Spanish paper wowed by Maracanã as Saúl meets Flamengo fans | OneFootball

Saúl Ñíguez had his first encounter with the fans at Maracanã on Sunday (27)

Flamengo has been frequently in the news in the Spanish sports press, especially in the capital's media. After all, the Rubro-Negro signed Saúl Ñíguez and Samuel Lino, both former Atlético de Madrid (ESP) players. Therefore, the city's media closely follow every step of the duo. On Sunday (27), the midfielder, alongside Emerson Royal, was introduced to the fans before the game against Atlético-MG, which made the cover of the 'Marca' website.

“The legendary Maracanã stadium shouts the name of Saúl: that's how the Flamengo fans welcomed the former Atlético player,” wrote the newspaper, one of Spain's main sports media. Visibly moved, the new number 8 for Rubro-Negro spoke about his first contact with the Nation.

— Thank you very much for the affection, Nation (he said in Portuguese). It's very beautiful to be here. Look (at the fans), there's nothing to say, just admire and enjoy. Very beautiful, I haven't shown anything yet and already have this affection. It makes me want to compete and give everything for them —, said Saúl, in contact with the narrator João Guilherme, from ‘FlamengoTV’.

WHEN DID SAÚL ARRIVE AT FLAMENGO?

Saúl landed in Rio de Janeiro last Wednesday (23) and has already started training with the group. The 30-year-old midfielder signed a contract valid until December 2028, but he is expected to take some time to debut, as he did not have a pre-season and has not played since May this year. Last season, the player wore the Sevilla (ESP) shirt, on loan from Atlético de Madrid.

HOW DOES FILIPE LUÍS PLAN TO USE SAÚL?

Flamengo's coach, Filipe Luís, knows Saúl well. That's because the former full-back and the midfielder played together at Atlético de Madrid. When asked by the Coluna do Fla reporters about which position his former teammate plays best, the coach detailed how he plans to use the new number 8.

— About Saúl's position, I see him in all midfield positions. He's a guy who will add a lot of quality for us, competitiveness. He's super competitive, has a lot of arrival in the area, has a goal, heads very well, besides the individual technical quality that made him have the career he had. We are very happy to have him here —, commented the coach, in a press conference after the 1-0 victory over Atlético-MG, for the Brasileirão, on Sunday (27).

Although he is training normally, Saúl is not expected to debut in Flamengo's next match, on Thursday (31), against Atlético-MG. Therefore, the ball rolls from 21:30 (Brasília time), at Maracanã, for the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil.

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