Coluna do Fla
·11 September 2026
Valencia's mother on son's Flamengo chance, exclusive to Coluna do Fla

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Yahoo sportsColuna do Fla
·11 September 2026

Flamengo beat Independiente del Valle (ECU) 2-0 in Ecuador, the country where newly signed Anthony Valencia was born. As a result, the forward reunited with his mother, Virginia, who spoke exclusively to Coluna do Fla after the match. The Ecuadorian can’t wait to watch her son play in Rio de Janeiro.
– I’m very happy to see my son playing for Flamengo. Yes, it was the first time I had seen him play. I hadn’t seen him since he moved to Royal Antwerp (BEL) eight months ago. I advised him to behave well, keep moving forward, and listen to the club’s professionals – said Virginia, who added:
– The truth is, I don’t know exactly who he looks up to today, but when he was little he wanted to be like Messi. I hope they keep succeeding and moving forward. We’re going to give our best for Flamengo. I’m very grateful to God and to my son for this opportunity – she told reporter Rodrigo Lima.
I still don’t have a set date (to travel to Rio de Janeiro). I’ll go as soon as he gets his own apartment. At the moment, he’s living with other teammates – the player’s mother added.
Anthony Valencia joined Rubro-Negro for 5 million euros, around R$ 30 million, paid to Royal Antwerp. His time with the Belgian club produced 84 appearances and 13 goals for the Ecuadorian before the move to Brazilian football.
Anthony Valencia made his official debut against Remo at Mangueirão. The forward came on in the 84th minute in place of Samuel Lino, with Mengão’s victory already well in hand. So, the brief appearance marked the Ecuadorian’s first minutes in Brazilian football.
Anthony Valencia came through Independiente del Valle’s youth academy. The Ecuadorian club is known for developing talents who later stand out abroad. Even so, few academy players reach the international level as early as Valencia did.
The winger had already lifted the U-20 Copa Libertadores with Independiente del Valle before moving to Europe. During that campaign, the Ecuadorians knocked out Flamengo U-20.
Against the team that developed him, Anthony Valencia started and remained on the bench throughout the match. Even so, Flamengo secured the win with second-half goals from Bruno Henrique and Léo Pereira.
With Anthony Valencia available, Flamengo’s next match is against Corinthians this Sunday (13) at 5:30 p.m. Brasília time, at the Maracanã. The match is part of the 27th round of the Brasileirão.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.