"I’m rooting for Flamengo": Mirassol star eyes Maracanã return | OneFootball

Gabriel wore Flamengo's jersey between 2013 and 2017

The match between Flamengo and Mirassol, this Saturday (09), will be the stage for a big reunion at Maracanã. A standout player for the Paulista club, midfielder Gabriel will revisit the Red-Black Nation after leaving the Most Beloved in 2017. The player, in fact, projected his return to the 'Sacred Temple' and admitted that he still cheers for Filipe Luís' team.

— Returning to Maracanã, perhaps the most famous stadium in the world, is good. Seeing Flamengo, as it is now, a world power. It's gratifying, we're happy. I have friends there. Employees. I think, from my time, all the players left -, he said, before concluding:

— But I know a lot of people there. A bunch of people, I still have contact with. I'm rooting for them to achieve even greater things. It's a club that deserves it, it has a passionate fan base. We follow it because we have friends there and we cheer. Except against us now (laughs) -, concluded Gabriel, in an interview with 'SporTV'.

WHAT WAS GABRIEL'S TRAJECTORY AT FLAMENGO?

Gabriel was formed in the youth categories of Bahia and, after standing out, even sparked interest from European teams. However, the player accepted Flamengo's proposal in 2013, the year he won the Copa do Brasil. With the Sacred Mantle, he scored 22 goals in 205 games played. Thus, after losing space, he accumulated loans to Sport and Kashiwa Reysol (JAP).

Currently, Gabriel has been at Mirassol for three seasons and was a starter in the team's campaign in Serie B to reach the elite of the Brazilian Championship, an unprecedented feat in the club's history. This year, the athlete has six goals and two assists in 25 games, between Brazilian Championship and Paulista.

HAVE GABRIEL AND FLAMENGO ALREADY FACED EACH OTHER?

It is worth noting that this will not be the first time Gabriel faces Flamengo at Maracanã. This is because, in 2018, when he played on loan at Sport, the player was a starter in the match against Mengão, on July 29. On the occasion, Fla triumphed 4-1, with goals from Réver, Lucas Paquetá, Everton Ribeiro, and Uribe.

WHEN DO FLAMENGO AND MIRASSOL FACE EACH OTHER?

Flamengo faces Mirassol this Saturday (09), for the 19th round of the Brazilian Championship. The match takes place at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã. As tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla will bring the best coverage on the internet, through the website and social networks. However, SporTV (closed channel) and Premiere (pay-per-view) will broadcast the match.

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