Maldonado celebrates the beginning of a "new stage" in his life.
The midfielder has been recalled to the Chilean national team and will start for Flamengo against Internacional.
By From the official website team - inThe start of the second half of the season wasn't easy for Chilean player Maldonado. Due to a serious knee injury, he not only missed games for Flamengo but also missed the World Cup in South Africa, which he was supposed to play for with the Chilean national team. But the midfielder didn't give up and, with the same fighting spirit he always showed on the field, turned things around in the season.
Maldo returned to Flamengo's starting lineup and was called up again by Marcelo Bielsa to wear the "La Roja" jersey in last week's friendlies against Oman and the United Arab Emirates. It's a sort of fresh start for the defensive midfielder.
"It's a new stage in my life. I'm back playing for Chile, for Flamengo, and I hope to compete in the Copa América for my country. I went through some difficult times until I felt ready to return. The club was very important in this, as they respected my recovery and allowed me to come back at the right time," said the midfielder, who was thrilled with the chance to represent his country again.
"It's great to be back in the national team. Bielsa wanted to test some players with the Copa América in mind. I played in both friendlies (against Oman and the United Arab Emirates) and I was very happy to wear the Chilean jersey again," he noted.
The midfielder also couldn't help but comment on the plight of the Chilean miners who were trapped in a mine nearly 700 meters deep in recent months and were rescued last Wednesday.
"It was an emotional moment for the Chilean people. It was very good that the government found a quick solution for the workers. I have friends in that city and I was happy that everything ended well," he concluded.
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