As a GLOBO journalist, he gained a reputation as an accomplished football player

I arrived at the newspaper in 2023, for a final internship that became my first permanent job. In general, the starting point of a sports reporter is the position of the sectionalist, who has the duty to tell good and bad news about the club and the glories and errors of everyday life. When the management offered me the position at Fluminense, at the end of July of that year, I had no doubt about accepting.

What I didn’t imagine – and I don’t think even the editors did – is that the Tricolor would reach the Libertadores final with Boca Juniors, and it would be this young reporter, quite ‘green’, scheduled to be at the Maracanã on November 4th. I went on the mission with a more experienced colleague, and we saw JFK change the history of the club. My impression was that all the lights in the world were focused on the stadium that day, and what a great honor it was to be there! I even agreed to do two shifts to cover the Tricolor Festival and be free on Sunday, because it was my college graduation day…

Last year, I headed to cover Botafogo. It is natural for the administration to rotate sector players between clubs, so that they gain more experience. The black and whites were coming off a painful year, and my first visit to Nilton Santos was shocking: defeat to Junior Barranquilla, in the Libertadores. “I started with a cold, but I promise I will get better,” I told Botafogo’s press officer after the match.

First time abroad

And the campaign that started poorly really turned things around: the black and white team advanced to the knockout stage by defeating Universitario thanks to a goal by Givinho. I joke to this day that it was a “historic movement,” a phrase the editors deleted from my text for exaggeration. History avenged me! After qualifying against Palmeiras, São Paulo and Penarol – winning 5-0 – it was confirmed that I would go to Buenos Aires to play the final against Atletico MG. I never left the country.

I was happy to see the Glorioso fans, who embraced me, taking over the Argentine capital. With the majority at the Monumental de Núñez, the Botafoguenses went from despair after Gregor’s sending off to epiphany with a 3-1 victory. Luiz Henrique’s goal sparked the biggest shout I’ve ever seen in any stadium. I basically dedicated the title to my grandfather Francisco who passed away in 2017 and couldn’t see it in life, but it could be felt in the freezing winds of Buenos Aires.

Settled and happy in my role, I faced a new challenge in 2025, at the age of 25: covering Flamengo, where everything seems to have a greater dimension, for better or worse. But if the management had put their trust in me, I wouldn’t be able to let the opportunity pass me by. The exchange of leaflets with colleague João Pedro Fragoso was accompanied by messages from black and white friends: “Stay, you are reckless.” The red blacks said: “The Libertadores are ours!” I denied the fame and said it was an urban legend, but, unbelievable as it may seem, I went another season without knowing what it was like to report being eliminated.

The season saw many tests of the heart, such as the win over Táchira in the final round of the group stage and the penalty shootout against Estudiantes in the quarter-finals. In both, Rossi ensured business continuity. Internacional and Racing were also eliminated on the way before the final against Palmeiras. Once again, I got my passport to play and came to Lima to watch a match of this magnitude and see Danilo’s goal.