In May of this year, a scare: Flamengo's then coach, Muricy Ramalho, suffered an arrhythmia and chose to step away from football, leaving the club. Zé Ricardo, at the time coach of the red-black under-20 team, took over the main team on an interim basis on the 26th of that month. During the Brazilian Championship, the professional proved his quality in training and results on the field and, this Thursday (14), he was confirmed in the position.

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The promising 47-year-old coach took charge of the professional team starting with the match against Ponte Preta in the fourth round of the Brasileirão – and he already made a great start, ending an 11-year winless streak against the Macaca with a 2-1 triumph. Since then, he's added six more wins in eleven games, results that leave the Rubro-Negro with 23 points, in sixth place, level with the last club in the Libertadores qualifying zone. Flamengo continues to fight for the top of the table, putting in strong performances despite the negative results.

With the under-20s, Zé Ricardo brought with him not only the traditional São Paulo Junior Football Cup title, with a penalty shootout victory over Corinthians at Pacaembu, but also the affection and affinity with the youngsters from the youth team who now make up the main team: Thiago, Daniel, Jorge, Dumas, Léo Duarte, Ronaldo, Paquetá, Thiago Santos and Felipe Vizeu were led by the coach in the juniors.

After serving a suspension for his expulsion in the match against Corinthians, Zé Ricardo returns to the sidelines in the classic against Botafogo, at the Luso Brasileiro stadium, this Saturday (16), in search of another victory. The ball rolls at 16 pm for the match, valid for the 15th round of the Brasileirão. Tickets for Flamengo fans were sold only to members and are already sold out.

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