The Nation's Flanatics and their magnificent follies

text by Luiz Helio

Chapter I

Last Saturday night, I was at home, "focused" on going to see Caetano Veloso in concert. But instead of listening to the singer's latest album—the excellent "Cê"—to get the songs even more on the tip of my tongue and be able to sing them live with Caetano himself, like an eager kid who's just received a toy, I preferred to enjoy a DVD I'd received in the mail that morning. In addition to some VHS recordings of memorable Mengo games, I also have two videos from the club's Golden Era. And now the collection has been enriched even more with the fantastic DVD "Heróis de uma Nação," produced last December during the celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the Liverpool victory that sealed the World Cup in Tokyo.

A co-production between Drei Marc and Business Television, the 52-minute video helps us understand why that magical team will never be forgotten. Narrated by the iconic voice of renowned and veteran Flamengo actor Milton Gonçalves, "Heroes of a Nation" features emotional testimonies from the idols of the greatest team in Flamengo's history. Almost everyone is there: Raul, Leandro, Marinho, Rondineli, Júnior, Tita, Vitor, Peu, Lico, Nunes, and Zico, including artists like Sandra de Sá, Ivo Meireles, and Léo Jaime. Journalists and radio hosts, such as Roberto Assaf, Renato Maurício Prado, José Carlos Araújo, and others, recount the emotion and honor of having witnessed that true Brazilian team dressed in red and black. Similar to the passionate testimonies of the heroes of '81, two other speeches bring goosebumps and tears to the eyes. Both involve journalist-researcher Roberto Assaf. In the first, he recalls the unforgettable Jorge Curi narrating a play by Galinho, a midfield genius who anticipated the play before even receiving the ball: "There goes Zico. He enslaves the ball!" the masterful Curi announced. In the other, it is Renato Mauricio Prado, a columnist for O Globo and commentator on the program Bem Amigos (hosted by Galvão Bueno on SporTV), who refers to an episode in which Assaf asked him, "What day is it today?" and he promptly replied, "Zico's birthday, March 03rd!" No, Assaf retorted. "Today is Christmas. The day the Messiah, the Savior of Flamengo, was born." It truly is enough to move you, letting those words echo from your ears to your heart. Then, thank God for being part of a happy nation full of heroes.

Many people ask why Flamengo still manages to capture so much passion around its colors and name, even in difficult times. Those who ask this question don't know (and don't feel) the magic that surrounds the "Most Beloved" with its nearly 40 million loyal followers. It's already a cliché to say that Flamengo is only great because of its fans. But I disagree, in part. Well, Flamengo only has this immense fan base precisely because it's larger—in many ways—than all other Brazilian and international clubs. It's true that compared to, for example, the super-millionaire Barcelona and its 134 members (probably an international record), the Rio de Janeiro club lags far behind. Only in structural and financial terms (which are reflected on the field), to be clear. If we consider the century-old history, the achievements, the drama that has encompassed countless glories in all sports, not just football, the gallery of immortal heroes, the spectacles put on by the fans in the greatest temple of football, then, without a shadow of a doubt, and leaving aside chauvinism, the benchmark becomes Flamengo. If any other team in the world can be compared to the people's team in these aspects, it can only be Boca Juniors, the equally beloved and popular club of Maradona's Argentina.

Because of the "magnetic" vibe, this week's column will pay tribute to anonymous Flamengo fans who make this sentiment last from generation to generation. Urban workers, farmers, students, housewives—in short, ordinary people, Brazilians of faith who follow two religions: the ecclesiastical one and another called Flamengo.

A Vulture's Corner in Sergipe

Cantinho do Urubu, a “Mengorial” in Sergipe\ Photo: archive/Arivaldo Luiz\

The pleasant beach city of Aracajú has a legion of Flamengo fans as passionate about Mengo as any Rio native from the South Zone or the hills. And one resident stands out as one of the most passionate. His name is Arivaldo Luiz (42), a native of Paraná who has lived in the capital of Sergipe for over thirty years. Father of Ingrid Moreira (17), he is married to Rio native Aparecida Moreira (41), "a true Flamengo fan handpicked for such a commitment," as Ari makes a point of emphasizing. He also proudly states: "As expected, we have a daughter who is a true Flamengo fan, just like her parents," revealing that his happy "heiress" follows the same religion.

The musical passion for Mengo inspired by King Zico\ Photo: archive/Arivaldo Luiz\

Ari works as a sales representative throughout the state of Sergipe, and his company's name is, suggestively, "Gávea Representações." A fearless and hopeful Brazilian, he managed to fulfill his dream of building his own home and creating a "Mengorial" or "Vulture Corner" there. A sort of small, private Flamengo museum, with an impressive collection ranging from posters and photos to souvenirs of all kinds. A highlight is a gallery dedicated to Zico and a gratitude to his discoverer, Celso Garcia, expressed in a painting on the wall. For him, along with his family, Flamengo is the only thing in the universe. "I'm only a Mengo fan. I don't even support the Brazilian national team." Radicalism? Ari says no. "Only Flamengo has occupied every possible space in my heart, my soul, and my skin," as we can confirm from the countless tattoos scattered across his eminently red-and-black body.

Arivaldo Luiz, a true fanatic from the happiest nation on the planet and his “Cantinho do Urubu”, a red-and-black nest-sweet-nest.

Next week: The Nation's Flanatics and their magnificent follies - chapter II. SRN and until then, God willing!