He was the scorer of the goal that gave Fluminense the first Copa Libertadores in its history and sealed their place in the final of the Club World Cup. John Kennedy is in charge of the important goals, but above all he is the protagonist of a movie story that features another stellar actor: Fernando Diniz.
Baptized after the former American president, due to his father’s interest in United States politics, the forward stood out in the youth teams, but was loaned out at the beginning of 2023 to Ferroviaria, a team from the interior of the State of São Paulo, due to a case of indiscipline. And he ends the year as champion of America at the club level and with the possibility of being champion of the world thanks to the trust of his coach.
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Dinizismo is recognized for its colorful football, playing with a scheme without fixed positions and maintaining an offensive mentality, but another quality of its philosophy is prioritizing the person behind the athlete. So he saw in Kennedy, 21, a young man with enormous potential and did everything to prevent him from becoming another example of a talent lost due to problems that have nothing to do with football.
He wasn’t wrong. He scored goals for Flu in all the series of the last Libertadores from the round of 16 to the final. A reverse of what it was like last year, when he played just eight games, all as a substitute and without inflating the nets.
Dança, Menino Rei! 🐻🐻 pic.twitter.com/1on5f7jPvu
— Fluminense F.C. (@FluminenseFC) December 19, 2023
“A big part of my job is seeing players in a different way. If he had been somewhere else, I don’t think John Kennedy would have stayed and scored the goal that won the trophy. It was not just my merit, but that of many people, especially the players. They gave him the welcome he needed and allowed him to reach this moment of glory for him and for Fluminense,” Diniz said at the time.
“Kennedy is certainly a player with a lot of potential, with the potential to be really brilliant, he has potential for the Seleçao,” highlighted the coach, after the victory against Al Ahly in the Club World Cup semi-final. And everything suggests that if he continues on this path, the forward has much more glory ahead of him.
