Cristiane Rozeira has entered a different stage of her life – and it is a busy one. Over the past few weeks the all-time Olympic record scorer has been trying to find a place to live with her wife and two-year-old son Bento, as well as settling in at her new club Flamengo, the famous Rio de Janeiro club where, among others, Zico, Romário, Adriano and Vinícius Júnior have played.
Her target? To raise the profile of Flamengo’s women’s team and for them to create their own history. “We want to mark the history of the women’s team,” she tells Moving the Goalposts. “I am not the only one who wants to do that but the whole team. I have had some really good times in my career and will try to contribute as much as possible. I realise the history of the male players who have worn this shirt and therefore how important and how historic it is to be a player at this club. I want to add that feeling to the women’s team.”
The 38-year-old has had an incredible club and international career. Apart from having scored more goals than anyone else in women’s Olympic football – 14, one more than Marta and two more than Christine Sinclair – she has picked up two silver medals. What’s more, having been left out of the last Olympics and the 2023 World Cup she is back in the international reckoning under the new Brazil coach, Arthur Elias, and is aiming to make it to Paris.
All her dreams and aims and targets are football-shaped. They are of scoring goals for the national teams, winning titles with Flamengo and sharing her knowledge with the next generation: “When I returned to the national team it was very nice to have my wife celebrate with me and for my son to be able to see me wear that jersey. It gave me confirmation of how much I want to stay in football and fight for that medal [in Paris].”
Playing for Brazil has always been important for the forward. She was called up for the first time at the age of 15 and is a women’s football icon in Brazil, having had such a distinguished career alongside fellow legends such as Marta and Formiga. And she enjoys being in a squad with younger players.
“We have some young players who are with us in the first team and we have to guide them and share some of our experience,” she says. “Of course they have their own life experiences and careers but we try to shorten their paths to the top and help them in the day-to-day life of being a footballer as well as giving them tactical, match-related advice. I did a youth clinic last year with over 70 children and being able to see how much they want to learn and develop brings me great joy.”
Cristiane has only been at Flamengo for about a month but her arrival has already been followed by increased attention and investment in the women’s side. They recently announced a new £300,000 sponsorship deal with pharmaceutical company Bayer and have started well on the pitch. Cristiane was joined by 22-year-old Gisseli in attack, the left-back playing as a winger in the 3-0 win against Fluminense in the Copa Rio. On Saturday there is the Supercopa Feminino against Ferroviária.
Gisseli is over the moon to be playing with the legend. “She’s a role model for us,” she explains. “I never imagined I would one day play with her so how could I not be happy right now? It is a unique experience and I feel like I am learning a lot. She has a different perception of the game because of her experience and she will bring a lot to our team. Many of us are really young, but we also have some experienced players. Now we have everything we need to win every title.”
Cristiane’s signing with Flamengo was officially announced in mid-January and has garnered the support of club’s male players as well. Gabriel Barbosa, one of the stars, had already expressed his support for Cristiane when he questioned the decision to leave her out of the World Cup squad. Last month he took to social media again to celebrate when she became a clubmate. Cristiane was surprised – and delighted – by the support: “I don’t think anyone imagined it, that my signing would make such an impact. It has been so important and it rallies the fans around our side.”
Flamengo have one of the largest fanbases in Brazil and the women’s side is starting to feel the benefit of that. At the moment they play their home games at the Luso-Brasileiro Stadium, with a maximum capacity of 6,000 fans, and do not train at the same facilities as the men’s side. But there is pressure to change that and talk of staging women’s games at Maracanã.
“The reception from the fans has been fantastic. At our first game they were really passionate, both adults and children cheering us on,” Cristiane says. Among those fans were Bento and her wife, Ana, wearing the red and black No 11 jersey with her name. “The family is our heart. Family members are the ones who embrace us and give us support and affection, especially in difficult times. Having all this support from my wife and my son gives me great tranquillity, peace and a desire to keep working.”
It may very well lead to some special moments in 2024.
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