Atlético’s 4-2 defeat to Flamengo was yet another “bucket of cold water” for the black and white fans. The almost 40,000 Atlético fans present at the MRV Arena witnessed yet another humiliation for Gabriel Milito’s team, which suffered its 3rd defeat, conceding 4 goals, in 6 games.
With yet another bad result, Galo also saw Flamengo, the leader, open up a 12-point gap in the Brazilian Championship standings.
After the match, only Hulk, the team captain, stopped to talk to journalists in the mixed zone. According to the player, this had been an agreement between the athletes, still on the field, after the referee’s final whistle.
The number 07 started talking about the team’s responsibility in this bad moment for Atlético:
Only those who have been on this side of the pitch, as a football player and playing for a big club, know the responsibility of going out on the pitch, of always fighting to win. If you draw, you’re left with a bitter taste. If you lose, the way we did, it’s even worse. But that’s football, there’s no time to regret it. It’s time to get back to work! In four days we have another match, to win again. It’s time to take responsibility now, like we do. We work hard! If we win, everyone wins. If we lose, everyone loses!
When asked about the difficulty Atlético faces in winning at home in this Brasileirão and what the team can do to change this scenario, Hulk said: “I wish I had that answer to give today. If I had that answer, we would have already started winning again. The home advantage is fundamental in the Brazilian Championship. It was like that in 2021, and last year, we were not champions because we lost silly points at home. This year we have already lost the same silly points and we also lost direct confrontations to two teams like Flamengo and Palmeiras.”.
And he added:
We learn from our mistakes, we learn when things aren’t going well. We need to keep our feet on the ground and try to improve. When things are going well, we need to be smart and enjoy things with our feet on the ground. We need to continue to be humble, not point the finger at anyone and focus on Botafogo.
Hulk was also asked about coach Gabriel Milito’s decisions and whether this has been one of the causes for the poor results the team has been experiencing:
I will never question any decision made by Milito, especially considering his history, experience and the work philosophy he passes on to us. We have a lot of respect for his decisions, regarding tactical formation and who will play. Everyone knows that! They will talk about the defense because we conceded 4 goals. But it is not just the defense’s fault, the defense starts with the attack. I am part of that too! If we conceded the goal, I also made a mistake, the marking has to start up front. It is everyone’s fault! We take responsibility. When we have to celebrate, we will celebrate together and when we need to take responsibility, we will do it in the same way.
Hulk ended by apologizing to the black and white fans and showed confidence in the team’s improvement: “I am here to apologize to our fans, to the Atlético fans. I ask that you trust us, we will improve. We are working towards this. It is not easy! We know how much we have given ourselves, how much we have fought. Better days will come! We are in all competitions, nothing is lost yet.”.
The black and white team returns to the field next Sunday (07) and the opponent will also be from Rio de Janeiro. Galo will go to Rio de Janeiro to face Botafogo. The ball will roll from 8:30 pm.
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2024-07-04 09:31:15
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