Léo Pereira makes ‘anti-Flamengo’ remark after Botafogo clash | OneFootball

Léo Pereira heaps praise on Botafogo's synthetic pitch

Flamengo is one of the leaders of the movement to end synthetic pitches in Brazilian football. However, the red-and-black defender Léo Pereira went ‘against’ his own club. After Mengão’s 3-0 victory over Botafogo on the plastic surface at Engenhão, the number 4 heaped praise on the pitch.

— The pitch helps us, it’s a good pitch to play on. We have a very positive record in the last 11 games. We understand well what we need to do here to beat Botafogo. The attitude on the field says a lot about what the game is. In the last few games, we managed to get some big scores, like 3-0, but nothing comes for free — said Léo Pereira, in the mixed zone at Engenhão.

— We’ve worked really hard in these last games. We know that on the other side there’s a very qualified team and, if we slip up, we’ll be defeated. That’s why we have to highlight our attitude on the field — added the defender, who scored the second goal of the match from a free kick.

WHAT HAS FLAMENGO DONE AGAINST SYNTHETIC PITCHES?

Since the previous administration, Flamengo has positioned itself against synthetic pitches. The arguments are varied, such as the health of the athletes, since the surface causes more joint injuries. In addition, in the heat, the plastic field burns the players’ feet.

Even financial issues are raised by Flamengo. After all, maintaining a synthetic pitch is much cheaper than keeping a natural one. It’s also worth mentioning that, in several teams in Brazil, there are players who cannot play on this type of field. At Mengão, the example is De La Cruz, who was not included in the squad for the derby on Saturday (14).

IS ENGENHÃO FLAMENGO’S HOME?

As highlighted by Léo Pereira, Flamengo feels at home on Botafogo’s synthetic pitch. After all, in the last 12 games at the venue, o Mais Querido has won 11. In fact, after the derby, the Rubro-Negro posted a jab at their rival: “my home, your home.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.