Samuel Xavier plays down Fluminense’s favourites tag against Flamengo | OneFootball

At a press conference for the final of the Campeonato Carioca between Fluminense and Flamengo held this Friday by FERJ (Football Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro), the tricolor captain, Samuel Xavier, avoided talking about favoritism despite the unstable moment of their red-and-black rivals.The clubs will face each other this Sunday at 6:00 pm at Maracanã, with the state title at stake.

“That (Flamengo’s current situation) can’t be a distraction for us, regardless of what the opponent is going through. As I said, every derby is a different game. We know the quality of their team. Our team has a lot of humility to recognize the quality of the opponent. There’s no such thing as favoritism, that’s something for people outside to talk about,” emphasized the Flu right-back.

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Captain

Regarding the possibility of winning his first title as team captain, Samuel spoke of it as a “dream” and praised the role of the previous armband holder, defender Thiago Silva, who left the club in 2025.

“This moment is special for me, this moment of taking on the armband left by Thiago Silva, a guy with an incredible story. Within our team, I’m not the only leader, we have other leaders as well. But of course, it’s special to win and lift the trophy as the champion. Besides being a victory for the group, it’s a huge individual achievement for the athlete,” he said.

“I’m living a dream, I say with great joy what it means to wear this shirt, to represent it so well and to write such a beautiful story,” he added.

Focused on the trophy

Without winning the Cariocão since 2023, Samuel Xavier highlighted the importance of lifting both the Championship trophy and the Taça Guanabara, which his team won by having the best overall campaign in the first phase this year.

“The Carioca means a lot to us, it would be very special to win this title and crown the work that’s been done. Yes, this trophy is very valuable. It’s just as important as the Taça Guanabara. Our team has to go in and defend it with all our strength and determination,” he emphasized.

Fla-Flu in the final

⚔️ Match: Fluminense vs Flamengo 🏆 Competition: Campeonato Carioca – Final 📅 Date: March 8, 2026 (Sunday) ⏰ Time: 6:00 pm (Brasília time) 🏟️ Venue: Maracanã

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