Jorginho reveals the weight of his red card and the distress felt after Flamengo secured their spot.
Midfielder Jorginho shared, for the first time, his feelings after being sent off in the match against Independiente del Valle (ECU), which secured Flamengo‘s qualification for the Libertadores semifinals. Following a social media post apologizing for the incident, the player detailed the tension during the match’s final moments and explained the play that led to his second yellow card.
The Play and the Emotion in the Locker Room
During his remarks in the Maracanã mixed zone, Jorginho described the incident in detail:
Unfortunately, the moment Beijo (Ayrton Lucas) passed the ball to me, I was looking at the ball. When I lifted my head to look for the next play, the ball changed trajectory and slipped away. When it got away, I put my arm out at shoulder height to try and secure my position. As I did that, their player lowered his head and I ended up hitting him. The referee opted to give me the second yellow card; he could have chosen either way, but I ended up being a bit reckless in that moment.
The anguish intensified once he reached the locker room:
You feel a way that is hard to explain when you go to the locker room alone, through the empty tunnel, into the empty locker room. Your heart is pounding, and that’s when you really see the importance of unity, of the group, and of the team that sacrifices themselves on the pitch.
Gratitude and Looking Ahead
Despite the difficult moment, Jorginho highlighted the strength of the group and the support from the fans:
Afterward, you see the true importance of the fans, how they came together and pushed the team to secure the qualification. It was a difficult night, but even more magical because it was beautiful to see. Unfortunately, I watched it from the locker room; I apologized to the team and thanked each one of them because you end up letting your teammates down. It’s something you never want to do, so we ended up with the qualification, which was the most important thing, and now it’s time to look forward.
Recovery Break and Focus on the Brazilian Serie A
With a 2-1 victory over Bragantino, Flamengo has taken sole possession of the Brazilian Serie A lead with 60 points, three ahead of Palmeiras. The team will now have a rest period during the FIFA Date, with their next match scheduled for October 8th against Santos at Vila Belmiro. The midfielder, who was on the Italy national team’s preliminary list, sees the break as a valuable opportunity:
You have to look at the positive side; it’s a moment for us to recover our energy. We had many games with long trips, playing at high altitude, and everything else. So, it’s something we need to look at because there are things to improve and things to train on. We will train hard and recover our energy so we can return from this FIFA Date and continue on this winning path, which is very important at this time of the year.
He also confirmed contact with the Italian coaching staff but reaffirmed his commitment to the club:
I didn’t have a direct conversation with him (manager Roberto Mancini). It was (assistant coach Leonardo) Bonucci who called me. The manager knows me and knows what I can add and help the Italian national team with. I will always be cheering for them, and if the call comes, I will be ready.
The Flamengo squad is now focused on maintaining their rhythm and preparing for upcoming challenges.
M360 Team
