A first-class red-black mix
A squad made up of young and experienced players pleases everyone at Flamengo
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
When the 2010 season began, Flamengo boasted a roster packed with experienced players. Seven months later, with the Brasileirão underway, the team now boasts a mix of young talents from the youth academy and many idols who have lifted numerous trophies in recent years. Many may consider this performance below expectations for the reigning champion, but compared to the previous year, it's better (7th in 2010 – 9th in 2009), proving that this mix is working.
Over his many years in Europe and Brazil, Petkovic is one of the main defenders of the red-and-black club. A standout on the squad, he believes Flamengo's future is promising, at least according to his experience.
"I think the mix of experienced and young players is what gets results. Others might prefer only experienced players or only young players, but throughout my career, I've always found it better to have a mix. Even in the development stage, we're doing a good job. I think criticism is often based on results, not team performance. But here, among the players, it's completely the opposite. We see that we're evolving and that the training is paying off," explained Petkovic.
Another experienced player in the red-black squad, Ronaldo Angelim had already praised the presence of young players in the Flamengo team and, this Wednesday (28.07), he once again praised the board's stance.
"I think this mix of young and experienced players is very valuable. For the game against Vasco, specifically, if we field our youth players, things will be just as difficult for them. Motivation starts when we wear this jersey, and the boys know that too," explained the defender.
And even though they don't yet have a final roster, the players aren't showing any concern, nor are they criticizing the board. Well-versed in the "transfer window," they know that criticism comes around every year.
"The board isn't taking long to sign reinforcements. This is the time period when signings are made. It's the window. Not only Flamengo, but other teams can still strengthen before the market closes. If the dates for these transfers were aligned with the period we're without games, this wouldn't be a problem," Petkovic concluded.
Over his many years in Europe and Brazil, Petkovic is one of the main defenders of the red-and-black club. A standout on the squad, he believes Flamengo's future is promising, at least according to his experience.
"I think the mix of experienced and young players is what gets results. Others might prefer only experienced players or only young players, but throughout my career, I've always found it better to have a mix. Even in the development stage, we're doing a good job. I think criticism is often based on results, not team performance. But here, among the players, it's completely the opposite. We see that we're evolving and that the training is paying off," explained Petkovic.
Another experienced player in the red-black squad, Ronaldo Angelim had already praised the presence of young players in the Flamengo team and, this Wednesday (28.07), he once again praised the board's stance.
"I think this mix of young and experienced players is very valuable. For the game against Vasco, specifically, if we field our youth players, things will be just as difficult for them. Motivation starts when we wear this jersey, and the boys know that too," explained the defender.
And even though they don't yet have a final roster, the players aren't showing any concern, nor are they criticizing the board. Well-versed in the "transfer window," they know that criticism comes around every year.
"The board isn't taking long to sign reinforcements. This is the time period when signings are made. It's the window. Not only Flamengo, but other teams can still strengthen before the market closes. If the dates for these transfers were aligned with the period we're without games, this wouldn't be a problem," Petkovic concluded.
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