GOODBYE TO THE MASTER: EDUARDO BANDEIRA DE MELLO HONORS ZAGALLO AT CBF

One of Flamengo's idols of this generation, Arrascaeta continues to make history at the club. His first team in Brazil was Cruzeiro. Current captain of the Minas Gerais team, Argentine Lucas Romero met with the Uruguayan and invited the star to return to the Belo Horizonte team.

"I managed to go to Rio and we went out for dinner. I stayed I spent some time with him remembering his time here at Cruzeiro, which was really cool. I told him if he wanted to come back here to BH, that we have open arms, he's fine there, he's happy. said Lucas Romero, after meeting with Arrascaeta this week.

Lucas Romero and Arrascaeta have already played together at Cruzeiro from 2016 to 2018. winning some titles, such as the Copa do Brasil in 2017 and 2018, as well as two Minas Gerais Championship. Soon after, the athletes went their separate ways. The Uruguayan signed with Mais Querido in 2019, while the Argentine went to Independiente (ARG), Léon (MEX) and returned to the Minas Gerais team in 2024.

To take Arrascaeta away from Mais Querido, the negotiation would not be simple. This is because the Uruguayan midfielder has a contract with Rubro-Negro until December 2026 and a termination fine valued at 50 million euros (R$309 million). Recently, some teams, such as Boca Juniors, even probed the situation of the number 14.

"As long as I'm there, Arrascaeta won't even come out of nowhere. And I think he's happy at Flamengo, we always try to talk , creating a good environment. We really like him, as well as everyone there. It's a family, a very good environment and Tite is very good at it", said Flamengo's president, Rodolfo Landim, in a recent interview with ' Charla Podcast'.

Speculated as a possible reinforcement of Flamengo to fill the gap left by Pedro, striker Anthony Martial is free on the market, but has not played since December 9, 2023. On that occasion, Manchester United, his former club, entered the field to face Bournemouth and lost 3-0 in the Premier League. Martial was a starter and played for 56 minutes.

At the beginning of the year, the French striker suffered a groin injury that required surgery. Therefore, he was away for around 42 days, only returning in March. Even though there were three months left on his contract, Manchester United chose to let go of the player. Since then, Martial has been evaluating his next club and Flamengo is paying attention to his movements.

Flamengo's election has already started and promises to be very competitive. On Monday night (19), Maurício Gomes de Mattos met with important groups and supporters at the Vamo restaurant, at the club's headquarters, in Gávea, at an event for his campaign for the presidency of Mengão. Among them are former presidents Márcio Braga and Eduardo Bandeira de Mello.

Bandeira and Márcio are important part of MGM's campaign and it is expected that their presence will increase the number of voters for the candidate. It is believed, in fact, that the higher-than-expected number of people at this Monday's event is already linked to EBM's official support, revealed a member of the campaign. And a large part of the candidate's opening speech was precisely praising the duo.

“Several authorities came to honor this moment. But I will present Eduardo Bandeira de Mello and Márcio Braga to refer you all. These two mean a lot in my life. I started at Flamengo at the hands of Márcio Braga, and it was President Bandeira who invited me to be general vice-president in his management. He set an example and showed the world what Flamengo is and where it can go. We are going to make Flamengo even better and even bigger”, said MGM, before adding:

“They were my inspiration outside the four lines. On the four lines there were Zico, Adílio, Andrade and so on. I always saw myself in a position to give back to Flamengo the much that Flamengo has always given me and continues to give. This love is the certainty of victory. My first feeling of victory in my life was with a Flamengo goal.”

MGM announced Wellington Silva as general vice-president of its ticket in the Flamengo election. Wellington was vice-president of communications during the flag administration period and has also served as press advisor for the Federal Supreme Court.

Another point that guides Maurício's campaign and was very present at the campaign event was the speech for professionalism in the club. Focusing on football, the candidate states that he intends to reduce the influence of amateur managers in the club's day-to-day activities and only wants professionals making decisions.

“Amateur managers will not enter the locker room, bus or play beach tennis with player. Methodology and collection, this is what we need in all competitions in the life of the club. All paths must lead to professionalism. “

President who led the club the most times and among those who won the most important titles, Márcio Braga spoke right after Maurício Gomes. He treated this year's election as the “election of the century” in Flamengo due to the risks that the club runs due to the construction of its own stadium in the way proposed by the Landim management. He got emotional when he talked about not wanting to see Rubro-Negro “get lost”.

“This election is the election of the century. We can't lose at all! What is armed there is very bad. I'm 88 years old. I don't want to die watching Flamengo lose. We run this risk if we don't win the election. The times we are living in are very dangerous. We all want the land and the stadium, but not like this.”

It is worth noting that MGM commissioned an economic-financial feasibility study for the construction of a stadium on the Gasmetro site. He stated that the document shows that it is possible to carry out the work without harming the club's finances in other sectors and intends to follow it if elected.

Hoping for more support for MGM, Bandeira de Mello also spoke and focused on the differences between Maurício Gomes de Mattos and the other two main candidates at the time: Rodrigo Dunshee and Luiz Eduardo Baptista (Bap). The former president criticized both, made reference to the attempt to remove him from the electoral race and cited “ethical liabilities” that need to be resolved.

“ Many people speculated that I could be a candidate for president of Flamengo. Many people insisted. But I always said one thing: I have already accomplished my mission. It's time to define someone else who can follow Flamengo's path, but with our principles and values. And of course I couldn't support either of these two candidates that are there, for several reasons.”

“They don't represent anything that Maurício said about professionalism. They are people who are there to persecute others and perhaps for purposes that it is better not to talk about because they are recording. I looked for a candidate who adhered to everything I think and want for Flamengo. Someone who had the courage to face challenges. Courage to pursue the liabilities we have, which are no longer financial, they are ethical. Let's clean up the liabilities that Flamengo has.” Maurício Gomes de Mattos' event was also attended by political groups that declared support: Grap (Grupo Raça Amor e Paixão), Frente Flamengo Maior, Flamengo Sem Fronteiras, Grupo Vitória and Fla Cones Group. In addition to many members of the former SoFla, which no longer exists as a group.

The election to define the next president of Flamengo is scheduled to take place on December 9th, a Monday, at 8am, at Gávea.