Hugo Souza burst onto the scene at Flamengo in 2020, quickly becoming a key player. Yet, after a series of questionable decisions, his career faltered.
Last season saw him on loan at Chaves in Portugal, where he had moments of brilliance, like saving three penalties against Benfica, but the team still dropped to the Second Division.
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Chaves decided against buying him, even at a set price of 1.2 million euros for half of his rights.
In a recent chat on the “Charla Podcast” on YouTube, Souza opened up about his early missteps. He drove a Jaguar F-Pace Prestige, a lavish gift he now regrets accepting.
Raised in Duque de Caxias, the sudden wealth was overwhelming. “I didn’t have any instructions to create security at that moment, I just wanted to live the dream,” he said, acknowledging his lack of financial guidance.
After his stellar 2020 season under coach Rogério Ceni, Souza found it hard to keep up his performance. His appearances dwindled in 2021 and, despite a brief uptick under Paulo Sousa in 2022, his prospects at Flamengo dimmed.
His loan ends this month, and he’s due back at Flamengo on July 1. Yet, he’s not part of their current plans. With his contract running until 2025, Souza remains hopeful. “I’m going to wait for the market, I really believe that my work was done well there and things will definitely happen,” he stated, looking forward to new opportunities while on vacation.
