Intimate with Libertadores and with rivals strangled, Rogério Ceni prepares Flamengo to face Racing | Flamengo

This is the script reserved for Rogério Ceni in the duel between Flamengo and Racing, on Tuesday, in Buenos Aires. It will be the former goalkeeper’s debut as a coach in a Libertadores that got used to being so intimate, in a duel where he seeks to mark the return on red and black and against an old executioner: Sebestián Beccacece.

It was the current Racing coach who commanded the modest Denfensa and Justicia in the 2017 South American Championship, when São Paulo de Ceni was eliminated in the first round. Reason enough for the coach to watch videos and studies on a rival who inspires care despite the terrible stage.

The four consecutive defeats in the Argentine Championship and the imminent departure of the idol Diego Milito from the board were in the background in Rogério’s assessment. He admitted at a press conference that he left the analysis of Coritiba to his coaching staff and focused on Racing in recent days:

“I started studying, I know Beccacece a lot, I know how she likes to play. We can’t be fooled by the latest results.”

– We don’t have to compare the latest results, because we even had a win, a draw and two losses. It is an Argentine team, it plays Libertadores and in Argentina. It is very difficult for any team.

Rogério Ceni in Libertadores

• 90 games (fifth with most appearances in history and largest Brazilian)
• 14 goals scored (SPFC’s top scorer with Luis Fabiano)
• eleven participations
• 2 Titles

Diagnosis of those who know as few the main competition of the continent. Rogério Ceni was molded in the corridors of a Morumbi that throbbed in the Libertadores in the early 90s. As a young man, he was champion in 1993 in the historic São Paulo de Telê Santana and established a family relationship with the tournament in 11 participations throughout of his career.

Two-time champion (1993 and 2005), Rogério is the Brazilian with the most games in the history of Libertadores, with 90 appearances (Cruzeiro’s Fábio has 83), and fifth overall. As if that weren’t enough, he boasts of being São Paulo’s top scorer with 14 goals, along with Luís Fabiano.

Flamengo has a good record against Argentines

A lot of experience to command a Flamengo who defends the title and arrives in Buenos Aires with a good record against the Argentines. In the 16th participation, the club faced the country’s clubs 11 times, with six wins, three draws and only two losses.

In the eliminatory matches, the match happened on two occasions: in 1991, Boca Juniors de Batistuta occupied the place in the semifinals with a 3-0 in Bombonera, after losing 2-1 in Maracanã. Exactly one year ago, on November 23, 2019, Flamengo won the title against River Plate at U Monumental, in Lima, Peru.

Rival of the time, Racing never crossed the red and black path in Libertadores and the confrontation has a balanced retrospective: 13 games, five wins for each side and three draws. Most of the games, however, were played in friendlies, like the last one in 2003: 2 to 1 in favor of the Brazilians, goals from André Gomes and Edílson, in Sergipe.

The only time Racing and Flamengo met in an official dispute was in 1992. With a 3-3 draw in Rio and a 1-0 victory in Buenos Aires, the Argentine team qualified for the Super Cup decision, when they lost. before Cruzeiro. .

Flamengo and Racing will meet at the Cilindro de Avellaneda on Tuesday, at 9:30 p.m. (Brasilia time), in the first leg of the round of 16. The return is scheduled for a week later, in Maracana. Whoever advances will face Inter or Boca.