In his testimony, former striker Paulo Nunes recalled the historic achievement of Palmeiras in the 1999 Libertadores Cup. "The biggest demand was to take a Libertadores to Palmeiras. That was the obsession of the president, the coach, the fans... and the fan left there satisfied."
The athlete also remembered his iconic ritual with the masks, his trademark, and revealed a curious superstition of then coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, known as Felipão, on the Libertadores journey. "The question of the mask, I loved, was a superstition. This also became a superstition for Felipão at the time. When I got there and I didn't have a mask, Felipão would talk, he made me notice,” he comments.
Diego Ribas, on the other hand, began his testimony praising Flamengo's leadership. "For what we want, Flamengo is not impossible. We have a very good collective leadership, a fantastic group." The 35-jersey also recalled his trajectory at Libertadores and the severe injury he suffered during the competition, in 2019.
"I didn't accept that Libertadores would have ended for me there, but I knew I ran that risk. Until I took the exam, I didn't know if my career would continue or not. When I found out it was the fibula, I saw it was in the game! I made it back to the semifinals, I still get excited today when think about it!” he comments.
“My son told me that the game with Grêmio was the most important he's ever seen me play... he thought I wouldn't play again. And when he saw me in the pitch again, it was so emotional!”
About the feeling of disputing a Libertadores, the two were emphatic in their statements. "I say that every player should play a Libertadores at least once in his life, even Europeans. Feeling the atmosphere,, the travels, the climate, the difficulties of each stadium, there is no pattern. Libertadores has something special!", said Diego, captain of Flamengo.
When asked about the expectation for the final of this edition of CONMEBOL Libertadores, Paulo Nunes was categorical: "Anything can happen, you can't give your opinion. A game, abroad, neutral, with two heavy jerseys. There's no favorite."
Diego Ribas, on the other hand, is focused on his dream of another title in the competition. "I believe the best is always to come. That's what has always kept me motivated. 2019 was wonderful, but we have another fantastic opportunity ahead of us.”
Source: GMB
