Pedro Lourenço acknowledges Flamengo’s superiority and Cruzeiro’s undeservedness in Libertadores loss.
The owner of SAF Cruzeiro, Pedro Lourenço, admitted Flamengo‘s superiority in his team’s 2-1 defeat at the Maracanã stadium, in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores Round of 16.
In statements after the match, the club manager offered no excuses for the result, instead acknowledging the strength of Flamengo’s squad.
Frank words of recognition following elimination
In a moment of candor, Pedro Lourenço stated emphatically that the loss to Flamengo, under the circumstances, is normal in today’s football landscape.
He highlighted that the technical staff, led by Arthur Jorge, had already anticipated the difficulty of the matchup.
As Arthur, the coach, told the players in the locker room: it’s a very big blow, we had an objective, but when the draw came, we already knew it was very difficult.
Squad depth and investment as differentiating factors
Pedro Lourenço attributed part of the result to Flamengo‘s significant investment in its squad, something he believes made the match even more challenging.
Flamengo, with the investment they have, the squad they have, it’s complicated. And Flamengo was superior to us. So we have to recognize that. It’s tough, but unfortunately, we didn’t deserve the victory. So, it has to be a lesson learned.
Despite the disappointment of elimination, the executive made a point of praising Cruzeiro‘s squad, emphasizing that the team was assembled within the club’s financial capabilities.
He compared Cruzeiro’s investment to that of clubs like Flamengo and Palmeiras, whose revenues and capital injections are significantly higher.
The result ends Cruzeiro‘s participation in the Copa Libertadores, and the team now turns its attention to domestic competitions.
The defeat, however, serves as a learning experience for the board and technical staff, who will seek to strengthen the team for future challenges.
The M360 Team
