Evaluation and constant integration: understanding the transition process that Flamengo makes with the youth from the grassroots | Flamengo

In June 2019, Carlos Noval accepted the invitation to be Flamengo’s transition manager. A new department was created with the specific intention of taking care of this step for the boys and being the link between the base and the professional. Former soccer director and with many years of work at the base, Noval was in charge of organizing the process.

Little more than a year later, the first fruits are collected. With 16 absences from the professional squad due to an outbreak of Covid-19, the coaching staff sought reinforcements at the base: 11 players, in total, were integrated for the matches against Palmeiras and Independiente del Valle. In addition to them, the left-back Ramón, the right-back Matheuzinho and the defensive midfielder Gomes had previously been activated.

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The process is ongoing: rank-and-file members, professional soccer, scouts, and transition often come together to evaluate young people at rank. With constant analysis, they measure the progress of young people and detect those who can meet immediate needs.

There is a kind of line of succession in all positions. Nathan’s case is emblematic. Earlier this year, left-handed defender Rafael Santos was loaned to Apoel from Cyprus for two years. The negotiation passed a lot because of the confidence of the sectors that Natan was prepared to step up and become a kind of fifth quarterback in the professional squad.

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Natan continued in the U-20, where he was captain, intensified his preparation, but also went through training periods with the highest category. Little by little he got used to the cast. When all the professional advocates were taken out of action for Covid-19, there was no question: it was time the 19-year-old had his chance, and he got the job done.

The football department receives detailed reports, with the characteristics of the players, not only on the field, but also in terms of personality. In evaluations, athletes receive grades in different valences, in all the games they play. It is a way of measuring the performance of athletes and creating a database on them.

Another important factor in the boys’ transition has to do with the game model. The idea is to transfer the coaches of the U-20 and U-17 teams, especially the professional’s way of working, so that they try to get as close to that as possible.

At the beginning of the year, for example, it was noted that the alternative Flamengo team that was contesting the start of the Carioca Championship, under the command of Mauricio de Souza, was playing with a proposal similar to that of Jorge Jesús’s team.

The objective is to keep the players close to what is happening in the professional, accustomed to the type of training and also with sufficient tactical knowledge. Another point is to try to prepare them for adverse situations: Natan, for example, even left-handed, had to play on the right against Palmeiras and he did well. This is a job that has been developed at the base with the rest of the athletes.

Who has already gone up and is with the professional cast also undergoes monitoring. Hugo Souza arrived as the fourth goalkeeper, but he was always seen and prepared to climb the stairs. His calmness has always been a prominent feature, as the full back Ramón drew attention for the physical part.

Both still need to work on other aspects to reach their potential, but they were happy with the opportunities they had and began to gain more space in the squad.

With the return of the players from the professional squad, there is still no definition regarding the use of the guys who have risen. The priority, however, is for them to continue playing: whether in the U-20s, who face a congested calendar with matches from the Brazilian and the Carioca, to be more consolidated professionally.

On Thursday, eight of them reinforced the U-20 in the match against São Paulo, for the Brazilian Championship of the category: João Fernando (goalkeeper), Italo (winger), Otávio (defender), Richard (midfielder), Yuri (midfielder) ), Guilherme Bala, Lázaro and Rodrigo Muniz (attackers).