Thiago Sales celebrates his return to Flamengo
Defender hopes to regain his place at Rubro-Negro after loan to a Cypriot club
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
With Ronaldo Angelim as a role model on and off the field, and more mature after a successful season in European football, Thiago Sales is back at Flamengo and wants another chance to prove his worth at Gávea. At 23, the defender believes he can be used by Rogério Lourenço during the Brazilian Championship.
A Rio de Janeiro junior champion in 2007, Thiago Sales was promoted to Flamengo's first team that season and quickly established himself in the Gávea team. He played 15 games, scored five goals, and earned a reputation as a goalscoring defender the following year, finding the net four times in seven games.
"I'm very happy to be back at the club that revealed me. Now I have to find my place here. I still don't know if I'll be registered, if I'll be used, but I've been working hard to earn a spot in the squad," he noted.
But in 2009, Thiago didn't get many opportunities and ended up on loan to European football. However, he did end up playing for a club in a country not very familiar to Brazilians: Cyprus. And there, playing for Apollon, he won titles and gained more maturity.
"I gained a lot of experience there, not just in terms of playing but also in terms of life. And my team did very well. We were national champions and secured a spot in the UEFA Cup," said the player, who returns to Gávea at a time when the club's youth academy is being highly valued.
"I think this appreciation of the youth teams is important and I'm happy about it. Every player brought up at the club dreams of one day reaching the professional level, and when you see that players from previous generations are being used, you become even more motivated," he said.
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A Rio de Janeiro junior champion in 2007, Thiago Sales was promoted to Flamengo's first team that season and quickly established himself in the Gávea team. He played 15 games, scored five goals, and earned a reputation as a goalscoring defender the following year, finding the net four times in seven games.
"I'm very happy to be back at the club that revealed me. Now I have to find my place here. I still don't know if I'll be registered, if I'll be used, but I've been working hard to earn a spot in the squad," he noted.
But in 2009, Thiago didn't get many opportunities and ended up on loan to European football. However, he did end up playing for a club in a country not very familiar to Brazilians: Cyprus. And there, playing for Apollon, he won titles and gained more maturity.
"I gained a lot of experience there, not just in terms of playing but also in terms of life. And my team did very well. We were national champions and secured a spot in the UEFA Cup," said the player, who returns to Gávea at a time when the club's youth academy is being highly valued.
"I think this appreciation of the youth teams is important and I'm happy about it. Every player brought up at the club dreams of one day reaching the professional level, and when you see that players from previous generations are being used, you become even more motivated," he said.
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