Vitória boss jokes he ‘aged 15 years’ vs Flamengo, avoids cliché | OneFootball

Jair Ventura heaped praise on Flamengo after the win in the Copa do Brasil

Despite his ties to Botafogo, Jair Ventura has always been very respectful toward Flamengo. On Thursday (14), the Vitória coach spoke openly after qualifying for the Copa do Brasil round of 16, joked that he aged 15 years because of Mengo’s pressure during the match, and showered praise on the Rubro-Negro side. In addition, the manager revealed that he did not use the press’s opinion, which pointed to Fla as the favorite, to motivate his players.

— Just stand there watching Flamengo move the ball from one side to the other. Just stand there and see if that’s fun. I aged about 15 years today (Thursday). We know it’s stating the obvious to praise Flamengo; I’ve even been criticized for it a few times, as if we were making ourselves look small, but it’s just a fact: among Brazilians alone, Flamengo have seven players on the preliminary list (for the World Cup). In total (all national teams), they have more than 12 or 13. They must be the team that will send the most players to the World Cup, in the whole world. It’s a very important qualification for us —, Jair began.

— Flamengo are the current champions of the Libertadores, the Copa do Brasil, and the Brasileirão, every other year, so it was more than normal for them to be the favorites. I don’t use that inside the locker room. I have coach friends who stick up phrases like, ‘They said we’re not going to win.’ Whoever invests more becomes the favorite, especially Flamengo because of the squad they have, but we won with organization, work, and dedication —, he added.

IS JAIR VENTURA A FLAMENGO FAN?

Son of Jairzinho, the ‘Hurricane of the 1970 World Cup’ and a Botafogo idol, Jair Ventura has never publicly admitted which team he supports. However, a photo surfaced online showing the coach, still a child, fangirling over Renato Gaúcho during his time at Flamengo, at the Maracanã, before a match.

When he gets big wins, Jair Ventura usually taunts opponents by doing little dances. But against Flamengo, the coach did not do his traditional celebration. Also, while managing other clubs, he gave major help to Mengão in the club’s last two Brazilian league titles.

HOW DID JAIR VENTURA HELP FLAMENGO?

In 2020, Flamengo and Internacional were battling point by point for the Brasileirão title. In the 35th round, the team from Rio Grande do Sul faced Sport, then managed by Jair Ventura, at Beira-Rio. The Pernambuco side surprised everyone and won 2-1. The result was crucial to Mengão’s eighth league title.

Last year, Jair Ventura’s Vitória drew 0-0 with Palmeiras in the 37th round of the Brasileirão. The scoreline fit Flamengo like a glove as the team continued its march toward a ninth Brazilian title, clinched in the penultimate match.

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