With the Brazilian Championship coming to an end, the awards season for the competition's standout players begins. The defensive consistency that "Mais Querido" built during this season received recognition this Wednesday (07). In an election held by Goal, goalkeeper Alex Muralha, defender Réver and midfielder Willian Arão were chosen for the Brazilian Championship team. The portal's journalists chose the three best players in each position, leaving the final choice to the readers.
Réver's resilience was also crowned in this election. The defender endured injuries and difficult times before joining Flamengo. However, his talent enabled him to play excellent matches during the championship, and his leadership spirit earned him the team captain's armband, despite having only recently joined the club. The number 15 expressed his satisfaction at receiving this award, but he also demonstrated the hunger for glory that has made his career so successful, even with the club's 2017 season in mind.
"I'm coming off a very difficult year and a difficult start to the season. Reaching the end of the year with this award is wonderful. I'm happy with this individual achievement, even though we didn't achieve our goal, which was the Brazilian Championship title," said Réver. However, the defender hopes for a successful 2017 for the red-and-black team. "We know we have a year full of important competitions ahead, so I hope this year was a seed we planted for great things to come," the defender added.
Muralha was one of the key players behind the team's strong defensive performance in the Brasileirão. His performances even earned him a call-up to Tite's national team, becoming the first Flamengo player since Kléberson in July 2010 to be called up to the Brazilian national team for an official competition. In addition to the award from Goal, Alex was also selected by Gazeta for the team of the championship. The goalkeeper spoke about the award, which capped off a great year.
"I thank Goal for the recognition and everyone who voted. I'm happy to win this award, but it's a reward for everyone's hard work. They deserve this achievement. I feel enormous satisfaction for this year. For being at Flamengo, for having participated in the Brazilian national team's call-ups for the World Cup qualifiers. It's very gratifying," said Muralha.
Another athlete who is also part of both Goal and Gazeta's Brasileirão team of the year is Willian Arão. In his first season with the Mais Querido, the defensive midfielder has already proven himself to be a key player for the team. His performances in midfield have given Flamengo stability both offensively, with his infiltrations and shots from outside the box, and defensively, demonstrating his usual vigor in trying to regain possession. The number 5, who was also named the Brasileirão's best player by Rádio Globo, expressed his gratitude for the recognition.
"It's gratifying. I'm very happy because this is the result of my daily work. I've been working hard and constantly striving to improve. I'm very grateful to God, my family, my wife, my father, and my coworkers," said the midfielder. "I'm also grateful to Professor Zé Ricardo, who helped me a lot, and to Professor Muricy, who played a huge role in this achievement," concluded Arão.
This is just the first season wearing the Sacred Mantle for these three Goal-awarded athletes. These are clinical signings who demonstrate their value to the club and their teammates every day, both on and off the field.