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A Rio de Janeiro champion with Flamengo in 2017, coach Zé Ricardo may be close to returning to the South American stage. He's participating in a selection process to take over Colo-Colo in Chile, a team whose star midfielder Arturo Vidal, who won the Copa do Brasil and the Libertadores with Flamengo in 2022, is among the highlights.

Zé Ricardo, ex-Flamengo, about Colo-Colo, by Arturo Vidal: "I participated in the first stage"

ZÉ RICARDO IS IN THE DISPUTE

Without a club since leaving Criciúma, Zé Ricardo has already advanced to the first stage of the selection process: "I participated in the first stage, which was the presentation of my resume. Then there was a cut, and only five remained. I was invited to give a presentation , which I did, and now we await the next stage, which is the proposal. I'm happy, because it's not easy: in Chile, there's no tradition of Brazilian coaches," he told the Chilean newspaper As.

If the deal goes through, the Brazilian will replace Jorge Almirón, formerly of Boca Juniors, who was dismissed in August: "Just being at this stage is a great honor. I have my fingers crossed. I know it's a difficult choice, because Colo-Colo is a great and traditional club," added Zé Ricardo.

TRAJECTORY: RISE AT FLAMENGO AND LATER CHALLENGES

Zé Ricardo experienced his initial peak at Flamengo , where he won the 2017 Carioca Championship and led the team to third place in the 2016 Brasileirão , returning the club to the Copa Libertadores after three years. However, the early exit in the group stage of the continental tournament brought intense pressure, culminating in his departure.

Since then, the coach has had stints at Vasco, Botafogo, Internacional, Cruzeiro, and other mid-tier clubs, without recapturing his early brilliance . Now, Colo-Colo presents a chance to regain his place at a continental giant. Vidal's Chilean club is the only one in the country to win the Copa Libertadores, in 1991.

2002 World Cup winner Rivaldo approved of how Xabi Alonso has handled his relationship with Vini Jr. at Real Madrid. In an interview with Betfair, the former player commented on the Spanish coach's decision to leave the Flamengo-born striker on the bench for the second round of La Liga against Real Oviedo .

Rivaldo on Xabi Alonso's action: "It was a strategy to get the best out of Vini Jr"

For Rivaldo, the decision wasn't a punishment, but rather a strategy to boost the number 7's performance: "I don't see it as a punishment. It was a strategy to get the best out of Vinícius . It's a way to make him grow even more ," the five-time world champion emphasized.

FIELD RESPONSE

Alonso's gamble quickly paid off. In the 3-0 victory over Oviedo, Vini Jr. came on in the second half and made his mark. In the following round, he found the net again against Mallorca , confirming his strong start to the season.

Rivaldo also praised the arrival of the new Real Madrid manager and his relationship with the Brazilian: " Xabi is a great coach, but he was also a great player . He knows exactly what someone like Vinícius thinks and feels. Sometimes you have to make adjustments, even with the stars," he concluded.

VINI JR'S PROMISING START

After ending last season below expectations, Vini Jr. started this season on a high note. In three La Liga rounds, he has two goals and one assist, contributing to half of Real Madrid's goals. Without being called up for the FIFA international break , the striker remained in Spain and remains focused on the rest of the season. The Merengues' next match will be on September 13th, against Real Sociedad, away from home, in the fourth round of the Spanish Championship.

Flamengo already knows its next opponent in the Copa Libertadores : Estudiantes de La Plata (ARG), in the quarterfinals. Even before the ball kicked off, the president of the Argentine club and idol Juan Sebastián Verón took to social media to criticize CONMEBOL, following Independiente's exclusion from the Copa Sudamericana.

Estudiantes president Verón on Conmebol: "They chose the easiest option"

"They chose the easy option. It's very difficult to understand how they came to this decision ... and I don't condone any kind of violence, but this is all very unfair," criticized the president of Estudiantes de La Plata .

WHY WAS INDEPENDIENTE ELIMINATED FROM THE SOUTH AMERICANA?

The punishment came after Independiente fans got into a fight with Universidad de Chile supporters. They invaded the visiting team's section, stole banners , threw bombs, and set fire to objects.

Given the seriousness of the case, Conmebol decided to exclude the club from the competition and apply a fine of 250 thousand dollars (approximately R$ 1.3 million) , in addition to a punishment of seven games within Conmebol with closed doors, in addition to another seven as a visitor without the right to fans.

DATES FOR FLAMENGO X ESTUDIANTES IN THE LIBERTADORES

In the quarterfinals, Flamengo and Estudiantes will face off in two decisive matches . The first will be on September 18th at the Maracanã Stadium. The second leg is scheduled for the 25th at the Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium in La Plata.

Quarterfinal matches

• September 18th – Flamengo vs. Estudiantes – 9:30 p.m. – Maracanã
• 25/09 – Estudiantes x Flamengo – 9:30 pm – Jorge Luis Hirschi
• (Brasília time)