"Let 400, 500, 600 come..."
Close to turning 32, Leo Moura reaches 300 games for Flamengo and is not even thinking about retirement.
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
In the words of Artur da Távola, a description of what it means to "be Flamengo" seems to merge with the characteristics of a player who is close to achieving a historic milestone with the Rubro-Negro: "Being Flamengo is having certainty, will, grit, and determination. It's passion with joy, a soul hungry for goals, and a will with definition." "Being Flamengo" is something that is part of Leonardo Moura.
He is approaching his 300th game for Flamengo, but wearing the red and black jersey is nothing new for the full-back, who will turn 32 on October 23rd. It is often said that whoever has experienced the emotion of being Flamengo will never experience anything comparable again. The captain has felt it for five years and knows well what this feeling is. "It's facing thunder or hymns of love with the firm gaze of conviction. It's believing, it's being, it's vibrating. It's winning. It's running towards; never running away from."
Ultimately, Flamengo "is the flower that breaks down the wall, the hand that does the work, the people that build the country." A country that, according to Nelson Rodrigues, "if Euclides da Cunha were alive, would have preferred Flamengo to Canudos to tell the story." And, surely, one of the characters in this story would be Leo Moura, interviewed in this exclusive chat on Flamengo's official website on the eve of his 300th match. The number 2 player spoke about his five years at the club, the great victories, the disappointments, and the expectations for the future.
"Bring on game 400, 500, 600... however many come," he summarized.
Check out the main excerpts from the interview below:
The historic milestone - It means a lot. It's a special moment, one I've been experiencing here for five years. My time here is marked by titles. I arrived at Flamengo in 2005 and only in that year did I not win anything. It's very gratifying to know that I'm part of Flamengo's history and that I will be remembered fondly for the achievements of this group. I intend to stay here until the end of my career and, until then, I hope to win more titles and further etch my name into this history.
Unforgettable Achievement There have been several matches that will stay in my mind, but the main one was the 2006 Copa do Brasil, because it was my first title here and that will always be a part of my memory. I hope that after these 300 games, I can play even more.
Heaven vs. Hell - Flamengo is like that. There's no middle ground. It's either heaven or hell. But thank God, within these 300 games, I've spent more time in heaven. That's important. But everything that's happened here so far serves as a lesson for what's still to come. I don't want to stop at just 300. If I can, I want 400, 500, 600...
Disappointment - I really wanted to win the Libertadores Cup in 2010, but unfortunately it didn't happen. I still dream of reaching the final of that competition and winning this title wearing the Flamengo jersey.
Retirement - I'm not thinking about that right now. My family even talks about it, my daughters sometimes say, "Dad, don't go, stay with me." And that affects me. A player's life is complicated, but I'll try to play longer, also thinking about them, about their future. I want to play for another three or four years and I plan to end my career here, for sure.
Team Moment - The team had been playing well, but unfortunately we hadn't been winning. Yesterday I was talking to the players at the training camp, telling them we needed a victory. Thank God, yesterday we got that 2-0 win. Now we need to keep going. We have a game against Avaí, away from home, which is another six-point match.
Positioning - Even though I'm not used offensively as much, I'll always fight defensively. When we win, everyone wins. When we lose, everyone wins too. I've played in various positions, played in midfield, moved forward to attack, played further back...
Comrades - Everyone has a little bit of those 300 games in them too. Many teammates have passed through here. That's why football is both good and bad. You make a lot of friends, develop affection, but then everyone goes their separate ways. There are some remaining players here. Angelim, Juan, Toró, there was Bruno... There were many good moments and I thank them all from the bottom of my heart. I didn't achieve this alone at all. Fabio Luciano, Renato Augusto, Toró, were teammates I always gave the most to. But of course, everyone is important at this moment.
Leadership within the group - What we can do for them is to instill a sense of calm and confidence. We have to make them feel comfortable. They have a lot of quality, but they can't be relied on as solutions. They're here to contribute, and the more experienced players will do everything possible to help them develop even further. Everyone here respects each other deeply, and even given the history that players like me, Juan, and Pet have made here at the club, we know we're role models for these kids. And what we can do is support them and pass on some of our experience.
Fans' Affection - I try to reciprocate the affection not only on the field but also off it, with great humility, paying attention to the fans, to the people on Twitter... I'm this guy you see here, and I always say this: I'm no different from anyone else just because I'm a Flamengo player. I'm an ordinary person, and I'm very happy with the fans' recognition. The least I can do is reciprocate that affection.
Consolidation at Flamengo - It's really worth it. I played for several clubs, stayed for short periods, but I knew that at some point I had to settle down at some club, and thank God, it was the club of my heart. I can say with an open heart that I love Flamengo. I arrived here when I was nine years old, I didn't play the whole season, but I was always in the stands, I went onto the field with Zico, Bebeto and Jorginho, I'm a die-hard Flamengo fan and completing these 300 games is fundamental.
Mohawk Yeah, it ended up becoming a brand. I didn't think it would have such an impact, but it's really cool. The kids like it a lot, some even try to imitate it. It's become a trademark, really.
In history - I want a little space there. I think I'll have one, at least in a corner next to those legends. Thank God, with the titles I've won, I've secured a little place in Flamengo's history.
