Influenced by relationism
The image of Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz hugging his midfielder André shortly after winning the Copa Libertadores final against Boca Juniors (2-1) went around the world. The 49-year-old shed tears, of course mostly from friends, but perhaps also a little from sadness. Because it is expected that the 22-year-old will move to Europe in the winter. It was quite a surprise when André decided to end the season in Brazil this summer. A decision that turned out to be the right one, as the national player played a major role in Fluminense’s first ever Libertadores triumph.
“The relationship he has with his club and his coach probably played a big role in him staying until the end of the season. “Liverpool FC tried to persuade him to move,” says Marcos Watts, Transfermarkt Area Manager for Brazil. “He understands the important role he plays at Fluminense and he respects the club and Diniz very much. That’s why he stayed to fight for the Copa Libertadores title and write his name in the club’s history books.”
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This risk was worth it. Not only did André win the Copa Libertadores, but he would also leave the club as part of the “Seleção” and as one of the best midfielders to play in the recent history of the Campeonato Brasileiro. André made an impressive 53 appearances in all competitions (one goal) and his market value increased from €10 million to €15 million, making him the most valuable defensive midfielder in Série A and the ninth most valuable player in Brazil.
Fluminense star André: A product of Diniz’s relationism
Although he’s not necessarily a goalscorer, Watts describes André as the perfect defensive midfielder of today. “He has the intelligence, the strength, the tactical understanding, the tackling, the passing, the dribbling and the versatility – everything you need in this position,” said the Brazil expert. “Working under Fernando Diniz probably had a big influence on him. As one of the key players in this system, he has to prove himself in pressing, needs a good overview and has to play a lot with the weak foot – and he is excellent at all of these.”
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Adam Bates from Sky Sports has recently dealt in detail with the system of “relationism”, of which Diniz is one of the pioneers. “Following ideas from futsal, this is football as free expression, where players are no longer confined to a zone but are encouraged to interact, rotate and create,” he writes in his post. “Footballexplained” writes about the players’ required initiative and an “apositional” game, “in which the players intuitively enter into relationships with one another (hence the name) in order to dynamically outplay the opponent. That’s precisely why it makes sense to speak of ‘relationship play’ in German (as opposed to positional play). Relationism is also gaining more and more ground in European football, which means that players like André, who know the system inside and out, have become increasingly important.
As far as the best comparison is concerned, André Area Manager Watts reminds us of Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich (28). “His strength, his impressive passing game and his tactical sense make him seem a little like a Brazilian Kimmich – and the height helps, because Kimmich is 1.77 meters tall and André is only a centimeter shorter.” According to “Wyscout”, the 22nd was in the lead -year-old led the Série A statistically with 1,880 passes and was in fourth place with a pass rate of 94.73 percent. “Not only is he a great player off the ball, André is also exceptionally good with the ball at his feet,” said Watts. “He is already one of Brazil’s most promising and valuable players, and his market value will only increase from now on.”
André: Liverpool, Arsenal or Fulham – what’s next for the Fluminense star?
Given all this, there is no doubt that André is ready to make the move to Europe. But where will he go? “He is reportedly bouncing between Arsenal, Liverpool and Fulham,” said Watts. “I would say he would fit perfectly into Jurgen Klopp’s squad and could be the missing piece of the puzzle alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai that Liverpool need at the moment. But it could also be interesting to see him in Mikel Arteta’s dynamic midfield,” says Watts. That leaves some potential destinations, but the way André is playing, Liverpool, Fulham and Arsenal are unlikely to remain the only teams in competition for his signature this winter.
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