On June 24, Flamengo -legend and Brazilian football icon Zico gave an interview to the Brazilian outlet Globo, where he commented on European teams that used the heat as an excuse for bad versions.
Zico about European teams are underperforming:
“European football is overestimated. We have to put an end to that. They should not be the ones who check everything. When things go wrong, they start to apologize – as the heat blames. They seem to have no idea how they can play under opposition.
When the circumstances change – whether it is the heat, or the end of a long season – we have treated it all without anyone nagging or apologizing. That's just how it is.
Yes, those teams are very strong – almost as national teams. But look: how many Spanish players are there in Real Madrid? How many English players in Manchester City? How many Germans in Bayern Munich?
Flamengo is now similar – we have Uruguay internationals, Chile Internationals and Brazil internationals. The power is evenly matched. What really matters is to stay in good shape and rise when the moment comes. “