Brazilian outfit Flamengo are looking to face off against Liverpool in the FIFA Club World Cup this season, in what could be a repeat of the 1981 Intercontinental Cup final.
The Reds were humbled 3-0 by the ‘Rubro-Negro‘, and O Globo journalist Bruno Marinho reckons the Brazilians would fancy another crack at Liverpool.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Marinho says that the game in 1981 is regarded as the biggest moment in the history of Flamengo.
“It means a lot to them. In Rio we have four traditional teams, and only Flamengo have won the Club World Cup,” he said.
“This means a lot to people in Brazil, who are passionate about football. They love to make fun of the neighbouring clubs, and Flamengo always have this over the other teams.
“It’s also special because it was the main conquest of the best Flamengo team of all time.
“They had an amazing team, the greatest player being Zico. They also had Junior at left-back and Leandro at right-back and were strong throughout the team.
“Destiny has now given them a chance to play Liverpool again in a new Club World Cup final. They are focused on River Plate now, but in the end they are looking for Liverpool – a lot!”
I actually love this kind of stuff – playing some of the world’s biggest teams on our own European conquests, and the rare chance to play clubs from other continents is brilliant.
Back in the day, when Liverpool were dominating the world, the Reds helped Scousers introduce a lot of new fashion and music into the north of England because of their travels around the globe.
European football naturally dominates our interests, but we’ve got a chapter with Flamengo in this, and it appears as if it may not be over yet!