Bruno Guimarães celebrates Lucas Paquetá’s Flamengo return despite Vasco ties | OneFootball

Bruno Guimarães, the Newcastle midfielder and a declared Vasco fan, celebrated Lucas Paquetá’s return to Flamengo despite the Rio rivalry.

Footage showed the moment he was told Paquetá had agreed his return, and Guimarães said: "Let him be happy there. He was not happy here in England anymore. He is my brother, I want him to be happy. Even if it is at Flamengo and I am Vasco, what can I do?", speaking on TV Globo’s As Convocadas.

Despite representing rival clubs, Paquetá and Guimarães are Rio-born and long-time friends. Their mutual support extends onto the pitch. Both midfielders are among Brazil’s 26-man squad for the World Cup.

Since leaving Flamengo, Paquetá had been open about wanting to return. Flamengo brought him back from West Ham for 42 million euros, about R$ 263 million at the time.

He has already felt the benefits, feeling the affection of the Flamengo crowd up close and earning a Brazil call-up. With Flamengo he has lifted the Carioca title and made 25 appearances, scoring eight goals.

With Paquetá and Guimarães available, Brazil continue preparations for their World Cup opener. They face Egypt on Saturday 06 at 19:00 Brasília time in a friendly in the United States.

Source: Coluna Do Fla