On my way to this beloved country of Brazil, my childhood dream took shape: to visit the Mecca of soccer, the Maracana.
Knowing that the championship hadn't even started yet, the paradox of this beautiful story is that my future wife tells me that the biggest derby in Brazil will take place two days after our arrival...
Excitement is at its peak, but first problem, I don't have a seat, second problem, we're not allowed to buy tickets online, and I admit that doing without the internet is no longer very instinctive.
Undaunted, I question everyone we meet, pestering them with questions; I'm determined to go! But why so much desire, why?
It's none other than the famous FLA-FLU, the bourgeois class against the working class.
Flamengo is one of Brazil's most popular clubs, with a huge and passionate fan base. The club has won numerous national and international titles over the years, making it one of the country's most successful teams. Fluminense, for its part, also has a long history and has enjoyed its fair share of success over the decades.
The two clubs are Rio's most important, and everything possible is being done to ensure that the classico is a great one: the media, the fans, the city and even the players themselves.
Tickets are almost sold-out, so with two days to go until the game we decide to go directly to the Fluminense club on the advice of the locals; we're determined to see the Fla-FLu.
In the old-fashioned way, once we'd arrived on site, it was through a loophole that we got both seats.
Saturday March 16, we're on our way to the Maracana temple, and here we're in for the ultimate slap in the face and guaranteed thrills. Three hours before, fans and police have already arrived massively, and I can't stand it any longer - I want to get into the arena!
I wasn't disappointed, the stadium was big and the chants went on for 90 minutes, and even if the score wasn't there, what an atmosphere, what an atmosphere...especially the communion between the fans of Fluminense surrounding us.
It's true, the people here live and breathe soccer. It was a real experience, and I'm already dreaming of the Boca Junior derby in Argentina...
To be continued...