor Sporting and América de México, respectively. The latter was more painful, as the team from Gávea had won the first leg 4-2 away from home, but let the spot slip away with a 3-0 defeat at the Maracanã. However, for him, that's all in the past.

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And how better to prove this than by winning the tournament title this season? Therefore, Leonardo Moura reveals a certain eagerness to get on the field and fight for this second championship so longed for by the fans and the red-and-black team. However, he assures: no anxiety will be greater than the intelligence of the squad, which will do everything to give this gift to the nation.

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"I lived through the eliminations from both Libertadores and I can tell you the sadness that took over the group. Anxiety may have hindered us back then, but not now. We are more hardened and vaccinated against it. We have a strong, intelligent team that will enter calmly to do its best and come away with a victory in this debut," he said.

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The player emphasizes the importance of the winning spirit that coach Andrade's team has for a competition like this. According to him, in the Libertadores, heart is crucial and makes all the difference, in addition to, of course, the technical quality of the squad. Therefore, he believes Flamengo does have a chance of winning the title.

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"This is my third Libertadores, and I want to end this cycle with a flourish. We went 17 years without winning the Brazilian Championship, and the title came last year. Now the goal is the Libertadores, and we have to show the same desire to win another title. We arrived at this competition with a lot of merit, and now we have to give it everything to get results," he said.

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The main weapons for this are in attack: Adriano and Vagner Love. The duo, known as the Empire of Love, ended up being heavily mocked in the final stretch of the first round of the Campeonato Carioca, due to the red-and-black team's elimination in the semifinals of the Taça Guanabara. However, Leo has a message: he who laughs last, laughs best.

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"I have a lot of confidence in my attacking duo. The Empire of Love will appear at the right time," he concluded.

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Relaxation - The training session on the eve of the debut was marked by the red-and-black team's good humor. Toró was the highlight of the late afternoon at Ninho do Urubu. The midfielder scored five goals and was celebrated by his teammates. However, the red team tied the game in the second half and even managed to turn the game around with a goal from Leonardo Moura. This was the cue for the jokes to begin. While in the first half the yellow team said Toró would request the song from Fantástico, at the end the red team mocked with the verses by Haroldo Lobo and Niltinho: "Sadness, please go away."