Paolo Guerrero arrived at Flamengo with the mission that characterizes every number 9: scoring goals. And after a short period of adaptation to the Mais Querido, the Peruvian went even further: gritty and dedicated, the striker has established a natural leadership role within the group and helps, every day, with the adaptation of the younger players and the unity of the squad.
Guerrero is reserved in front of the cameras, but he's vocal among his teammates. He served as a kind of "godfather" to the arrival of right-back Rodinei, who made a point of publicly thanking him for his support. An example of commitment, he leads the way in physical activities and in moments of relaxation, whether it's soccer matches, altinha games, or traditional chats, participating and keeping his teammates excited.
"Guerrero is a great player, experienced, a national team player. He's never late for training and is extremely committed to the club. What he did in the last game showed he's different. After playing in the qualifiers, he traveled straight to Brasília and played 90 minutes against Vasco. He's not for everyone. He's a renowned athlete who deserves respect for everything he's done in football. A world-renowned goalscorer who's very important to us," said Muricy Ramalho.
Important off the field, essential on it. Of the Rubro-Negra team's 19 matches this year, Guerrero appeared in 15. Adding his appearances for his country's national team, the number 9 has played 17 games this season, three of which came last week. After playing for Peru on Tuesday, the striker flew to Brasília to don the Sacred Mantle and play the derby against Vasco. Even without finding the net, Guerrero's determination and fight throughout the 90 minutes were crucial for the team, which despite the draw put on one of its best performances of the season.
"He's a professional to the core, doing everything we ask and advise to ensure he performs at an ever-improving level. He's very strong physically, with a low risk of injury. Playing two games in a short space of time, as he did, and not getting injured, shows he's no ordinary athlete. This is also only possible because he takes care of himself and cares about his body, which, as everyone knows, is an athlete's tool," emphasized Dr. Márcio Tannure, head of Flamengo's medical department.
Guerrero is the team's top scorer this season with six goals, an average of 0,46 goals per game, all of them coming from open play. He also has one assist, 203 completed passes, is the team's top finisher, and has drawn 25 fouls. In the Primeira Liga Cup, he had an impressive six shots on target in seven attempts and three goals. In the Campeonato Carioca, he is the team's top finisher with 26 shots.
"Having played in so many places this year has had the positive side of seeing how passionate Flamengo fans are. There was no way I would have felt any fatigue on Wednesday when I felt the energy of our fans. If necessary, I would have played another game on Thursday. What we are striving for, as a whole group, is improvement. With hard work, I'm sure we will achieve it," said the striker.
Guerrero and the Flamengo team's next challenge will be against Botafogo, on Saturday, in Juiz de Fora. The team trained this Thursday (31) and returns to training tomorrow before traveling to the Minas Gerais city. The ball rolls at 16 pm and fans can follow the coverage in real time on Mengão's official profiles on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat (cr_flamengo) and Youtube.