A Brazilian title isn't won overnight. Just look at Flamengo's campaigns since 2005 to see the evolution of Flamengo's football. Since the surge that saved the Gávea team from relegation that season, the club has only grown. It won the Copa do Brasil, won three Carioca titles, competed in two Libertadores Cups, finished third and fifth in two Brazilian Championships, and finally won the most important competition in Brazilian football last Sunday.

President Marcio Braga praised the club's achievement and also praised the club's management at the awards ceremony for the best players in the Brazilian Championship on Monday night at Vivo Rio. Braga, who will hand over the role at the end of the year to former swimmer Patrícia Amorim, said the victory proves that Flamengo does have structure and good management.

"Today we proved that Flamengo has direction, has planning, has consistency in its administration, and this has led us to reach this moment," he said.

2005 - It was a very difficult year for the red-and-black team. The team didn't win any titles and even fought relegation from the Brazilian Championship. In the State Championship, under Julio Cesar Leal, they failed to qualify for the Guanabara Cup, and soon after, with Cuca as coach, they were defeated by Fluminense in the final of the Rio Cup.

In the Copa do Brasil, Flamengo faced Ceará and lost the first game. This, combined with other problems, led the board to fire Cuca, leaving Andrade in charge. Despite the coaching change, Flamengo tied the second game and was eliminated. The Brazilian Championship came, and Flamengo had a very poor campaign. With nine rounds remaining, Flamengo was in a precarious position. As a result, the board hired Joel Santana to try to save the team.

It worked, and in those nine matches, they recorded six wins and three draws. With this excellent run, Flamengo managed to escape relegation, thanks to "Daddy Joel," as he became known among fans due to his surge around Christmas. With Renato Abreu, Leonardo Moura, goalkeeper Diego, Obina, and Jônatas, he formed the basis of the team that would win the following year's Copa do Brasil.

2006 - Finally, Flamengo wins another significant title on the national stage: the Copa do Brasil. After a subpar State Championship, the red-and-black team had near-perfect performances in the knockout competition until reaching the final against rival Vasco. The team advanced through the stages, always taking advantage of home advantage, in some cases beating teams like Atlético MG and Guarani. After beating Ipatinga, the team will advance to the final against one of its biggest rivals, Vasco da Gama.

As in recent years, Flamengo defeated Vasco in the final, winning its second Copa do Brasil title. In the Brazilian Championship, Flamengo performed reasonably well, finishing 11th. This year saw the arrival of more key players who remain at Gávea to this day, such as Bruno, Juan, Ronaldo Angelim, and Toró. In the Copa do Brasil, the team also had top scorer Luizão, who scored one of the goals in the first leg of the final.

2007 - The year 2007 was met with high expectations by Flamengo fans. The club was returning to the Copa Libertadores after a five-year absence, and to get there, the club had won the 5 Copa do Brasil against Vasco da Gama, a title the club had only won in 2006. Another reason for some excitement among fans was that the club managed to finish the previous Brazilian Championship in mid-table, a feat not seen in some time when the club finished bottom of the table.

And expectations, as far as possible, were met. The team started the year flying. They defeated Madureira in the Guanabara Cup final and secured a spot in the Campeonato Carioca final. Their rival would be Botafogo, who snatched the Rio Cup and became the favorite, with many experts placing them as the best team in the country. But, as always, Flamengo, with grit, defied the odds and prevailed. After two draws, the final went to penalties, and goalkeeper Bruno began to shine, saving two penalties. After Leo Moura converted, Flamengo won the 2007 State Championship in front of over 63 fans.

In the Libertadores, however, there was disappointment. An excellent campaign in the first stage was ruined in the round of 3 after a 0-2 loss to Uruguayan side Defensor Sport in Montevideo. In Rio, the team even won 0-XNUMX, with the support of the fans, but, hampered by the refereeing, was unable to turn things around. But the year would still hold a pleasant surprise for Mengão.

In the 2007 Brazilian Championship, Flamengo had several games postponed due to the 2007 Pan American Games, resulting in the team spending 13 rounds in the relegation zone. Ney Franco was fired, and the club brought in Joel Santana along with reinforcements such as Ibson, Fabio Luciano, and Maxi. Flamengo's fans continued to encourage the team, and the club managed to finish third, making an incredible run, securing a spot in the 2008 Copa Libertadores with a round to spare.

This year, midfielder Ibson, a key player in the club's fifth state championship, returned to the club, as did captain Fabio Luciano, an experienced defender who made his mark on Flamengo's history before retiring in May 2009.

2008 - The year was saved by the second Rio de Janeiro championship. Once again in the Copa Libertadores and coming off a strong run in the Brasileirão, Flamengo had everything it needed to really hit the ground running this season, but it didn't. In the international competition, they were eliminated with an embarrassing defeat to América of Mexico at the Maracanã. In the Brazilian Championship, everything went well for the Red-Blacks to qualify for the 2009 Libertadores again, but they didn't perform their part and ended up finishing only fifth.

Despite this, considering the team once again finished among the top teams in the Brasileirão and reached the Copa Libertadores finals, it was another year of affirmation for Flamengo on its way back to the top of Brazil. The season's greatest joy came in the first half. Just as in 2007, the Campeonato Carioca was decided between Flamengo and Botafogo, but this time with less chaos, Mengão gave the black and white team no chance and won both matches. The signings who signed this year were Kleberson, Marcinho, Airton, and Fierro.