Paquetá on missed chance in Flamengo return: "I couldn't sleep" | OneFootball

The most expensive signing in South American football, midfielder Lucas Paquetá said this Monday that he hopes to quickly move past Flamengo’s defeat in the Supercopa do Brasil final against Corinthians, a match that marked his re-debut after having done “the possible and the impossible” to return to the Rio club.

Paquetá, 28, stated that he prioritized the Rubro-Negro even after receiving an offer from Chelsea to remain in England, where he was playing for West Ham.

“I did the possible and the impossible to be here. Everyone knows I had the opportunity to stay in Europe, to play a Champions League with Chelsea, but I also had a dream to return to Flamengo,” said the player during his official presentation at the club that developed him.

“The start wasn’t as I’d hoped, but I’m sure this story will be a winning one,” added the midfielder, for whom Flamengo sealed a €42 million (R$260 million) deal with West Ham.

On Sunday, in the Supercopa, Paquetá started on the bench and came on 13 minutes into the second half. He had a great chance to score and tie the match, but shot over the goal.

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“I couldn’t sleep, I’m very hard on myself about it. Today is a new day, I’m holding my head high, I know my potential,” he said.

“Paquetá the fan was p… (…) I’m sure this year will be victorious and I’ll celebrate a lot, both Paquetá the athlete and Paquetá the fan,” he added.

The player reiterated that one of the reasons for returning to Brazil was the pressure he suffered due to accusations in a betting scandal, from which he was acquitted in July last year.

“I’m very happy to have proven my innocence and, thank God, I was able to return to playing football without that weight,” he explained.

Flamengo faces Internacional next Wednesday at Maracanã, for the second round of the Campeonato Brasileiro, after having lost their debut to São Paulo.

*With content from AFP

Next Match

⚔️ Match: Flamengo vs Internacional

🏆 Competition: Second round of the Campeonato Brasileiro

📅 Date: February 4, 2026 (Wednesday)

⏰ Time: 7:00 PM (Brasília time)

🏟️ Venue: Maracanã

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