Questions have no place in Gávea
Flamengo players believe in the team's potential and hope for a good result against Vasco on Sunday.
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
When they beat Botafogo and Atlético-GO, Flamengo's squad was considered gritty and disciplined by most media outlets. However, after the draw with Avaí and the loss to Internacional, the same team found itself in the midst of a barrage of criticism. Nothing that undermines the day-to-day work they do at Gávea.
One of the most experienced members of the squad, Petkovic has already experienced moments of great euphoria and many questions at Flamengo. Knowing that the fans are the most affected by the team's pejorative reviews, the Serbian midfielder explains that the squad is unfazed. Instead, they strive to work even harder to bring joy to the nation.
"The questions don't interest us. We started the Brazilian Championship well after the World Cup and we're a team just arriving. We lost the last game 1-0, a 'fair' result, and we could have won. We've achieved almost 60% success in these first four rounds and we want to improve that. I don't think it's bad," said Petkovic, highlighting that Flamengo lost to a direct opponent, which has a great squad, away from home.
"We only had one negative result. We faced Inter, who have a great squad and a 100% post-World Cup record, at their home ground. Our opponent got one shot off, and we hit the post twice. We also put pressure on them in the second half. It could have been different."
And to put an end to the criticism from Gávea once and for all, Pet has a recipe: a lot of determination to get a victory against Vasco, next Sunday.
"The derby is decided by resilience and determination. I've been playing matches like Sunday's for the last 10 years. In my opinion, both teams have equal chances of winning. Everything that happens off the field doesn't count. And we have a tough team. That can help us. Plus, the fans will definitely support us," he concluded.
One of the most experienced members of the squad, Petkovic has already experienced moments of great euphoria and many questions at Flamengo. Knowing that the fans are the most affected by the team's pejorative reviews, the Serbian midfielder explains that the squad is unfazed. Instead, they strive to work even harder to bring joy to the nation.
"The questions don't interest us. We started the Brazilian Championship well after the World Cup and we're a team just arriving. We lost the last game 1-0, a 'fair' result, and we could have won. We've achieved almost 60% success in these first four rounds and we want to improve that. I don't think it's bad," said Petkovic, highlighting that Flamengo lost to a direct opponent, which has a great squad, away from home.
"We only had one negative result. We faced Inter, who have a great squad and a 100% post-World Cup record, at their home ground. Our opponent got one shot off, and we hit the post twice. We also put pressure on them in the second half. It could have been different."
And to put an end to the criticism from Gávea once and for all, Pet has a recipe: a lot of determination to get a victory against Vasco, next Sunday.
"The derby is decided by resilience and determination. I've been playing matches like Sunday's for the last 10 years. In my opinion, both teams have equal chances of winning. Everything that happens off the field doesn't count. And we have a tough team. That can help us. Plus, the fans will definitely support us," he concluded.
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