Upon winning his first title as Flamengo coach, Filipe Luís made a point of dedicating the achievement in memory of the victims of the Ninho do Urubu fire, which happened in 2019, and their families.
The coach mentioned the Ninho boys when opening his press conference at Arena MRV, where this Sunday (10).
“I want to make a special mention: I have to talk about the boys from Ninho. I wasn’t here when it all happened, but I want to send a hug to their families. I have a very strong connection with them. There is the memorial in Ninho, in CT, and it is no coincidence that I started in the under-17s, in the under-20s. I have them present with me, even though I don’t know them, but I know some family members. I feel like they are part of me”, began the interview after the victory at Arena MRV, in Belo Horizonte.
One, in addition to leaving another 16 Flamengo athletes injured.
As said by Filipe Luís, the left-back was not at the club at the time of the tragedy, being hired in June 2019. The player retired from the Rio club in December 2023.
It’s Penta!
With this Sunday’s title (10), equaling Grêmio’s number of titles. Cruzeiro, with six cups, is the tournament’s biggest champion.
Rubro-Negro won the Cup in 1990, 2006, 2013, 2022 and 2024. The Rio club is the biggest finalist in the competition. There are 10 appearances in decisions – three consecutively currently, in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
The title campaign
The and eliminated Amazonas, Palmeiras, Bahia and Corinthians until reaching the decision with Atlético.
There were eight wins for Flamengo, one draw and one defeat in Penta’s campaign, with 11 goals scored and two conceded.
It is worth noting that Filipe Luís, who won his first title as a professional coach, took over the Rio team the day before the start of the semifinal against Corinthians, replacing Tite.
Check out other answers from Filipe Luís, Flamengo coach and Copa do Brasil champion, below:
Brazilian Cup title
“Very happy, very happy. First, I have to mention Tite, who left me in the semi-final of the Copa do Brasil and did, in my opinion, an excellent job. I worked with him and I know what a good coach he is.”
Champion in nine games
“Champion with nine games, that means someone left me with that possibility. Four games of the Copa do Brasil. And what four games! But the ones from before too. Against Palmeiras it was super difficult. This group formed that led the team to the trophy, very beautiful and special for the club.”
Champion as Flamengo coach
“Wonderful feeling! I thank the president for giving me a machine in my hand, the best squad in South America, which can go head to head with teams from Europe. I’m leading a fantastic group, without ego, without vanity. Whoever left the bank was the one who decided. Champion team with a highly qualified squad, even with all the absences. Group and signings so excellent that the group doesn’t lose its level. Happy for the trajectory and for being champion with players who were my teammates.”
Duel with Gabriel Milito
“Today, Milito demonstrated to Brazil that three defenders is not defensive, very offensive. I racked my brains to face this system, to keep the ball. It came in a 3-5-2, I expected a 3-4-3, we didn’t fit in in the first half, and I needed a strong change that I held for the second half. It was a lesson in positional play, releasing pressure, but the team held up well, ran more than they could, they were on the side and I saw everyone’s exhaustion, they ran a lot. We held out in the first half, with the entry of Bruno and Fábio, the team had stability. Due to the favorable result, we didn’t take the ball away from them and we were calm and confident defensively. Obviously, I faced a coach who gave me a lot of headaches.”
