Lino: My whole outlook has changed

Just over a year ago, Samuel Lino joined Flamengo as the most expensive signing in the club's history at the time. Snapped up from Atletico Madrid, the forward arrived amid expectations that he would take on a leading role in a star-studded squad. The new recruit certainly played his part as Flamengo lifted both the Brasileirao Serie A and CONMEBOL Libertadores titles last year, although his form fluctuated during his first few months at the club.

This term, Lino has begun to really live up to expectations, emerging as one of Flamengo's key figures alongside players who have featured at the FIFA World Cup, such as Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Pedro, and Lucas Paqueta. “This year, I’m really showing what I’m made of – what I’ve always had in me,” he told FIFA in an exclusive interview.

Adjusting to Brazilian football

Lino progressed through the ranks at regional club Sao Bernardo, where he had only a brief spell of first-team football before moving to Europe, meaning that the rigours of the Brazilian club game still required some adjustment upon his homecoming. “I came somewhere that felt familiar because I’m Brazilian and I know the country, but I’d barely played professionally here.”

“The ups and downs were normal,” added the 26-year-old, who also spent a loan stint in the Flamengo youth set-up as a teenager. “It took me time to get used to the travelling, the fixture schedule and the demands of the season. Last year was really gruelling both physically and mentally.”

A new role under Leonardo Jardim

A significant factor in Lino’s impressive form has been the new role entrusted to him by Leonardo Jardim, who took over as Mengao head coach in March. A natural left winger, the schemer has started operating more centrally, almost as a playmaker – a role that allows his creativity to flourish in an attack-minded side.

“He asks me to play more through the middle because of my strengths and the qualities of the players around me,” Lino explained. “He wants us to combine, play quick one-twos, stay close together and attack the space in behind the opposition defence.”

“It’s about getting into better positions, receiving the ball facing the opposition goal and allowing the full-backs to stay wider. They’re small details, but they make a difference to my game and to the team as a whole.”

Numbers reflect improvement

The improvement is clear to see, and the numbers reflect that. Lino is Flamengo’s leading assist provider this season, having set up ten goals in all competitions, and has also found the net eight times himself, while his tally of 13 goal involvements in 22 league matches makes for particularly encouraging reading. That figure might have been even higher had several Flamengo efforts not been ruled out by the narrowest of offside calls.

“It’s part and parcel of the game, isn’t it? They’re not letting me aura-farm,” he joked. “I should be on about 15 goals by now.”

“I’m someone who always wants to stand out, but I also know we’ve got other world-class players in this team. If it’s not me, it’ll be De Arrascaeta, Paqueta, [Jorge] Carrascal, Pedro or [Gonzalo] Plata. It might be [Erick] Pulgar scoring a screamer. The important thing is not to let our egos get the better of us; every player gets their moment to take centre stage.”

Personal transformation

That maturity is evident not only in Lino’s words but also in his conduct both on and off the pitch. By his own admission, the turn of the year brought a complete shift in his lifestyle. “I drastically changed my mentality,” he revealed. “I changed the way I think, the way I look after myself and the way I see football. It changed my whole outlook. Looking after myself is something I want to do for the rest of my life.”