Angioni rules out centre-back, calls Nino a dream, Freytes stays | OneFootball

Fluminense’s football director, Paulo Angioni, took advantage of a Campeonato Carioca event to clarify the situation of the team’s defensive system for 2026, putting an end to speculation and reinforcing confidence in the current squad.

Emphatically, the director denied that the club is in the market looking for a new defender.

“Fluminense is not looking for a center-back. We are not looking for a center-back,” Angioni repeated, making the football department’s strategy clear.

Regarding the possible return of idol Nino, who currently plays for Zenit in Russia, the director addressed the issue realistically, tempering the fans’ excitement.

“Nino is a dream, not a reality. We understand that, at the moment, the club (Zenit) is not considering negotiating him,” he explained.

Another topic addressed was the supposed interest from Bologna, Italy, in defender Juan Freytes. Angioni was categorical in confirming the player’s stay, dismissing any possibility of a transfer.

“(Regarding Freytes) There is no possibility (of being negotiated), he is a player Fluminense counts on. There is not even a possibility of discussing it,” the director concluded, ensuring the defender’s presence in the squad for the season.

Flu debuts in the season on the 14th, when they face Madureira at Luso Brasileiro, on Ilha do Governador. In this match, the expectation is that the club will field a team made up of the youngsters from Xerém and some players who were little used last year, such as Santi Moreno, for example. JK, who returned to training earlier, as well as Arana and Jemmes, newly signed reinforcements, may appear, but the starting lineup for the season opener has not yet been decided.

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