Fred and Castaño unveiled by Atlético

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Clube Atlético Mineiro

·19 August 2026

Fred and Castaño unveiled by Atlético

Atlético officially presented its two new signings for the rest of the season this Wednesday (19) in the press room at Arena MRV: midfielders Fred and Kevin Castaño. The players were introduced by Atlético’s Vice President of Football, Paulo Bracks, and spoke about joining Galo, their goals for the remainder of the year, and the expectation of wearing the black-and-white shirt.

While Castaño has already made his debut in the black-and-white shirt, Fred arrived in Belo Horizonte this Wednesday to begin his professional journey with the club that developed him.

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The presentation was especially marked by Fred’s reunion with the club. A Galo academy product, the 33-year-old returned to Brazil after 13 years in European football and highlighted the bond he has built with the club since childhood.

“I always had a dream of wearing this shirt. As Paulo said, I’ve been a fan since I was a child, I support Atlético Mineiro, and now being able to think about representing this team, wearing this shirt again, for me it’s a dream coming true,” said Fred.

The midfielder also explained the background to his return. The decision was made after talks with Atlético’s board, his agent, his family, and the Turkish club he was playing for. According to Fred, the process involved persistence in negotiations until his release was secured.

“It was that moment: coming back home, being close to family, close to the club in our hearts that we love. So that was the moment,” he said.

Connection with Galo

Developed by Atlético from the age of 10, Fred left the club while still in the youth ranks and went on to build an outstanding career in European football, with spells at Shakhtar Donetsk, Manchester United, and Fenerbahçe. The new No. 7 also represented the Brazilian national team in two World Cups.

His return to Galo also represents the opportunity to complete a story that, in the player’s own words, had a blank page: playing professionally for the club he has supported since childhood in Venda Nova, in the northern region of Belo Horizonte.

“I’m from Belo Horizonte, I was here in the academy. I really didn’t want to leave, but unfortunately I couldn’t stay. (…) There was a blank page there, which was Atlético, because I had only played here in the youth ranks, I had never played professionally here. And now being able to come back and wear this shirt at this moment, when I’m in a very good moment in my career, is very important to me,” he said.

Experience in service of the squad

After more than a decade in European football, Fred arrives at Atlético also with the mission of contributing to the younger players.

The midfielder mentioned players developed by the club and stressed the importance of experienced players sharing knowledge on a daily basis.

“I was once the young player there, on the verge of turning professional, and I had people, players, who stayed by my side, helped me, and told me important things. So now I end up being in that role of being able to help these players,” he explained.

On the pitch, Fred made himself available to play in different midfield roles. He said he prefers to play further forward, but guaranteed he will be available for whatever the team needs.

“I’m here to help Atlético. If I need to play as a center back, I’ll play there, no problem,” he joked.

The player also said he is in good physical condition and available for the rest of the season. Before arriving at Galo, he had been training normally and had last played the previous week.

Castaño: intensity and the first pass

Also presented this Wednesday, Kevin Castaño arrives at Atlético to strengthen the midfield. The Colombian was signed on loan from River Plate and has already made his debut in the black-and-white shirt, in the 3-0 win over Grêmio.

At the presentation, the defensive midfielder explained his main characteristics and highlighted his intensity in defending, ball recovery, and quality in starting attacking moves.

“I like to make that first pass well, I like to always be there as support for everyone. I’m a very aggressive player, I really like winning the ball back and playing in a very vertical way,” he explained.

Castaño also emphasized the warm welcome he received since arriving at the club. The player said he quickly felt comfortable with the group, the coaching staff, and the board.

“I’m very happy to be here. Everyone helped me, asked me questions, and made themselves available for anything I needed,” he said.

Debut and adaptation

Even though he had just arrived, Castaño already had contact with the Atlético fans on the pitch and took part in the win over Grêmio, when he played an important role in building Galo’s third goal.

The Colombian gave a positive assessment of his first days at the club and said his teammates helped him play calmly from the moment of his debut.

“Since I arrived, I felt physically ready to do everything in the best way. In the first game I felt very good, very calm. My teammates always gave me that support,” he said.

The defensive midfielder also highlighted the presence of Mateo Cassierra and the other Spanish-speaking players as a positive factor in his adaptation. According to Castaño, the Colombian forward was important in the initial settling-in process.

Derby and pursuit of titles

Castaño already arrives at Atlético knowing the importance of the derby against Cruzeiro, scheduled for next week. The player, who experienced the rivalry between River Plate and Boca Juniors in Argentina, acknowledged the intensity of major derbies.

“We know that derbies here are played like life depends on it, and that the team will be up to whatever comes,” he said.

Fred also looked ahead to the clash and stressed the importance of the match, especially because it is a knockout tie in the Copa do Brasil.

“A derby always brings high expectations from our fans—to win, to fight, to play a great game. Even more so in this competition, the Copa do Brasil, because it’s a knockout match,” he said.

Despite being at different stages of their careers, the two signings gave a similar message when speaking about the future at Atlético: the desire to contribute to the team’s growth and win titles.

Fred summed up the feeling of returning to the club that is part of his history: “The most important thing is to step onto the pitch wearing this shirt and fight. (…) The key is to give your life for this shirt.”

Castaño, in turn, said he arrives at Galo with high expectations: “I want to contribute a lot, I want to win many titles. The truth is I came with huge expectations, wanting to win, wanting to succeed.”

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