Gabigol's father to Landim: ‘Thanks to you, Gabriel’s not at Flamengo’ | OneFootball

After Landim’s criticism of Gabigol, Valdemir Silva Almeida defended the striker’s journey at Flamengo

Gabigol’s father hit back with harsh criticism of Rodolfo Landim after the former Flamengo president questioned the striker’s performance and behavior. Valdemir Silva Almeida stressed that Gabriel Barbosa always honored his commitments at the red-and-black club, won titles and glory, and made it clear that the player’s departure was the former president’s fault.

“And perhaps, if you had honored your word as a man, maybe things would have been different. Everything that was proposed to us was fulfilled, with several titles and glories. We are real men. And, thanks to you, Gabriel is no longer at Flamengo, a club we deeply admire and that has fantastic fans,” he wrote in a story posted on Instagram.

See this photo on Instagram A post shared by Flamengo | Coluna do Fla (@colunadofla)

WHAT DID LANDIM SAY?

Appearing on ‘Charla Podcast’ this Thursday (02), Rodolfo Landim assessed Gabigol’s performances in recent years at Flamengo. According to the former president, the striker, despite being an idol, was not always the best option on the pitch and ended up putting pressure on coaches, which created difficulties in team selection.

In addition, Landim acknowledged Gabigol’s importance in the club’s titles, but said that factors on and off the field influenced his departure. As a result, the statements triggered an immediate reaction from the striker’s father.

— Gabigol’s name is marked in Flamengo’s history. In the titles we won, he played a huge part. I feel sorry, because I think that if he had kept up the level of performance he had been showing, he had everything it took to be the player — perhaps the reference point, so to speak — of this winning period for Flamengo —, Landim said, before continuing:

— There are factors that are not just football factors; I imagine there were other aspects off the field as well that ended up influencing this. But what I am obliged to analyze is this: what result was he giving to Flamengo? So, based on the results he had been giving Flamengo over the last two years, it ended up being a problem to play a player who, in fact, often became a problem —, he continued:

— When he wasn’t selected, because he was an idol, he put pressure on the coach. And at times I felt that he wasn’t going through a good phase, and the coaches felt intimidated. Because of his enormous weight within the club, he ended up getting into the team without the coach being sure that this was the best solution —, he concluded.

WHEN DID GABIGOL LEAVE FLAMENGO?

Gabigol left Flamengo at the end of 2023, after five years at the club, unexpectedly announcing his departure right after winning the Copa do Brasil. At the time, the striker had a contract until the end of the season, but Rodolfo Landim offered a one-year renewal for 2024. However, the player turned down the offer and soon afterward agreed to a transfer to Cruzeiro.

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