Vitão to Flamengo: Boto recalls magic vs Inter Milan striker | OneFootball

Vitão was with Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) when he faced Internazionale (ITA) in the Champions League

The presentation of defender Vitão, this Friday (09), was filled with emotions and fond memories. This is because the director of football at Flamengo, José Boto, recalled the times when the defender played in the Champions League and neutralized an important striker at the time.

— Remember that Vitão, at 18/19 years old, was already playing in the Champions League. I remember a game where he put (Romelu) Lukaku in his pocket against Internazionale (ITA) -, stated Boto during an event that took place at Ninho do Urubu.

When did Vitão face Lukaku?

Before wearing the Sacred Mantle, Vitão played for Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR). Thus, in 2020, the current Flamengo defender had the opportunity to face Internazionale in the group stage of the Champions League.

Thus, Vitão contributed to the 0-0 draw by dispossessing the Belgian forward four times. However, the defender's performance in the European competition goes much further. The athlete, for example, participated in the 2-0 victory over Real Madrid (ESP) in the same edition of the tournament.

How did Vitão arrive at Flamengo?

The reinforcement left Shakhtar in 2022 to play for Internacional. Then, the defender stayed with the club from Rio Grande do Sul until the end of 2025, when Flamengo began negotiations with the athlete. In the deal, the Rubro-Negro forgave the debt related to Thiago Maia and also paid around R$ 35.9 million at the current exchange rate.

Therefore, the official announcement of the Most Beloved took place this Friday. Then, the new number 44 requested the same number used at the previous club. The club, player, and fans are waiting for the publication in the Daily Information Bulletin (BID) for the debut.

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