After criticism, new Flamengo VPs defend hiring José Boto

Flamengo's football director, José Boto, said on Monday (15) that Brazilian football is not yet prepared to deal with the signing of little-known players . The director used as an example the case of striker Viktor Gyökeres, bought by Sporting (POR) when he was still playing in the English second division and later sold for 70 million euros.

José Boto uses Gyökeres as an example for signings at Flamengo: "this would be impossible"

"Sporting sold Gyökeres this year for €70 million. If I wanted to bring him to Flamengo , no one would say anything. But when Sporting paid €20 million for him in the English second division, that would have been impossible given the reaction I saw to a €5 million signing . We have to be smart enough to adapt to cultural differences and fan bases," Boto explained in an interview with UOL.

The director then reinforced the need for balance in the Rubro-Negro's negotiations: "At a club like Flamengo , with its size, it's necessary to create a mixed market. Players with impressive names and others who, even without much immediate impact, will add technical value and can still generate sporting or financial returns in the future."

THE MIKEY JOHNSTON CASE

Flamengo had agreed to sign striker Michael Johnston from West Bromwich Albion (ENG) for £5 million (approximately R$37 million). The player had already purchased a ticket to Rio de Janeiro, but the deal was canceled.

The club's official version was that the player had physical problems, but intense pressure from the fans played a decisive role. The negative repercussions led the board to definitively end negotiations with Johnston and West Bromwich.

WHO ARRIVED AT THE PLACE?

Without Johnston, Flamengo bolstered its squad with more high-profile names. In the same window, Samuel Lino, Jorge Carrascal, Saúl Ñíguez, and Emerson Royal were announced , in addition to other reinforcements signed earlier in the year.

Despite his short career as a professional coach, Filipe Luís continues to attract attention from around the world for his work at Flamengo. Last week, Fenerbahçe (TUR) attempted to sign him , but both the Rio de Janeiro club and the manager rejected the offer .

José Boto on Fenerbahçe's proposal for Flamengo's Filipe Luís: "this is not a bank"

In an interview with UOL, football director José Boto revealed the behind-the-scenes story behind the Turkish move: "Last week, he had the option of leaving the club. I know this because the president of Fenerbahçe called me asking how much money Flamengo wanted to release Filipe Luís . I replied that this isn't a bank. We had no intention of selling him. The club even offered more than the contractual fine, but he didn't want to go. He didn't want to abandon this project."

FENERBAHÇE CONTINUES ON ITS PATH AND ANNOUNCES ANOTHER COACH

With negotiations unsuccessful, Fenerbahçe looked at other options. After José Mourinho's departure on August 29, the Turkish club explored several options, including Filipe Luís , but ultimately agreed on Domenico Tedesco last week . Thus, the red-and-black fans can breathe a sigh of relief at the prospect of a new European push.

FILIPE LUÍS'S CAREER AS A COACH

Filipe Luís is about to complete a year in charge of Flamengo . The coach took over the team on September 30, 2024, after Tite's dismissal, and has since collected titles: Copa do Brasil, Campeonato Carioca, and Supercopa do Brasil . The coach has played 65 games, with 43 wins, 16 draws, and only six losses, consolidating one of the club's most consistent campaigns in recent years.

NEXT CHALLENGE IN THE LIBERTADORES

Flamengo, under the command of Filipe Luís, begins this Thursday (18) the dispute of the quarterfinals of the Libertadores against Estudiantes (ARG) . The match takes place at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, with broadcast by ESPN (closed TV) and Disney+ (streaming).

Sesc Flamengo began training with the full squad for the 2025/26 season of the Women's Superliga this Monday (15). The last athletes to show up were Helena Wenk, Laís, Lorena, Tainara and Masa Kirov, who were competing in international tournaments for the Brazilian and Serbian national teams.

During their time with their national teams, several players achieved significant achievements. Helena, Laís, Lorena, and Tainara won silver in the Nations League and bronze at the World Cup with the Brazilian national team. Tainara also shone, winning bronze at the U-21 World Cup . Masa Kirov represented Serbia in competitions such as the VNL, the U-21 World Cup, and the adult World Cup.

Other athletes also collected titles before the preseason. Julliana Granda and Adria won the Junior Pan American Championships with the U-23 team, while Camila Mesquita took bronze at the U-16 Universiade. These three athletes had already been training with the group in recent weeks.

REFORMULATION AND ARRIVAL OF NEW REINFORCEMENTS

Sesc Flamengo is undergoing a major overhaul and has introduced important reinforcements. Among the standouts are opposite Tainara, signed from Shanghai Bright (China), setter Giovana, American outside hitter Simone Lee, middle blocker Masa Kirov, and setter Vivian . While awaiting the return of coach Bernardinho, currently leading the Men's National Team at the World Cup, the team remains under the interim leadership of Hélio Griner.

SESC FLAMENGO'S DEBUT, OBJECTIVES AND GAMES

The Women's Superliga debut is scheduled for October 20th against Paulistano/Barueri at Tijuca Tênis Clube. The project, a partnership between Flamengo, RJ Vôlei, and Sesc, received direct investment from Flamengo and aims to position the team among the four largest in the country in terms of budget, aiming to compete for national and international titles.