2019 started badly for Flamengo, one of Brazil’s biggest and most celebrated sides. In February, a fire in the living quarters at their training ground killed ten teenage academy players – a tragedy that left the whole club reeling.
For newly elected club president, Rodolfo Landim, it was a devastating way to begin his new term in office, but under his guidance and thanks to some aggressive recruitment both on and off the field, Flamengo not only bounced back – but provided a lasting tribute to those who lost their lives.
The club splashed the cash ahead of the 2019 Serie A season, paying the largest ever domestic transfer fee for Giorgian De Arrascaeta before securing the services of strikers Bruno Henrique and perhaps crucially – the loan signing of Gabriel Barbosa.
A teenage wonderkid at Santos, hence the nickname, Gabigol – Barbosa had moved to Europe early and failed to make an impact at Inter Milan or following a further switch to Benfica. He moved to Flamengo, mojo restored after a transformative 2018 back in Brazil with Santos.
The final part of the jigsaw came when Landim replaced his first managerial appointment with Jorge Jesus – the Portuguese coach who had spent virtually his whole career hoovering up trophies at home with the likes of Benfica and Sporting.
He brought some experience with him, even tempting the likes of Rafinha and Filipe Luís back to Brazil after spending years of their careers in European football.
Within months, Jesus had breathed new life in to the club and they were playing some of the most attacking football that Flamengo’s huge fanbase had seen in years.
This team had a sense of fun about them and it helped too, that Gabigol was banging them in as the wins just kept on coming.
And not just at home. In the Copa Libertadores, South America’s equivalent to the Champions League, Flamengo reached a first final in nearly 40 years despite being drawn against Brazilian rivals at both the Quarter-Final and Semi-Final stage.
In the Final – the first ever Libertadores showpiece to be played over one leg, on neutral ground they would have to face the reigning champions, River Plate.
In perhaps their most frustrating performance of the season, Flamengo failed to get going against their Argentine opponents. The weight of the occasion seeming to affect Gabigol, their much hyped star more than anyone.
Then, after 89 minutes of having next to no impact on the game he pounced, overpowering River’s tiring backline to score not one but twice, either side of the 90 minute mark.
He would also get booked for taking his shirt off after scoring the winner, and receive a straight red card for dissent all before the game ended! But the damage was done and Flamengo had their first continental title since 1981.
As if that crazy, crazy game wasn’t enough for one weekend, Flamengo’s return to Rio the next day not only saw massive street parties, but also confirmation, thanks to results elsewhere that they had sealed the Brasileiro title.
South America’s most celebrated cup competition – the Copa Libertadores, won for the first time in a generation AND their first domestic title for a decade. Not bad for one weekend’s work.
By the end of the campaign, Flamengo’s total dominance of Serie A was complete – they finished 16 points clear of their nearest rivals and out scored everyone by over 20 goals. With Gabigol ending the season with 25 goals in the league alone.
Shortly after all the excitement died down back home, the newly crowned South American champions were on the way to the middle east in order to compete in FIFA’s Club World Cup.
And only an extra-time goal in the final, scored by compatriot, Roberto Firmino saw them narrowly defeated by Liverpool – a side with a budget 10 times their own.
The Flamengo juggernaut seems to have kept on trucking in the early months of this year – ahead of the main Brazilian league restart, which would ordinarily fall in April.
They won the Brazilian Supercopa, the regional Taça Guanabara AND the Recopa Sudamericana all in the space of ONE trophy laden-week!
The last of those titles came in what is the continental Super Cup where despite a surprise draw away at Ecuadorian side, Independiente del Valle, they recovered to romp home back in Rio.
Despite the vast majority of Brazilian football having now been put on hold, there was some further good news for the club this week. After reports that Jesus, their inspirational manager had fallen ill due to the COVID-19 virus, his tests did in fact come back negative.
That leaves one of Flamengo’s most celebrated, and most meme-able of coaches free to continue building on the back of a pretty amazing first year in the job!
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