Homegrown reinforcement for the midfield
Midfielder Antônio returns from loan to CFZ and should join the professional squad in the second half of the year
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
Flamengo already has a new addition to its roster for the second half of 2010. Having recovered from a right foot injury, midfielder Antônio returns from a loan spell at CFZ to wear the red-and-black jersey once again. Raised in the club's youth ranks, the 21-year-old has the backing of executive director of football Zico and coach Rogério Lourenço, and is hoping for a grand return to the club that nurtured him.
"I'm very happy. It's always been a dream of mine to be a professional at Flamengo. I believe this is a great opportunity, and now it's up to me to work hard to make the most of it," he revealed.
A player with exceptional marking power but also a quality ball passing ability, Antônio began his career in futsal. His first steps were on the courts of Vila Isabel. There, he attracted the attention of other clubs and ended up at Fluminense. However, thanks to his prominence in the futsal, he was invited to Flamengo to make the transition to field soccer, where he achieved great success: winning the State Youth Championship, the Macaé Cup, and the São Lourenço International Tournament in 2006, as well as the State Junior Championship in 2007.
"This generation of ours has achieved good results at the youth level, and being alongside these teammates of mine will be important because we already know each other on the field and also when it comes to adapting to the group. I worked with Rogério at the youth level and I believe he can be a huge help to Flamengo," he said.
To replicate his strong performances at the academy level, Antônio knows exactly who to look up to: Chilean Maldonado. At 30, the defensive midfielder has two Brazilian titles, a Copa do Brasil, four São Paulo titles, a Chilean title, and two Minas Gerais titles under his belt.
"I know Maldonado's history well, I know the great results he's had, and I think he's a role model for any player in our position. I hope to talk to him a lot and exchange information to help me progress in my career," he added.
Antônio, who was called up to the under-20 team in 2008, has already started training at Gávea on Tuesday morning (08.06). The player will prepare daily in the morning until July 15, when he joins the professional squad.
"I'm very happy. It's always been a dream of mine to be a professional at Flamengo. I believe this is a great opportunity, and now it's up to me to work hard to make the most of it," he revealed.
A player with exceptional marking power but also a quality ball passing ability, Antônio began his career in futsal. His first steps were on the courts of Vila Isabel. There, he attracted the attention of other clubs and ended up at Fluminense. However, thanks to his prominence in the futsal, he was invited to Flamengo to make the transition to field soccer, where he achieved great success: winning the State Youth Championship, the Macaé Cup, and the São Lourenço International Tournament in 2006, as well as the State Junior Championship in 2007.
"This generation of ours has achieved good results at the youth level, and being alongside these teammates of mine will be important because we already know each other on the field and also when it comes to adapting to the group. I worked with Rogério at the youth level and I believe he can be a huge help to Flamengo," he said.
To replicate his strong performances at the academy level, Antônio knows exactly who to look up to: Chilean Maldonado. At 30, the defensive midfielder has two Brazilian titles, a Copa do Brasil, four São Paulo titles, a Chilean title, and two Minas Gerais titles under his belt.
"I know Maldonado's history well, I know the great results he's had, and I think he's a role model for any player in our position. I hope to talk to him a lot and exchange information to help me progress in my career," he added.
Antônio, who was called up to the under-20 team in 2008, has already started training at Gávea on Tuesday morning (08.06). The player will prepare daily in the morning until July 15, when he joins the professional squad.