Title further increases Diego's love for Flamengo
At Gávea since he was nine, the goalkeeper sees the sixth title as his consecration and already dreams of the 2010 Libertadores. Diego also reveals his words to the group at half-time of the final
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
Diego's biography is intertwined with Flamengo's recent history. Born in São Gonçalo, a city in the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region, the goalkeeper was raised in the Gávea youth academy and began playing professionally for Flamengo in 2002. Long the immediate backup to one of Flamengo's greatest idols, the acclaimed goalkeeper Júlio César, Diego lived up to the expectations placed on him with his composed and steady performances, such that these qualities led to his becoming a starter after Júlio left for Inter Milan in 2004.
On the field, the athlete demonstrated that the important titles won in the youth academy could be replicated in the professional team, and helped Flamengo win the 2006 Copa do Brasil, a competition in which he played as a starter, assuming the role of one of the team's key players. Off the field, he also became known as one of the group's greatest motivators and one of the athletes most closely connected with the fans. Last Sunday, in the final against Grêmio, it was no different. At halftime, with the score at 1-1, Diego spoke to everyone, one by one, to reassure the team and motivate them to turn the game around in the second half. "Let's go, let's go, nothing is easy for us. We'll fight until the end," he told the players in the tunnel, as he greeted each of the starters.
"I'm the longest-serving player in the group, and I felt my teammates needed encouragement, support, and a voice from someone who knows the club like no one else. Because of everything we've been through, not just this year but also on other occasions when we ended up losing at a packed Maracanã stadium, we couldn't let that situation get us down," he explained.
Despite conveying calm to the rest of the squad, Diego reveals: he was also nervous. When Grêmio opened the scoring, a movie played in the goalkeeper's head. Despite having experienced great glory at Maracanã, he also witnessed some disappointments at the World's Greatest Stadium.
"I won't say it wasn't scary. Of course, I was thinking. A movie played in my head. I imagined we could lose another title at the Maracanã, and that's why I tried to stay calm and calm the other players down, and everything ended up working out," he said.
For the goalkeeper, the title was the reward for a lifetime of dedication to the club. According to him, this achievement will have a huge impact on each player's career.
"It was a very important title for me. I've been at Flamengo for so long, I've won four state championships and a Copa do Brasil, but the Brazilian Championship is different. I think it will take us a while to realize how important this is to our résumé. It was a great achievement," he said.
Even as a reserve, Diego, by all indications, will remain at Gávea in 2010. Next season, Flamengo will compete in the Copa Libertadores da América, which, for the goalkeeper, is the main objective to be achieved next year.
"In principle, I'm staying at Flamengo. This title has encouraged me. I played a very good game against Inter, in the draw we got there, and that gave me more energy to stay and compete for and win the Libertadores, which is the goal of all the players," he concluded. The goalkeeper played only one match in this Brazilian Championship, in September, at Beira Rio, when Flamengo drew 0-0 with Internacional, filling in for Bruno, who was suspended for a third yellow card.
On the field, the athlete demonstrated that the important titles won in the youth academy could be replicated in the professional team, and helped Flamengo win the 2006 Copa do Brasil, a competition in which he played as a starter, assuming the role of one of the team's key players. Off the field, he also became known as one of the group's greatest motivators and one of the athletes most closely connected with the fans. Last Sunday, in the final against Grêmio, it was no different. At halftime, with the score at 1-1, Diego spoke to everyone, one by one, to reassure the team and motivate them to turn the game around in the second half. "Let's go, let's go, nothing is easy for us. We'll fight until the end," he told the players in the tunnel, as he greeted each of the starters.
"I'm the longest-serving player in the group, and I felt my teammates needed encouragement, support, and a voice from someone who knows the club like no one else. Because of everything we've been through, not just this year but also on other occasions when we ended up losing at a packed Maracanã stadium, we couldn't let that situation get us down," he explained.
Despite conveying calm to the rest of the squad, Diego reveals: he was also nervous. When Grêmio opened the scoring, a movie played in the goalkeeper's head. Despite having experienced great glory at Maracanã, he also witnessed some disappointments at the World's Greatest Stadium.
"I won't say it wasn't scary. Of course, I was thinking. A movie played in my head. I imagined we could lose another title at the Maracanã, and that's why I tried to stay calm and calm the other players down, and everything ended up working out," he said.
For the goalkeeper, the title was the reward for a lifetime of dedication to the club. According to him, this achievement will have a huge impact on each player's career.
"It was a very important title for me. I've been at Flamengo for so long, I've won four state championships and a Copa do Brasil, but the Brazilian Championship is different. I think it will take us a while to realize how important this is to our résumé. It was a great achievement," he said.
Even as a reserve, Diego, by all indications, will remain at Gávea in 2010. Next season, Flamengo will compete in the Copa Libertadores da América, which, for the goalkeeper, is the main objective to be achieved next year.
"In principle, I'm staying at Flamengo. This title has encouraged me. I played a very good game against Inter, in the draw we got there, and that gave me more energy to stay and compete for and win the Libertadores, which is the goal of all the players," he concluded. The goalkeeper played only one match in this Brazilian Championship, in September, at Beira Rio, when Flamengo drew 0-0 with Internacional, filling in for Bruno, who was suspended for a third yellow card.