Samuel Lino hails Flamengo’s strength, calls for rethink on Europe | OneFootball

Samuel Lino recently joined Flamengo after spending much of his career playing in European football

Starting in both matches against Internacional, Samuel Lino celebrated Flamengo's qualification for the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores, with an aggregate score of 3-0. After the victory at Beira-Rio this Wednesday (20th), the forward praised the club's structure and highlighted the weight of the Rubro-Negro on the international stage. For the number 16, Mengão offers conditions that put the team ahead of many European clubs.

— Flamengo is a gigantic club that provides great conditions for players. That’s what makes players from Europe want to come play in Brazil, at Flamengo. It’s a great structure. When a player dreams of going to Europe, it’s a different case, but today I see Flamengo far above many European clubs. It’s a giant here in South America, said Samuel Lino, during the post-match mixed zone at Beira-Rio.

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HOW DOES SAMUEL LINO'S EXPERIENCE SUPPORT HIS OPINION ABOUT FLAMENGO?

Samuel Lino speaks with authority when comparing Flamengo’s structure to that of European clubs. That’s because the forward accumulated about six years of experience in football on the ‘Old Continent’, playing in leagues of high technical level. In short, his journey abroad began in 2019, with a transfer to Gil Vicente (POR).

From 2022, Samuel joined the squad of Atlético de Madrid (ESP), with whom he signed a long-term contract. The following season, he played for Valencia (ESP) on loan before returning to the Madrid club and standing out in national and international competitions.

His consistent performance drew attention and resulted in a transfer to Flamengo in July 2025, in a deal that represented the biggest investment in the history of the Rubro-Negro club. In other words, with a competitive background, Samuel Lino evaluated Mengão’s structure based on concrete experiences.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.