Credits
Full name: Leonardo da Silva Moura
Nickname: Leo Moura
Date of Birth: October 23, 1978
birth: Niteroi (RJ)
Game 1: 12/06/2005 (Corinthians 4 x 2 Flamengo)
Goals: 38
Assists: 51
Titles
Brazilian championship: 2009
Brazil's Cup: 2006
Guanabara Cup: 2007, 2008
Rio Cup: 2009
Carioca Championship: 2007, 2008,2009
80th Anniversary Trophy GRES Mangueira: 2008
Souza Aguiar 100th Anniversary Trophy: 2007
He is approaching his 300th game for Flamengo, but wearing the red and black jersey is nothing new for the full-back, who will turn 32 on October 23rd. It is often said that whoever has experienced the emotion of being Flamengo will never experience anything comparable again. The captain has felt it for five years and knows well what this feeling is. "It's facing thunder or hymns of love with the firm gaze of conviction. It's believing, it's being, it's vibrating. It's winning. It's running towards; never running away from."
Ultimately, Flamengo "is the flower that breaks down the wall, the hand that does the work, the people that build the country." A country that, according to Nelson Rodrigues, "if Euclides da Cunha were alive, would have preferred Flamengo to Canudos to tell the story." And, surely, one of the characters in this story would be Leo Moura, interviewed in this exclusive chat on Flamengo's official website on the eve of his 300th match. The number 2 player spoke about his five years at the club, the great victories, the disappointments, and the expectations for the future.
"Bring on game 400, 500, 600... however many come," he summarized.
Check out the main excerpts from the interview below:
The historic milestone - It means a lot. It's a special moment, one I've been experiencing here for five years. My time here is marked by titles. I arrived at Flamengo in 2005 and only in that year did I not win anything. It's very gratifying to know that I'm part of Flamengo's history and that I will be remembered fondly for the achievements of this group. I intend to stay here until the end of my career and, until then, I hope to win more titles and further etch my name into this history.
Unforgettable Achievement There have been several matches that will stay in my mind, but the main one was the 2006 Copa do Brasil, because it was my first title here and that will always be a part of my memory. I hope that after these 300 games, I can play even more.
Heaven vs. Hell - Flamengo is like that. There's no middle ground. It's either heaven or hell. But thank God, within these 300 games, I've spent more time in heaven. That's important. But everything that's happened here so far serves as a lesson for what's still to come. I don't want to stop at just 300. If I can, I want 400, 500, 600...
Disappointment - I really wanted to win the Libertadores Cup in 2010, but unfortunately it didn't happen. I still dream of reaching the final of that competition and winning this title wearing the Flamengo jersey.
Retirement - I'm not thinking about that right now. My family even talks about it, my daughters sometimes say, "Dad, don't go, stay with me." And that affects me. A player's life is complicated, but I'll try to play longer, also thinking about them, about their future. I want to play for another three or four years and I plan to end my career here, for sure.
Team Moment - The team had been playing well, but unfortunately we hadn't been winning. Yesterday I was talking to the players at the training camp, telling them we needed a victory. Thank God, yesterday we got that 2-0 win. Now we need to keep going. We have a game against Avaí, away from home, which is another six-point match.
Positioning - Even though I'm not used offensively as much, I'll always fight defensively. When we win, everyone wins. When we lose, everyone wins too. I've played in various positions, played in midfield, moved forward to attack, played further back...
Comrades - Everyone has a little bit of those 300 games in them too. Many teammates have passed through here. That's why football is both good and bad. You make a lot of friends, develop affection, but then everyone goes their separate ways. There are some remaining players here. Angelim, Juan, Toró, there was Bruno... There were many good moments and I thank them all from the bottom of my heart. I didn't achieve this alone at all. Fabio Luciano, Renato Augusto, Toró, were teammates I always gave the most to. But of course, everyone is important at this moment.
Leadership within the group - What we can do for them is to instill a sense of calm and confidence. We have to make them feel comfortable. They have a lot of quality, but they can't be relied on as solutions. They're here to contribute, and the more experienced players will do everything possible to help them develop even further. Everyone here respects each other deeply, and even given the history that players like me, Juan, and Pet have made here at the club, we know we're role models for these kids. And what we can do is support them and pass on some of our experience.
Fans' Affection - I try to reciprocate the affection not only on the field but also off it, with great humility, paying attention to the fans, to the people on Twitter... I'm this guy you see here, and I always say this: I'm no different from anyone else just because I'm a Flamengo player. I'm an ordinary person, and I'm very happy with the fans' recognition. The least I can do is reciprocate that affection.
Consolidation at Flamengo - It's really worth it. I played for several clubs, stayed for short periods, but I knew that at some point I had to settle down at some club, and thank God, it was the club of my heart. I can say with an open heart that I love Flamengo. I arrived here when I was nine years old, I didn't play the whole season, but I was always in the stands, I went onto the field with Zico, Bebeto and Jorginho, I'm a die-hard Flamengo fan and completing these 300 games is fundamental.
Mohawk Yeah, it ended up becoming a brand. I didn't think it would have such an impact, but it's really cool. The kids like it a lot, some even try to imitate it. It's become a trademark, really.
In history - I want a little space there. I think I'll have one, at least in a corner next to those legends. Thank God, with the titles I've won, I've secured a little place in Flamengo's history.
Credits
Full name: Leonardo da Silva Moura
Nickname: Leo Moura
Date of Birth: October 23, 1978
birth: Niteroi (RJ)
Game 1: 12/06/2005 (Corinthians 4 x 2 Flamengo)
Goals: 38
Assists: 51
Titles
Brazilian championship: 2009
Brazil's Cup: 2006
Guanabara Cup: 2007, 2008
Rio Cup: 2009
Carioca Championship: 2007, 2008,2009
80th Anniversary Trophy GRES Mangueira: 2008
Souza Aguiar 100th Anniversary Trophy: 2007
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