Soccer
21 Nov 2023 | 09:07 |
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Nicolás De la Cruz hasn't even started to formally talk to Flamengo and he already seems to be slipping out of our hands! This is because the Uruguayan is in the sights of one of the big players in Saudi Arabia: Al-Ittihad. Argentine journalist Sebástian Srur pointed out that coach Marcelo Gallardo has many plans for the River Plate (ARG) midfielder.
The Saudis' new coach recently arrived at the club. On Monday (20) he arrived in Saudi Arabia and has not yet been formally introduced, but, apparently, he already has great ambitions for the future. His salary is estimated at 20 million dollars per year (around R$ 97 million at current prices), making him one of the top-3 highest-paid coaches in the world.
With great financial capacity in the new team, he should already start planning investments in players. Also according to journalist Sebastián Srur, the Saudi team is willing to pay US$16 million (R$77.9 million) to have the player from January 2024, which is the amount desired by River.< /p>
This whole situation could even complicate Flamengo's life, because the Argentine team already showed some resistance before negotiating with them. In the middle of the year, during the transfer window, the two clubs were close to agreeing on the sale of the Uruguayan, but old grievances, related to the 2019 Libertadores final, cooled the negotiations. However, Mais Querido's hope was not over, and the directors continued to want to sign him to reinforce the squad in 2024.
De la Cruz is a very valuable and talented athlete. In the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, the star is a definite figure in the Uruguayan National Team and is the tournament's top scorer. Under the command of Marcelo Bielsa, he has already scored three goals, helping the team to stay in second place in the competition table with 10 points accumulated. The only country ahead is Argentina, the current world champion, with 12 points.
In River Plate, the brands are impressive. He has been at the club since 2017, having played 210 matches. In these, he scored 36 goals and made 40 assists. He also has seven titles wearing the River shirt: five national and two international, including a Libertadores.
It is worth remembering that Al-Ittihad in the Club World Cup and, if he plays for Auckland City and the quarter-final, against King Abdullah, meets Fluminense in the semi-final of the competition.
Mengão made signings to raise the level of the squad that was already considered by many to be one of the best in Brazil and an analyst says that it surpassed the black and white team.
03 Set 2025 | 21:00 |
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Flamengo's last transfer window made history . After criticism from fans for previous timid moves, the board responded with significant reinforcements for the squad led by Filipe Luís . The club's performance in the transfer market was so remarkable that it earned praise from André Rizek, who compared the club's move to other iconic transfers in Brazilian football.
Rizek on Flamengo's 2025 market: "It surpasses Botafogo's last year"
In a video published by ge, the journalist highlighted that Mais Querido made the most impactful move among the Serie A clubs . In Rizek's assessment, Flamengo brought in five players from the national team, although he considers Carrascal and Emerson Royal to be slightly below the others.
Rizek was adamant that Flamengo 's 2025 transfer window surpasses that of 2019, when the board signed Rafinha, Gerson, and Filipe Luís to bolster Jorge Jesus' squad. Even Botafogo's high-profile 2024 signings, including Vitinho, Alex Telles, Almada, and Igor Jesus, are behind , he said.
"I think it's the most impressive in the history of the points system. It surpasses 2019, when they brought in Rafinha, Gerson, and Filipe Luís mid-season. And it surpasses Botafogo's last year. This window improves what was already very good: Flamengo . Combining the package that arrived and what they already had, Flamengo is very strong, and I can't see anything similar to what Flamengo has done this year," analyzed the commentator.
The journalist also teased the competition: "The other clubs have two paths: they can simply look at Flamengo's investment power and say, ' Patience, those guys have a lot of money ,' or they can rush to get there. Which path will your club choose?"
The window closed last Tuesday (2) and, for Flamengo, the result was historic. In addition to the quality of the names, the board showed efficiency in bringing in important players at reduced costs or even without direct investment.
Main arrivals:
It's worth remembering that the club had already signed Jorginho during the special window for the Club World Cup , making the cycle even more memorable. In total, Flamengo invested R$277 million, the largest amount in the club's history in a single window.
Mengão is still in the Copa Libertadores and the commentator sees a good chance of reaching the decisive match, but avoids projections.
03 Set 2025 | 20:00 |
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Felipe Melo believes the second half of the Brazilian Championship still holds many surprises . Even with Flamengo leading and relying solely on itself to win the title, the former player emphasized that the race remains fierce: " I don't have a crystal ball. As for who will be champion ... I think it will be between these clubs."
Felipe Melo on projecting Flamengo or Palmeiras as Brazilian champions: "I don't really like that"
For him, Palmeiras and Cruzeiro are firmly in contention, while Botafogo could also surprise. According to Melo, the champion will likely be determined only in the final round: " They're the league leaders, fighting for the top of the table , they're the best teams and they play the best football."
Felipe Melo avoided naming a big favorite, preferring to leave the possibilities open: “ It’s difficult, I don’t think it will escape these three clubs , but to say that Flamengo will be champion, that Palmeiras will be champion… I don’t really like that.”
Still, he reinforced that Botafogo can enter the competition and keep the excitement going until the end of the competition: " Flamengo , Palmeiras and Cruzeiro will fight until the end. Suddenly, Botafogo could arrive, they have a good team ."
In addition to the Brasileirão, Felipe Melo also commented on the Copa Libertadores. The former player believes Flamengo has every chance of reaching the final , while on the other side of the bracket, the odds are more even.
"On Flamengo's side, Flamengo has every chance of reaching the final . On the other hand, Palmeiras and São Paulo could face off in a semifinal... it's Palmeiras, São Paulo, and River Plate. I think Palmeiras could even beat River. I'll speak from the heart: I'm a Palmeiras fan."
Amarelinha takes to the field at Maracanã this Thursday (4) and will have a game ahead to consolidate Ancelotti's work against La Roja
03 Set 2025 | 19:00 |
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The 17th round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers holds strong emotions, especially for Flamengo fans . This Thursday (4), Brazil and Chile face each other at Maracanã, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time). One of the names that could gain prominence is striker Samuel Lino , called up to represent the Brazilian National Team.
The match will be broadcast on Globo, on free-to-air television , with commentary by Luis Roberto and Caio Ribeiro and Roger Flores. On SporTV, on a cable channel, the commentary will be by Luiz Carlos Júnior, with commentary by Lédio Carmona and Paulo Nunes.
Brazil: Alisson; Wesley, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Douglas Santos; Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães; Estevão, Raphinha, Gabriel Martinelli and João Pedro.
Chile: Vigouroux; Hormazabal, Paulo Díaz, Maripán and Suazo; Echeverría, Ignacio Saavedra and Cabral; Osorio, Aravena and Brereton.
A Flamengo recruit, right-back Wesley is competing for a spot with Monaco's Vanderson (FRA). In Carlo Ancelotti's first two matches under management, against Ecuador and Paraguay, Vanderson was the starter. However, after his recent transfer to Roma (ITA), Wesley has started to gain ground and could change the national team's trajectory .
The Brazilian national team, managed by Italian Carlo Ancelotti, has already secured an early spot for the 2026 World Cup . As a result, the last two rounds of the qualifiers will serve as testing grounds for new names in the squad.
Meanwhile, Chile arrives with no chance of qualifying and under the leadership of Nicolás Córdova , who left out some of the key players from the winning generation of the last decade. Thus, the duel at Maracanã will be marked by different, yet equally significant, circumstances for both teams.
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