Marcos Braz talks about football planning

Manager highlights search for renewal with coach Jorge Jesus and returns to training

By Communication - Flamengo - in 25/04/2020 às 22:04

Saturday was a lot of chat with vice president of football Marcos Braz on FlaTV. In the interview tonight, the Flamengo director discussed several topics of interest to Flamengo fans, including: the return of Flamengo training, the renewal of coach Jorge Jesus' contract, the Flamengo squad, and much more. Check it out below!

Return of football

"I'm absolutely certain that it's not just Flamengo that needs to return. All clubs need to. Regardless of the championship they're competing in. We have the players' vacation until the 30th. Flamengo is prepared so that if we have to start training, we can start without any problems. Now it doesn't depend on Flamengo, but on government agencies. And now we want to know if we're ready to have the flexibility of the government and city hall, but Flamengo will follow all safety protocols. This is President Landim's determination. It doesn't depend solely on Flamengo, but we are prepared. Flamengo is unlikely to train on May 1st. The coach arrives that day, in the evening. We will have a meeting with him to discuss these matters and also to define the training schedule. We will also hear from him, from you, and from his perspective. A day or two later, if the conditions are right and the government gives the go-ahead, we will be ready without any problems. If not, we will plan accordingly."

Jorge Jesus' Renewal

"A year ago, when Flamengo hired Mister and his entire staff, the club made a huge financial effort to bring him in. I had a lot of confidence in him, but we had to analyze the financial side. President Landim was crucial in this process because he believed in bringing in a foreign coach with other people to support him. Flamengo did everything possible to bring in Jorge Jesus. He came, and what happened happened. We've had Mister for almost a year. Now we're dealing with the renewal. It's not as much of a mystery as it was back then, when he came with his entire team. I remember Flamengo drew a game in the Copa do Brasil and was eliminated. Then we went to play Emelec and lost the player. What we went through during this period... If Jorge hadn't worked out, it would have been a joke, but he did. And I've taken a huge responsibility off my shoulders. Every effort will be made again. President Landim has already authorized it, we've been discussing it calmly, but this coronavirus situation happened. The Euro is going to over 6 reais, and this... It's a bad thing. Flamengo is analyzing several situations. One or two receivables have asked Flamengo for time. So, like all companies and clubs, we are doing the best we can. We'll do our part, but it doesn't just depend on us, but on them as well, on understanding the moment, the situation. Exactly how we return to training doesn't just depend on us, but we will do our part. Is it an easy situation? No, just like it wasn't back then. But everything will be fine."

Relationship with director Bruno Spindel

"I know a lot of people and have a lot of contact in the market. Even when analyzing the technical side, you try to find out if the player will fit. And Bruno and I have a very relaxed relationship, but we all discuss everything. Obviously, the titles improve the relationship, this feeling that it's working, it's very good. My relationship with him is wonderful. We adjust all the work together. If we have to detach ourselves a little from the agent and focus more on the player, we have some paths that work."

Work of the Intelligence Center

"The Intelligence Center is operating and working from home. Fabinho (former player) is in charge. Everything is very slow and compromised, but I also have a great relationship with him. When I recommend a player, we go by the information systems we have in place. These are important things to evaluate on a daily basis."

Coronavirus safety protocol

"Flamengo, through Dr. Tannure, has created a very strict and consistent internal safety protocol, but of course, this protocol isn't enough. It's enough to comply with the decisions of the federal, state, and municipal governments. Flamengo is prepared, but we'll wait for a safer time. Flamengo purchased 600 test kits so that everyone involved in daily activities can be monitored and that everyone, including their families, is fully protected. Flamengo is ready, and I'm rooting for them to return quickly, but we have to return safely and within government regulations. On the 27th or 28th, we'll know whether we'll be able to train or not."

Work and style in football

"I think you have to be lucky too. Luck comes with other work situations. In fact, I have some important titles, a good number of them. There's a lot of work too. I've always had a straightforward and transparent relationship with the players. I don't lose control, but I also don't act authoritarian."

Serving as Rio's Sports Secretary

"It was a very good experience. It really matured me. It was a period that made me grow a lot. We were in charge of 22 Olympic villages, where people need sports and snacks, which are sometimes the only ones they get for the day. I worked hard on that."

Difference between "traditional" and club politics

"Club politics are more intense. They can cause problems at any moment; they're more unpredictable. Outside, I think it's more relaxed, because if you do a good job, a job that's well-regarded, you have more peace of mind. At Flamengo, as at big clubs, this peace of mind isn't always guaranteed. But it's part of the process. Those with experience and peace of mind know how to live with it. I've known Flamengo politics for a long time, even after being away for ten years."

"Ice in the blood"

"I'd never used that expression before. I don't even remember the situation I used it in. We were taking a long time to hire, and people were putting a lot of pressure on us. I said, 'Take it easy, we need to keep our cool.' And people, my fellow directors, joke with me to this day. It became something memorable."

