Dorival reappears after removal and, finally, is champion in Flamengo

For a long time, Dorival Júnior was brooding over his departure from Flamengo at the end of 2018, after leading the team to the Brazilian vice-championship. Above all, the fact that he could have led the team at the beginning of one of the most victorious eras of the Carioca club, which began with the 2019 Libertadores title, hammered in the coach’s head.

It took Dorival nearly four years to get over the frustration. This Wednesday (19), he finally won his first title at the head of the club, beating Corinthians in the final of the Copa do Brasil in the penalty shootout (6-5) — in normal time, there was a draw. by 1 to 1.

In his third visit to Gávea, the captain was mainly responsible for restoring the confidence of the athletes after a bad start to the season, which resulted in the dismissal of the Portuguese Paulo Souza, in July, when the team occupied only the 14th position of the Brazilian. He had also been defeated in the State and Supercopa do Brasil decisions.

It was a difficult time to take on the responsibility of directing one of the most expensive casts in the country. But that was just what Dorival wanted. In the two previous passages, especially the first, which began in July 2012, he faced lean times — his departure in March 2013, for example, occurred because he did not accept a salary reduction proposed by then president Bandeira de Mello.

He would return to the club in September 2018 to try to lead the team to the title of Nacional. Despite having a good performance, with seven wins, three draws and two defeats, he ended up with the vice that year, surpassed by Palmeiras.

In December, with the change of director, he was fired by Rodolfo Landim. Abel Braga was chosen by the new president. His passage would last until May. The following month, Jorge Jesus was hired.

With the Portuguese, Flamengo lived times of glory. He won five titles, among them the Libertadores. But, after his departure, in 2020, four technicians passed through Gávea without repeating the same success. Dorival is seventh in the Landim administration, not counting the interim.

Between his second visit and his return to Gávea, in addition to passing through Athletico Paranaense and Ceará, he went through a difficult time in his private life. In March 2019, the technician learned that he had prostate cancer.

As told to Sheet in December of that year, when he heard the news, he had as practical a reaction as possible to the situation: “My only thought was: ‘let’s get this over with, then.’

There were about seven months between diagnosis and surgery to remove the tumor, in 1^O of October. Until the date of the procedure, he hid the diagnosis from football colleagues, press and fans.

At the time, as he told the report, he didn’t think about death. Dorival’s confidence in recovery was in part because the cancer was discovered early.

“Take [a doença] at first it helped a lot and I was already following up. Even before the confirmation I was sure it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. That’s what happened,” he said. “That’s why prevention is key.”

Since his return to football, his work at Flamengo was what put the coach back on the national scene. He even had his name considered to take over the Brazilian team after the World Cup, when Tite will leave the command of the squad.

For now, however, the technician does not want to know that. He just wants to know how to enjoy the title of the Copa do Brasil, the second of his career — he 2010, he won the tournament for Santos.

Flamengo players, however, will have little time to celebrate. After all, on the 29th, the team from Rio will have another decision ahead, with the final of the Copa Libertadores, in a single game, against Athletico Paranaense.