After criticism, new Flamengo VPs defend hiring José Boto

The recent autonomy granted to Flamengo's technical director, José Boto, became the target of criticismand discussions among fans and journalists. One of the highlights was the opinion of Ana Thaís Matos, from Grupo Globo, who classified the power delegated to the Portuguese, especially in the decision to keep Filipe Luís as coach. The statement generated reactions from club directors and widespread repercussions on social media.

Flamengo's internal reactions

Two Flamengo vice-presidents reacted to the statement. Marcos Motta, new VP of Administration, made a post interpreted as an indirect comment on the topic.

“All the big clubs with which I work – or have worked – around the world, have in their organizational charts the figure of the technical director and/or director sports in an outstanding way. Be they “owner clubs” or sports associations”, wrote Marcos Motta, no X. Fans immediately remembered Ana Thaís Matos' speech last Thursday (20) in the comments of the publication .

Ricardo Hinrichsen, Vice President of Marketing, was more direct when ironizing Ana Thaís' criticism on social media.

“On December 9th, 55% of voting members in the Flamengo elections said no to amateurism, and yes to a management model based in knowledge and science. But anyone who knows the club is a journalist from Faria Lima who has never set foot in Gávea”, wrote the VP.

Ana Thaís Matos' statement

During the Seleção SporTV program last Thursday (19), Ana Thaís gave her opinion on the president's decision < b>Luiz Eduardo Baptista (Bap) to allow José Boto to directly influence Filipe Luís' continuity as coach.

“This information is crazy. Did the president delegate to a guy who doesn't know the club whether he (Filipe) is going to be a coach or not? This is absurd, guys. It's not possible. That's it, that's crazy! Delegate to a person, who doesn't know the club, who will be the coach, whether or not he deserves to continue”, criticized the journalist.

Ana Thaís also pointed out that such a movement reflects an attempt to create a centralizing figure, something she considers negative:

“I think it’s bold, I don’t see it as innovation . It's a way (for Bap) to start dividing attention... It starts with that image cult. “I'm going to start here with a director who's going to give an interview, he's going to be the guy that everyone is going to beat.” I am against the culture of this type of leader in Brazil”, concluded the commentator.

José Boto in Rio de Janeiro

Despite the controversies, José Boto remains outside the debate. The technical director will spend Christmas in Portugal and will arrive in Rio de Janeiro next Saturday (28). Even before his arrival at the club, Boto is already playing an active role, as in the decision to not renew the contract of David Luiz, a measure announced on Sunday (22).

The future under Boto

Flamengo's new management, led by Bap, is committed to administrative modernization and the autonomy of its professionals. Still, Ana Thaís Matos' criticism reflects a part of the fans and the press that views this model with skepticism. It remains to be seen how Boto's work will impact the club in the coming months.