Opinion – Sandro Macedo: Vítor Pereira arrives at Flamengo, happy and stuttering

“No man is an island”, once said the English poet that this scribe never remembers the name – but I always think it was uttered by Dr. House from the TV series.

This column, which sometimes (few) is also culture, starts with this quote to say that it could be replicated in football. “No team is an island”. But as every rule has an exception, we can say that Flamengo is indeed an island.

Or at least that’s how the current managers of the richest team in Brazil lead the team.

This alone explains the fact that the club scheduled Vítor Pereira’s first press conference at the time of the funeral of Pelé, the greatest football player of all time. Sensitivity of an elephant playing with a mastodon in the china shop.

The press conference was a freak show. Flamengo even banned journalists from asking questions about Corinthians after the coach’s first response.

Not even the French team’s advisory prohibited the press from questioning Didier Deschamps about Benzema during the World Cup. In Qatar, the reporter would ask and the technician would huff and close the subject. And even though he knew what was coming, another reporter was trying to get something out of Monsieur Deschamps, only to get another huff. But that’s the dynamic. Uncensored.

When he was coach at Corinthians, VP had already given a taste of what he was capable of doing in front of journalists. He talked about dreams (being Liverpool manager), about finances (“Do you know how much I have in the bank?”) and about loyalty (“Corinthians once, Corinthians forever”, but that was on social media).

This time, we get to know a new facet of VP, the stuttering side. I was happy, but stuttering. This columnist had never seen the Portuguese professor so disconcerted to talk about a subject —in this case, the option for Flamengo after saying that the only reason for not renewing with Corinthians was a personal matter… in this case, his mother-in-law.

It was also kind of, let’s say, inelegant, the mister not to utter the name of Corinthians, citing only “the previous club” in its “truth”.

Corinthian readers, forgive me, but Vítor Pereira went around explaining what is very simple. It was just using the same logic of the first years of elementary school for children, with a “major” or “minor” sign.

VP could only take a blackboard and write: Corinthians Mother-in-law > Corinthians; or, the most painful, Flamengo > > > Corinthians (it’s a lot bigger; at least in the coach’s understanding).

The mister commented, among other things, that Flamengo has a year of many challenges. And what did Corinthians have? Tricks and tricks?

Vítor’s choice simply opens up the difference between Flamengo and the other teams. If Corinthians doesn’t have the second budget in Brazil, it’s certainly in the top 5, but that doesn’t tickle the current rubro-negro power.

VP used to be charged to do a good job. Now, as with Bayern or PSG coaches, he has an obligation to win titles in the national territory — and playing well. He will be the most demanded technician in Brazil, but he will earn for it (do you know how much he has in his bank account?).

Finally, two movie tips for Vítor Pereira —who said he never lied— to watch on days when the beach is not available.

1) “Pinocchio”, a new version that mixes actors (Tom Hanks is Gepetto) and computer graphics to tell the story of the wooden puppet who wants to become a boy, but his nose grows every time he lies. Available on Disney+;

2) “Pinocchio”, by Guillermo del Toro, which uses the stop-motion technique to tell the story of the wooden doll who wants to become a boy, but his nose grows every time he lies. But this one is darker, better seen only on days of defeat. Available on Netflix.