On Monday afternoon (10), Paulo Sousa was officially presented, at Ninho do Urubu, as Flamengo's new coach. Before the press conference, the Portuguese arrived early at the CT and welcomed Mengão's professional squad, who returned from vacation and began preparing for the 2022 season. Check out some excerpts from the interview.

Rodolfo Lacy
"I'm pleased to be formally resuming our work. This is the first time I've been able to speak with Paulo, our coach, since then. It's incredibly satisfying to have him and his entire coaching staff join our team. Throughout this process, we've seen some of their characteristics, and that's why we're confident. When we got Paulo to accept the project, I think we also achieved several important things for Flamengo. He embodies the club's winning spirit. If we analyze his career, Paulo was a truly successful player. Wherever he played, he won several titles, including two Champions Leagues."

"When he became a coach and managed to build competitive teams, he was a great winner. He developed a whole academic side after he stopped playing, spending six years studying and applying his knowledge to several clubs, gaining a wealth of experience. All this experience is not only related to the tactical side, but also to the organizational aspect of a team."

Paulo Sousa
"First, I'd like to thank the president, Marcos, and Bruno. We had several hours of meetings, which, in my opinion, are crucial for a club to make important decisions. They offered to get to know me as a person and as a coach, as well as to find out what I knew about our squad and the club. It's an opportunity that doesn't often come along in a coach's life. Representing a club of this magnitude and leading this process with all the people who work there every day, but above all with the soul of our fans. That's my energy. I want to see our team connect with the fans in victory and in the quality of the matches, so they can feel more united than ever. I want to thank everyone for the affection I've received. We will do everything to honor the greatness of Flamengo."

Give up the World Cup
"I think the president spoke well about what he truly observed in our conversation. It was the enthusiasm, the greatness of the club, the possibility of winning titles with Flamengo, and the possibility of writing other victorious pages in the club's history. I want to be part of Flamengo's history."

Pedro and Gabigol together
"Regarding Pedro and Gabigol, I think we have three very strong attackers. Of course, only after working together on the field will we understand each player's capabilities. Only after this interaction will we make decisions. At other clubs, I've played with three attackers. I plan on using this in several games from the start and throughout the match itself. It's certainly possible if we work with a common goal. Bruno Henrique is very strong, has great quality in the box and on goal. I like to see my team create opportunities. By scoring more goals than our opponents, we win the game. I want to create opportunities so the team can score a lot of goals."

Preferred tactical scheme
"For me, tactical schemes aren't dynamic, they're static. The system isn't the most important thing. We have very intelligent players, with a great ability to understand the game and occupy spaces. I intend to have a team that's a protagonist, dominant, that constantly presses and has good ball possession skills. They stay as close to the opponent's box as possible, and when they lose the ball, they recover it quickly. These are the concepts that need to be valued more than the scheme."