Paulo Victor and Kayke talk about taking special care with gloves and shin guards.
Goalkeeper and striker insist: "it's not superstition"
By Communication - Official Club Website - in
Football holds many curious stories that are sometimes left untold. Fans are used to watching their idols for ninety minutes, and they don't imagine everything that goes into their preparation to be there giving their all for the club. For the athletes, it's not just about stepping onto the field. They need to carry a belief, an object that brings good luck, or perform a ritual before the initial whistle. It's all part of the game.
The kit men are often the main witnesses to these behind-the-scenes stories of football. Moisés has worked at Flamengo for 23 years, going through all the youth categories before reaching the professional level, and therefore has witnessed a bit of everything. Athletes who always wear the same swimsuit in matches; the special cleats; the lucky socks. In the current squad, he says there are many such cases, but he mentions two with a mixture of affection, admiration, and respect, as they involve people he saw begin their careers at the club.
Moses: "Kayke has been using the same shin guards since he was a child."
One of them is Kayke. Moisés was present at his first training sessions and games wearing the Sacred Mantle (Flamengo's jersey), in 1998, in the youth team. "Presunto," as he is affectionately called by the striker, says that it's common practice for the lower categories to take equipment from older athletes when they no longer want it and pass it on to the younger ones. He just didn't imagine that, by handing a pair of shin guards to Kayke, he would be helping to start a lasting relationship.
"The shin guards were more commonly used in the junior category. And his came about through this process; they didn't want them anymore and passed them on. They reached us, we gave them to him, and he liked them. Then I marked them with his name. Now, when he returned to the club, I was even surprised to see that he still has them today. And he insists on keeping them in the locker room so they don't wear out. They're his lucky charm (laughs)," he joked. Regarding the nickname, he explained, "He's called me that since his youth days. Everyone used to call each other 'ham,' jokingly. I even called him that myself (laughs). It stuck, it's stuck ever since, and he jokes with me about it. I've known Kayke since he was a child; I was his first locker room attendant."
The number 27 player states that he only realized he had been wearing shin guards for so long when he turned professional. More than 15 years later, he assures that they are still very useful and have never let him down. However, he also knows that he can't escape the jokes from his teammates.
"It took me a while to realize this curiosity (about the shin guards). I started using them in the youth team here at Flamengo. And it was Moisés who gave them to me, who is now our kit man for the professional team, coincidentally. We worked together for many years. I realized they were still with me when I was already a professional. Then I thought, 'since they're still with me...' It wasn't something I considered superstitious before games. I'll do everything I can to make them last as long as possible. People make fun of me because they're not in the best condition (laughs). I try my best to take care of them. I don't even like training with them to preserve them and make them last longer. I train with others, actually," said Kayke.
Regarding his return to the club, he doesn't hide his happiness at reuniting with friends who were fundamental to his personal and professional growth. "This return has been very good, I'm very happy to see many people again, like Valtinho (Valteriano), Jorginho (Jorge), Russo (Esmar), Moisés, Baratinha (Cláudio), Clebinho (Cleber). It's great, because the staff is the same as when I started. Being around these people is very rewarding," he praised.
Paulo Victor changes his pair of gloves frequently.
The Flamengo goalkeeper also has his own preparation ritual. Every game, or at most every two games, he opens a new pair of gloves. Before going onto the field, however, he uses them in training to test them. According to Paulo Victor, they come with plenty of preservative to ensure the palm is in good condition, and this habit is important to feel as secure as possible during the match. This frequent change was agreed upon with his personal sponsor so that he can always have good, custom-made gloves, improving his individual performance. And also to help perpetuate a noble gesture.
"The guys who take care of our equipment even know, Clebinho, Baratinha, and Moisés. It's not superstition at all. And after the game, I use it a lot in training and then I supply the guys from the youth academy, because other goalkeepers have done this for me too. And hopefully, in the future, they can continue doing it with the younger ones," he explained. Moisés makes a point of recognizing the qualities of the athlete whose career he has closely followed for 11 years. Praise and support for him to stay at the club for many years are abundant. "He's a fighter, a warrior, he's been through a lot of difficult situations, but today we see who Paulo Victor is. He turned things around, he chased after it. He's very dedicated to everything. He's still with us today, thank God," he celebrated.
With his usual humility, Paulo Victor acknowledges the importance of the kit men in the daily routine at the training center and reciprocates every kind word.
"I've been friends with all the kit men in these 10 years as a professional. When I arrived at the club, still in the youth system, there were Moisés and Baratinha. It's great to be liked by these people. We see their happiness with our professional achievements. I always try to be there, in those inside jokes that always happen, with the joy they bring to us. We are happy for the care they have for the equipment, and certainly football isn't just about the people on the field. These other people make sure everything is in order: the boots in good condition, the shirts. They clean my gloves, they know I don't like any products on them, that they shouldn't dry them in the sun. They know everything we like and they do their best to keep the athlete always ready for the match."
Moses: 'each one with their favorite'
Since his time at Flamengo in the early 1990s, Moisés has seen some promising players succeed and others fall by the wayside, but thankfully, the stories never truly end. And he tells them with relish. As the goalkeeper of the beloved club said, people like Moisés are essential for football to move forward and enrich the stories.
