As the new Barclays Premier League season approaches, the final stages of the Brazilian State Championships are in full swing. Gremio came out on top in the Brazilian Gaucho Championship. Meanwhile, Fluminense and Flamengo battled it out for the state title in Rio. In the end, Fluminense locked up a 4-1 victory to take home the trophy. Real Madrid veteran Marcelo's world-class performance has left the countdown to him joining his new team just two months away. In addition, Chinese-born player Alan also won the title with his team, the first title of his overseas career.
Fluminense lost 0-2 away to Flamengo in the first leg and had to net three goals at home in the second leg to complete the comeback. However, Marcelo broke the deadlock in the 30th minute of the first half, followed by two goals from Cano and another from Alex Sande, giving Fluminense a 4-0 lead in the 65th minute. Despite Flamengo pulling a goal back before the end, Fluminense won 4-1 and doubled their lead 3-4 on aggregate.
Naturalized player Alan, 33, celebrated the festive season with his wife and two children after winning the title. This is the first title Alan has won since his studies abroad, which is very meaningful.
It is worth mentioning that Golat also won the championship with his team in one of the Brazilian state championships. However, according to the Brazilian media, Gallart has applied for reinstatement of his Brazilian citizenship and is just one step away from renouncing his Chinese citizenship.
It's no surprise that Allan is on the bench, albeit for the new Rio de Janeiro Championship season. After all, the presence of stars such as Cano and Arias, as well as Allan's status as a foreigner, gave him the opportunity to play off the bench.
The new Barclays Premier League season kicks off this weekend. Alan is expected to play for Fluminense, which is at least a better option than returning to the Chinese Super League. After all, the level of the two leagues is so far apart that there is no need to follow the example of Aixon and Fernando.
For the national team and head coach Jankovic, Alan's appearance in the Brazilian league and winning the title is certainly good news and will help strengthen the team.
The return of Alan will be a great support for the national team given the difficulty of local young players to take over. In the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Cup early next year, the addition of Alan will help Coach Jankovic select the best possible squad to ensure the team's success in making the top 18 in Asia for the World Cup qualifiers, and in their quest for a place in the top eight of the Asian Cup.
