Presenter fired at Flamengo's squad in the semi-final of the Copa do Brasil

During the program "Donos da Bola", shown on October 3, presenter and former player Neto harshly criticized the player Flamengo, questioning the Rio club's ability to advance to the final of the Copa do Brasil, playing against Corinthians at the Neo Química Arena. The clash is scheduled for next Sunday, October 20th, and will decide who will be the finalist in the competition. According to Neto, Rubro-Negro will not be able to overcome Corinthians in São Paulo, even with the star cast they have. He also highlighted the performance of coach Ramón Díaz and made controversial comments about Flamengo's fans, calling them "outsourced".

Neto, who is known for his strong and direct opinions, spared no criticism of coach Ramón Díaz. "It's because Ramón Díaz is very bad, a very weak coach. Because if Ramón Díaz puts in the starting lineup, it would be a different story," said the former athlete. According to him, the Argentine coach did not know how to take advantage of the squad's potential in the first game of the Copa do Brasil semi-final, held at Maracanã. Neto highlighted that, even with players like De La Cruz, Gerson, Arrascaeta, Pulgar and Bruno Henrique, Flamengo did not demonstrate the superiority that was expected. "You're no better than Corinthians at the Neo Química Arena. This team of guys... you're no better", said the presenter, making clear his confidence in the strength of Corinthians playing at home.

FLAMENGO HAS THE STRONGEST CLUB MOMENT

In addition to criticizing Flamengo's technical and tactical performance, Neto commented on the failure of goalkeeper Hugo Souza in the move that led to the goal by left-back Alex Sandro, from Corinthians. "In Alex Sandro's goal, unfortunately Hugo failed to choose the wrong side, but he played a lot", said the presenter, considering that, despite the crucial error, Hugo had a good performance in the rest of the match. Neto also suggested that Flamengo could have built a much bigger lead in the first half, but did not. "Was there supposed to be around 10 for Flamengo in the first half? It was, but football only lasts 45 minutes? Or 90 minutes?", he asked, alluding to the fact that Corinthians also created opportunities, even with less ball possession and volume of the game.

Neto highlighted that Corinthians, despite being less imposing on the field in the first game, had clear chances to score that could have changed the result of the match. "Corinthians had three chances: ball hit the post, shot from Garra, from Romero," said the former player, suggesting that the São Paulo team could be more effective at home, especially with the support of their fans.A Neto's confidence in Corinthians' victory in São Paulo reflects the expectation that the team led by Luxemburgo can recover from the defeat at Maracanãand, thus, reverse the score at Neo Química Arena, guaranteeing a place in the World Cup final from Brazil.

CAST EVER STRONGER FLAMENGO WILL BE 

Another controversial point in Neto's statements was his criticism of Flamengo fans. The presenter stated that the red and black fans are "outsourced", a term he had already used on other occasions to belittle the fans' relationship with the club. "And another thing: outsourced fans, you are outsourced", said Neto, suggesting that the Flamengo fans would be less passionate or less involved compared to others, such as Corinthians. This statement, naturally, generated heated reactions on social media, with Flamengo fans defending themselves and questioning the presenter's stance. Flamengo's fans, recognized for their passion and for being one of the biggest in Brazil, would hardly let such a strong criticism go unnoticed.

These statements by Neto took place two days after the first game of the Copa do Brasil semi-final, held at Maracanã , where Flamengo won 1-0. Despite the favorable result, the presenter highlighted the flaws and difficulties faced by the Rio team, believing that the return match, at the Neo Química Arena, will be completely different. For him, Corinthians is capable of reversing the score and eliminating Flamengo, even given the minimal advantage obtained by Rubro-Negro in Rio de Janeiro.