Relationship with President Rodolfo Landim

"I met the president during the election period. It was around August 2018, long before the final slates were finalized. You need to approve the slates by September 30th, and before that, I was already with President Landim. When I decided to go with President Rodolfo Landim, I was certain I was the best prepared for Flamengo, for the continuity of this new world that Flamengo and the world's clubs have entered. In the last ten years, everything has changed, the world and football too. I thought President Landim was the best prepared, and that's why I made that choice back then. The president won the election, and I was invited. My relationship with him is direct, above average. It's the best possible. My position is one of trust. The trust has to be mutual. But he has the right to analyze my work, to analyze the entire department I might manage, which was the trust he instilled in me. I have a direct relationship with him, and what he doesn't like, he says. What I don't like, I don't say much. But what he says, I listen and ponder"

Relationship with vice presidents

"Regarding the other vice presidents, I have a good relationship with everyone. It's an institutional relationship, one of respect. Often you don't know a VP very well, but we have a very good and respectful institutional relationship. The board performs well overall, making mistakes and getting things right like everyone else. But I'm very happy to be part of this team."

Relationship with former presidents

"Of all the former presidents, I have the greatest affection for Gilberto Cardoso. I have a good relationship with all the former presidents. I call them all presidents. Sitting in that chair is no joke. President George Helal taught me a lot and was a very important person. Delair gave me the opportunity and was the first to invite me to be VP of football, when I was 37 years old. I have great gratitude and respect for him. I also have great respect for Márcio Braga. I worked with Patrícia for three months, we had our disagreements, but that's in the past; I have respect for her. Regarding Flamengo and the entire political situation, I have a good relationship. Of course, we have some friction from time to time, but that's normal and part of the game."

Statements by former president Bandeira de Mello

"Even regarding the accident at Ninho, President Bandeira de Mello was very unfortunate in his statements. And this unfortunate statement is cheap for him. It was cowardly or characterless. I don't know him well. I don't know if this one-off statement was opportunistic or characterless. People who have worked with him even think it's characterless, but I think it's opportunistic. When you have journalists who analyze everything, it's part of the game, it's pertinent. Often, the broadcaster or blogger can be harsh and offer an analysis that even goes too far. I respect the journalist's judgment, even though I get upset sometimes. Now, he couldn't make that statement. A journalist could. But he couldn't. Because it was under his administration that the containers were contracted, it was under his administration that the children were there, and it was also under his administration that all the notifications from the city hall arrived. And to dissociate this and say that Landim's administration had 30 days in office is very bad. Let's say that if the accident had happened at the end of last year, he could even say that."

Changes in football and its relationship with the press

"It wasn't just football that changed, although Flamengo changed too. The world changed too. I really feel the difference, the amount of news in the press. Today you have the alternative media, YouTubers, bloggers, various media companies. I've always done something that some people don't. After training, at least once, I go down to talk to the press for coffee. I still maintain that today. In the past, when I went to the press room, there were ten people at most. Today, it's a world of people. You have to be attentive, careful, and always try to be accurate with the information and serve everyone. It's a battle. Very different from 2009."

2009 Brazilian champion group

"The 2009 group gave me a hard time, but they didn't have cell phones with cameras, there weren't a lot of situations, and the players weren't as exposed, but I had some players who were a bit naughty, like Adriano, Zé Roberto, Bruno, Pet, and Álvaro. It took a bit of work, but everything worked out. Holding those guys back was no joke."

current roster

"Today, the players understand and understand the number of cameras and situations. Exposure is less, the players are highly professional, and they know there's no room for other situations. It ends up being less work, but you have to be attentive. When we talk about locker room management, it's on a daily basis, it's about noticing if a player is unhappy with something. I talk a lot, either alone or directly with the player, to find out if it's a personal issue. In this whole process, the player's trust in you is fundamental. You can't trust them more or less. We manage that well."

Difference between the two casts

"Both are important. Each in their own way. This current squad, with its many titles, has given me more. Regarding the Brazilian Championship, a title is like a child. Each one has its own significance and its own moment. When there was a club doing a lap of honor and we were so angry, I thought, 'Will we not be able to do this again, not as runner-up, but in another position?' I've always had that fear. But thank God it was just a fear."

Name in the club's history

"I contributed as others have. Flamengo is 125 years old, and I think that's it. I have a sense of duty fulfilled. When I was younger, you always think: will I win a state championship, a Brazilian championship, and as you win, you get that feeling. I don't have that perception of whether or not I've made history. I treat it very naturally and calmly."

Missing Flamengo

"At first I even liked it because I was resting. Now I miss it. Life needs to get back to normal. I miss it so much. There's a moment that's magical. That's when Flamengo leaves the training ground and is on its way to the stadium."