Author: Chandra Moulee Das
Flamengo snapped a run of three consecutive defeats by beating Coritiba 3-0 at the Maracanã. However, before the match, the news of Pedro’s dissatisfaction with being on the bench surprised the red and black fans. Nevertheless, after the match, Pedro confirmed that, although he was unhappy about being a reserve player, he respected the decision of interim coach Mário Jorge.
Pedro came on in the second half and scored Flamengo’s third goal of the game, adding to his impressive tally of 15 goals in 17 games for the club in 2023. The striker said that even though he’s in good shape, he understands that it doesn’t guarantee him a place in the starting line-up.
The 25-year-old said in an interview with TV Globo: “To be honest, I always respect the coach’s decision, but I didn’t agree, because of what I’ve been doing at Flamengo since last year, this year I’ve been performing well too. I didn’t really agree, but, as always, I’m going to do my best, even if it’s just for a few minutes, like today. Wearing this shirt is a dream I fulfill every day. Of course, always working to be a starter“.
During the press conference, Mário Jorge explained why he chose Gabigol over Pedro. The interim coach emphasized that with Gabigol wearing the number 10 shirt, Flamengo would be more mobile and have a better chance of breaking out of their bad run of form.
The dilemma of choosing between Gabigol and Pedro now lies with newly hired coach Jorge Sampaoli, who will be officially presented to Flamengo on Monday at the Ninho do Urubu. The opener will be on Wednesday against Nublense at the Maracanã.