Léo Ortiz move that paved way for Danilo goal in 2025 Libertadores | OneFootball

Defender shared behind-the-scenes stories about Flamengo on Mengo Cast and thanked Danilo for scoring the goal that decided the continental title

Léo Ortiz gave an interview to Mengo Cast to share behind-the-scenes stories about Flamengo. The defender revealed that the pressure from the Rubro-Negro fans scared him as soon as he arrived at the club. He also said he was thankful to have stayed on the bench in the 2025 Libertadores final, which Fla won thanks to a goal by Danilo.

How did Léo Ortiz get injured before the final?

Before the Libertadores semifinal, Mais Querido faced Palmeiras in the Brasileirão in a direct clash for the title. In that match, Léo Ortiz left everything on the field when he challenged Vitor Roque for the ball, came off worse, and still tried to stay in the game.

– In the first leg (against Racing-ARG), I was on the bench even though I wasn’t fit. For the second leg, I spent the whole week undergoing treatment and in a lot of pain. Filipe kept telling me: ‘You’re going to play in the second leg, there’s no other option.’ That motivated me -, he said.

– I played through the pain, taking medication to deal with the ankle pain. During the warm-up I felt sharp pain, but I held on until the end and we secured our place in the final. I cried a lot with relief when the match ended. But the effort made the ankle injury worse -, said the player, who added:

– I told him: ‘Filipe, it’s a Libertadores final, I want to play. But I don’t want you to feel obliged to start me. Put in whoever is physically better, because what matters to me is Flamengo becoming champions.’ Danilo was ready for the moment. He made the right decision -, said the number 3.

How did Léo Ortiz describe the pressure at Flamengo?

– It really is complicated, it’s on a completely different scale from any other club. Flamengo’s size is immeasurable, in Rio and everywhere else. I spent about a month just training and being on the bench in the Carioca finals and in the Libertadores before making my debut -, said Ortiz, who added:

– For better or worse, the pressure is enormous: if you draw two matches, it already turns into chaos because of the demand of representing millions of fans. There’s nowhere you can go without being recognized. But wearing Flamengo’s shirt is the pinnacle for any player in South American football -, Léo Ortiz said.

How did Léo Ortiz join Flamengo?

Léo Ortiz joined Mais Querido after a spell at Red Bull Bragantino, where he was captain. The transfer saga, which dragged on for four months, marked the beginning of a new phase in the defender’s career, now at a bigger club.

Léo Ortiz is available to face Remo

The defender is therefore an option for Flamengo’s next match, against Remo. The game takes place this Sunday (06) at 4:00 PM Brasília time at Mangueirão Stadium in Belém.

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