Dutch professional footballers can be found in all corners of the world, from the spotlights of the major European leagues to the more adventurous jobs on other continents. In the Over de Grens section, Voetbalzone speaks weekly with a player who is active outside the national borders. This time, attention is paid to Ryan Flamingo, who is currently causing a stir at Sassuolo Under 19, where he has already scored fourteen times as a defender.
“I just finished my training. It went well, we had to walk a little bit the day after the game”, says Flamingo when he picks up the phone. “We won 3-0. “Did I also score a goal? No, not this time”, but kept the zero”, he says with a laugh. His career took a special, unexpected turn last year, when the eighteen-year-old center defender left for Sassuolo on a rental basis from Almere City in January. Last summer, the Italian midfielder put the option to buy in his contract and his arrival has turned out to be a bull’s-eye for the time being. Flamingo has managed to string together the goals in recent weeks. The fact that he did this as a defender made him big news.
Flamingo accurate on behalf of the Under 19 of Sassuolo.
With two more competition matches to go, Flamingo is currently the club top scorer of Sassuolo Under 19 in the Italian Primavera. “I have now scored fourteen times, so you definitely notice that the attention suddenly increases. Everyone is now posting about me, including Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano for example. They also see that it is quite special that I have scored so many times as a defender this season.” Partly due to his goal drive and good development, Flamingo has the feeling that his Serie A debut is not long in coming. “Sassuolo doesn’t really play for anything anymore. Finishing in the top six is no longer possible and we cannot be relegated. Sometimes I train with the first team, but also often with the youth team. With Sassuolo Under 19 we can still make the play-offs. That is important for the club, because that has never happened before.”
Flamingo stares at Sassuolo. Where he played in various youth teams with peers at Almere City in recent years, he is now on the field with big names and talents of a different caliber. “Domenico Berardi is a very good player, but so are young guys like Giacomo Raspardoi and Gianluca Scamacca. I think Scamacca used to play for PEC Zwolle and PSV, but now he is really top level!” Then Football zone spoke to the defender in February 2021, Flamingo had yet to master Italian. More than a year later, the language barrier has been broken. “If I have to say very complicated things, it’s still difficult, but I understand almost everything. Tomorrow I also have to give my first interview in Italian. I’m looking forward to it, but it will be exciting.”
The central defender has scored his goals this season mainly from standard situations and although he has no world goals to his name yet, a few goals have stood out. “My best goal was against Sampdoria in December”, says Flamingo. “It was 1-1, we got a corner and then I headed in contrary. That was a nice goal and it came at just the right time, because we had to win that game. Last month the talent again played against Sampdoria and again Flamingo played a leading role. “It was a very strange game, we were 3-2 behind and I had already scored once and then I made the 3-3 in the last minute”.
“De Ligt also consciously chose Italy, to learn how to defend”
Voetbalzone already spoke extensively with Flamingo in February 2021 about his time at Almere City and transfer to Sassuolo.
Flamingo made his first goal against Sampdoria from the penalty spot. It was already the seventh penalty used by the youngster this season. Can we say that he is a real penalty kick specialist? “In the youth at Almere City I never actually took the penalty kicks”, confesses Flamingo. “At Sassuolo Under 19, we often take penalties in training and whoever takes them best gets to take them in the game.”
The fact that Flamingo ended up in Italy more than a year ago thanks to the corona pandemic and the suspension of the competitions in the Netherlands, ultimately turned out excellent. “You have to be a leader in defense, be able to put down your team,” says Flamingo, who confirms that these aspects are much more hammered in Italy than in the Netherlands. “I think I have to put the team down even better. Even more coaching, also in Italian. We also train individually on how to walk and how to stand, which I like. That’s why I actually made this step. I’m actually more of a football defender. I also like to dribble and attack. If I learn even more from the defensive aspect, then I can become a more complete footballer.”
At Almere City, Flamingo ultimately never made it to the first team. He did, however, have the opportunity to work with Hedwiges Maduro, who is active, among other things, as a trainer of the Under 21 at the Keuken Kampioen Division club. “My relationship with him has always been good, he is also a good trainer. Maduro said I should always keep my head up. He also went abroad at a young age (Valencia, ed.) and could therefore tell me a lot about it. He still sometimes texts me to ask how I am doing and helps me with certain things.”
It Eindhovens Dagblad recently reported that Flamingo is on PSV’s radar. When asked about the possible interest from Eindhoven, the defender reacts flattered.
“That gives me a good feeling to continue, it’s a nice motivation.” Flamingo still has a contract with Sassuolo until mid-2025, but may face a difficult choice next summer. Are you going for his breakthrough in the first team or is a return to the Netherlands also a possibility? “All options are actually open to me,” says the defender. “I would see both a return to the Netherlands and a breakthrough at Sassuolo. It’s just seeing what’s best for myself and then I go by my gut feeling.”
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