storm, street of fire, Vidals…behind the scenes of the game

in field, athletic It is Flamengo they played a great game. Hurricane controlled the match, had several chances to score, but an own goal and the opponent’s efficiency defined the 2-0 defeat and the elimination of Wesley Carvalho’s team.

Outside of it, backstage was hectic. It started with the traditional “Rua de Fogo” from the crowd, Alexandre Mattos “in the crowd”, new reinforcement (Vidal) in the box, thunderstorm at Ligga Arena, “Asilo Athletico Paranaense” and scolding by Fernandinho. See more behind the scenes!

street of fire

Athletico fans supported the team from the moment they arrived at the stadium. The traditional “Rua de Fogo” turned Brasílio Itiberê into a red inferno. Inside the Arena, more parties with black and red smoke when the teams entered. The Red-Black fans also supported the team from start to finish. In all, there were 37,842 gifts – public that was the best of 2023 and overall top-6 of Ligga Arena.

Alexandre Mattos “in the crowd”

Athletico’s Business CEO, Alexandre Mattos, took advantage of Rua de Fogo to get closer to Hurricane fans. The manager recorded the arrival of the Atletica delegation bus among the fans and posted it on social networks with the phrase: “Since I asked for Vibes all day… I went there to help the guys”. Mattos also took pictures with some athletes.

Vidal in the cabin

A new signing for Athletico, midfielder Arturo Vidal watched the duel from a box at the Ligga Arena. The Chilean arrived in Curitiba on Wednesday afternoon (12) to sign a contract, went to the stadium with the delegation on the club bus and followed the game with the former club alongside the Atletica managers.

Thunderstorm in the Arena?

Yes, there was a storm at the Ligga Arena. Athletico left the retractable roof open due to the loose smoke at the entrance of the teams to the pitch, for faster dispersal. And the weather forecast was not for rain during the match. But, in the middle of the second half, a storm fell in the capital of Paraná and it rained in the stadium for the first time since the installation of the roof.

“Asilo Athletico Paranaense”

Flying midfielder Fernandinho went to the press conference, quite upset with the elimination and hit back at journalists. In one of the questions, which asked if he and Vidal could play together, he joked with “asylum”, as they are both over 35.

“Do we need to change the name to Asilo Athletico Paranaense? Let’s see, it’s up to the coach to decide. We are club employees, but Vidal is an exceptional guy. I had the opportunity to play against him. The expectation is May he help us not only on the field, technically, but also by giving advice and helping the boys”, he declared. Fernandinho turned 38, while Vidal is 36.

Fernandinho in trouble with the national arbitration

At another time, he questioned journalists about the level of Brazilian arbitration and gave his opinion about the arbitrators.

“Is the level of refereeing cool? Has it always been like this? Some situations on the field, we are not calm. There is the heat of the game. The referee makes his decisions and it is not possible to understand the criteria. We are at mercy. Thiago Heleno’s red card, he arrived to sort out the confusion. If you have the VAR, the assistants, but why are you going to send off the wrong players? These are things every game. There are only seven minutes of added time”, he complained.

“These are situations that question how we are living in Brazil with a situation like this. It’s arbitrations that decide games. Finals. I won’t say it’s unprofessional, but it’s bordering. Seneme is going to demote the referee and not going to help?