The last meeting between Flamengo fans and their team at Maracanã doesn't bring back fond memories, either for the fans or the players. On June 5th, the team lost 2-1 to Goiás in the final Brasileirão match before the World Cup break. Now, back in action, everyone expects a very different story next Wednesday (July 14.07th) against Botafogo.

Excited about returning to the field, the red-blacks are only thinking about reuniting with the fans and winning to repay the nation's affection.

"I hope the fans turn out in large numbers and that we can repay them with victory," said Vinícius Pacheco.

Left-back Juan is full of praise for the fans and assures them that there's no need to even make a rallying call. According to him, a strong presence for the red-and-blacks in the derby is already a certainty.

"Flamengo's fans are always there, there's no need to call them, and I believe they'll be there with us once again at Maracanã. It's a classic, we haven't played in a long time, and it has everything to be a great game. With them by our side, we can perform even better on the field," he observed.

Tickets for the classic are now on sale. Learn more by clicking here.

Check out the photo gallery on Flamengo's Official Website