The Olympic gold-medalist says he will spend his end-of-season break working harder than ever as he hopes for an even better 2017
2016 was quite a year for Flamengo goalkeeper Alex Muralha.
He arrived at Brazil’s biggest club, Flamengo, to play understudy to Paulo Victor, but quickly ousted his more illustrious colleague to become no.1 in Rio.
The flamboyant, charismatic 27-year-old has since become something of a cult hero, winning the confidence and affection of the club’s millions of fans and, most importantly, of coach Ze Ricardo.
And as if that wasn’t victory enough, the man who kept goal for Brazil’s gold-medallists at the Rio Olympics is now a regular in the senior Brazil squad, applying intense pressure to current first-choice Alisson to take his place, too.
“I'm going to be training very hard during my ‘vacation’,” he told Brasil Global Tour just a few days into his end-of-year break.
“I do not want to do much else. I just want to train and keep improving. We have a lot to play for un 2017 so returning from my break in the best condition is going to be very important.”
Not least for next year's Copa Libertadores campaign after Muralha helped inspire Fla to their best league performance in seven years.
But despite a fine campaign he is still disappointed with the club’s third-placed finish, insisting he was hoping to pip Palmeiras to the league title.
"Personally, it was a very good year but it could have been better. What we all really wanted was the Brazilian title but unfortunately we did not make it.”
2017 will be a crucial year for club and country as the Seelcao stand on the verge of qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and Muralha is desperate to ensure he is part of the squad that will go in search of Brazil’s sixth world title.
“I really am desperate to remain part of the group,” he said.
“I know it will be a long journey, but I will work very hard with my teammates here at Flamengo. I know we have a lot of visibility for the national team coach and I must be at my best to make it for 2018.”
He is also hoping to remain put after a nomadic career that took him to seven clubs in the last six years, insisting he has never been as content as he is with his current lot at Fla.
And the club are desperate to keep him. Last week, director of football, Rodrigo Caetano, revealed the club are already close agreeing a new contract with ‘the Wall’, and hope to tie up a deal before the end of the year.
“Flamengo is a very well structured club today, they are extremely organised and it would be a great pleasure to continue being a part of the club.”
Alex Muralha’s year was rewarded by Goal Brasil, who named him the best goalkeeper of Brasileirao 2016.
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- Goal