"Everyone has their own passion, their favorite thing, their lucky charm. Life goes on (laughs)!", concluded Moisés.
The kit men are often the main witnesses to these behind-the-scenes stories of football. Moisés has worked at Flamengo for 23 years, going through all the youth categories before reaching the professional level, and therefore has witnessed a bit of everything. Athletes who always wear the same swimsuit in matches; the special cleats; the lucky socks. In the current squad, he says there are many such cases, but he mentions two with a mixture of affection, admiration, and respect, as they involve people he saw begin their careers at the club.
Moses: "Kayke has been using the same shin guards since he was a child."
One of them is Kayke. Moisés was present at his first training sessions and games wearing the Sacred Mantle (Flamengo's jersey), in 1998, in the youth team. "Presunto," as he is affectionately called by the striker, says that it's common practice for the lower categories to take equipment from older athletes when they no longer want it and pass it on to the younger ones. He just didn't imagine that, by handing a pair of shin guards to Kayke, he would be helping to start a lasting relationship.
"The shin guards were more commonly used in the junior category. And his came about through this process; they didn't want them anymore and passed them on. They reached us, we gave them to him, and he liked them. Then I marked them with his name. Now, when he returned to the club, I was even surprised to see that he still has them today. And he insists on keeping them in the locker room so they don't wear out. They're his lucky charm (laughs)," he joked. Regarding the nickname, he explained, "He's called me that since his youth days. Everyone used to call each other 'ham,' jokingly. I even called him that myself (laughs). It stuck, it's stuck ever since, and he jokes with me about it. I've known Kayke since he was a child; I was his first locker room attendant."
The number 27 player states that he only realized he had been wearing shin guards for so long when he turned professional. More than 15 years later, he assures that they are still very useful and have never let him down. However, he also knows that he can't escape the jokes from his teammates.
"It took me a while to realize this curiosity (about the shin guards). I started using them in the youth team here at Flamengo. And it was Moisés who gave them to me, who is now our kit man for the professional team, coincidentally. We worked together for many years. I realized they were still with me when I was already a professional. Then I thought, 'since they're still with me...' It wasn't something I considered superstitious before games. I'll do everything I can to make them last as long as possible. People make fun of me because they're not in the best condition (laughs). I try my best to take care of them. I don't even like training with them to preserve them and make them last longer. I train with others, actually," said Kayke.
Regarding his return to the club, he doesn't hide his happiness at reuniting with friends who were fundamental to his personal and professional growth. "This return has been very good, I'm very happy to see many people again, like Valtinho (Valteriano), Jorginho (Jorge), Russo (Esmar), Moisés, Baratinha (Cláudio), Clebinho (Cleber). It's great, because the staff is the same as when I started. Being around these people is very rewarding," he praised.
Paulo Victor changes his pair of gloves frequently.
The Flamengo goalkeeper also has his own preparation ritual. Every game, or at most every two games, he opens a new pair of gloves. Before going onto the field, however, he uses them in training to test them. According to Paulo Victor, they come with plenty of preservative to ensure the palm is in good condition, and this habit is important to feel as secure as possible during the match. This frequent change was agreed upon with his personal sponsor so that he can always have good, custom-made gloves, improving his individual performance. And also to help perpetuate a noble gesture.
"The guys who take care of our equipment even know, Clebinho, Baratinha, and Moisés. It's not superstition at all. And after the game, I use it a lot in training and then I supply the guys from the youth academy, because other goalkeepers have done this for me too. And hopefully, in the future, they can continue doing it with the younger ones," he explained. Moisés makes a point of recognizing the qualities of the athlete whose career he has closely followed for 11 years. Praise and support for him to stay at the club for many years are abundant. "He's a fighter, a warrior, he's been through a lot of difficult situations, but today we see who Paulo Victor is. He turned things around, he chased after it. He's very dedicated to everything. He's still with us today, thank God," he celebrated.
With his usual humility, Paulo Victor acknowledges the importance of the kit men in the daily routine at the training center and reciprocates every kind word.
"I've been friends with all the kit men in these 10 years as a professional. When I arrived at the club, still in the youth system, there were Moisés and Baratinha. It's great to be liked by these people. We see their happiness with our professional achievements. I always try to be there, in those inside jokes that always happen, with the joy they bring to us. We are happy for the care they have for the equipment, and certainly football isn't just about the people on the field. These other people make sure everything is in order: the boots in good condition, the shirts. They clean my gloves, they know I don't like any products on them, that they shouldn't dry them in the sun. They know everything we like and they do their best to keep the athlete always ready for the match."
Moses: 'each one with their favorite'
Since his time at Flamengo in the early 1990s, Moisés has seen some promising players succeed and others fall by the wayside, but thankfully, the stories never truly end. And he tells them with relish. As the goalkeeper of the beloved club said, people like Moisés are essential for football to move forward and enrich the stories.
"Everyone has their own passion, their favorite thing, their lucky charm. Life goes on (laughs)!", concluded Moisés.