Soccer
Training session defines Flamengo's starting lineup against Estudiantes in the Copa Libertadores
17 Set 2025 | 08:01
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Soccer
19 Mai 2025 | 01:09 |
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The goalless draw between Flamengo and Botafogo, this Sunday (18), in the 9th round of the Brazilian Championship, left a bitter taste in Maracanã. Even with the maintenance of the vice-leadership, the red-black performance fell short of expectations, and one name, in particular, became the target of the fans' dissatisfaction: Everton Cebolinha.
After starting on the bench against LDU in the Libertadores, Cebolinha returned to the starting lineup, but was unable to produce much in attack. In 87 minutes on the field, the number 11 had difficulty breaking through the black and white defense and was heavily criticized on social media after the final whistle. The numbers reinforce the negative perception of the fans. According to data from Sofascore, Cebolinha received a score of 6.2 — below average for a striker — and finished the match with 14 losses of possession, no shots on goal and only one successful dribble in four attempts.
The repercussion on social media was heavy. Among the most liked comments, fans classified the striker as “the worst value for money in the club’s history” and “the worst among the bad wingers in the squad” . The criticism is stronger given the investment made: the player was signed for around 13.5 million euros from Benfica in 2022.
In addition to the individual performance, the weak collective performance of the offensive sector is a warning sign. Filipe Luís, who is in charge of the team temporarily, has not yet managed to give consistency to the attack, and Flamengo has now gone three games without scoring in the Brasileirão. The draw against Botafogo prevented the Rubro-Negro from catching up with the leader Palmeiras. With the stumble in the derby, Fla reached 18 points, four less than the green and white team, which beat Bragantino 2-1 on the same day. Botafogo, in turn, dropped to 11th place, with 12 points.
Despite having a solid campaign, Flamengo has been asked to perform more convincingly, especially in home games. At Maracanã, the team once again struggled to create clear plays and suffered from Botafogo's marking. Expectations for the striker's performance are high, but his performance on the field is still far from the potential that the player has demonstrated in other phases of his career.
The current coach is always compared to the Portuguese who was his commander at Mengão and the 'Mister' believes in a promising future
17 Set 2025 | 09:13 |
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Coach Filipe Luís has been frequently associated with Jorge Jesus . This Tuesday (16), the current Al Nassr commander made a point of publicly praising his Brazilian compatriot in an interview with Canal Goat . According to the Portuguese, the relationship between the two goes beyond the field, marked by friendship, gratitude and a constant exchange of ideas about football.
Jorge Jesus on Flamengo's Filipe Luís: "I really believe in his growth"
"Besides being a friend, he's a grateful person, and there are people in football who forget things very easily. We continue to talk a lot. He's a coach just starting his career and has absorbed the knowledge of my way of working , and I strongly believe in his growth," said Jorge Jesus.
The Portuguese also highlighted Filipe Luís's personality and promising future: " He's learning; our early years are like that, just like mine . Now, I know he has a bright future; he will. He's a great friend. Filipe is a grateful friend, a great family man, and he'll be a great coach."
Filipe Luís and Jorge Jesus worked together in 2019, when the former full-back was a key player in Flamengo 's Libertadores and Brasileirão championship. During that time, the club also won the Recopa, the Supercopa do Brasil, and the Campeonato Carioca . The current Mengão coach acknowledges the Portuguese's influence on his career and admits to modeling himself on the former Flamengo manager's style:
"I can never compare past teams with my current team; they have completely different players. I can never compare myself to the coach I was in charge of at that time, Jorge Jesus. If he's not the best in history, he's one of the best to have played here at Flamengo . I'll never be like him, I'll never do anything like what he did," the coach declared.
Flamengo returns to the field this Thursday (18), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, against Estudiantes (ARG) , for the first leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals. On Sunday (21), also at Maracanã, the red-black team faces Vasco, in a classic valid for the Brazilian Championship. In the first round, the teams drew goalless.
Mengão is one of the protagonists in the football market after the financial restructuring and the director says he was approached by big names
17 Set 2025 | 08:55 |
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Flamengo's latest transfer window had an impact on the European market . In an interview with UOL, football director José Boto stated that the arrivals of Saúl, Samuel Lino, Emerson Royal, and Carrascal increased the club's visibility among players playing outside of Brazil .
José Boto on players offering themselves to Flamengo: "There were important and well-known players who showed interest in coming"
"In terms of the market, this window has a bit of an impact in Europe, opening Flamengo 's doors even further to European players. They're seeing this type of player coming here and are more interested in coming," Boto stated.
The Portuguese director also revealed that prominent European football players had offered to play for Flamengo , but the club chose not to move forward with negotiations . According to him, there was no need for reinforcements in those positions.
"I won't name names, but after these signings, some important and well-known players showed interest in coming . These were positions we didn't need, and I've also said that sometimes, too much water kills the plant. We didn't want to turn it into something that could harm the team," he added.
José Boto took over the club's management after Luiz Eduardo Baptista (BAP) was elected president. Since then, seven new signings have been confirmed, with a total investment of €48 million (approximately R$301 million) :
A Mengão player recently left the club for Saudi Arabia and played a key role in overturning a 2-0 deficit.
17 Set 2025 | 08:28 |
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Midfielder Matheus Gonçalves, formerly of Flamengo , made his winning debut for Al-Ahli, from Saudi Arabia, this Monday (15). The Brazilian came on at half-time and was decisive in the team's comeback, which turned the game around to 4-2 over Nasaf Qarshi, from Uzbekistan, in the Asian Champions League. Al-Ahli went into the break with a 2-0 deficit. After the match, the player celebrated the positive start at his new club:
Matheus Gonçalves, ex-Flamengo: "It's just the beginning of a journey of hard work and achievements"
"It was a very special night for me. Making my debut in such an important competition and being able to help the team achieve a victory like this makes me very happy . The group showed strength and unity to seek a comeback, and I'm sure this is just the beginning of a journey of hard work and achievements here at Al-Ahli," said the Mengão youth player.
Sold by Flamengo in August 2025, for 8 million euros (around R$ 50 million), Matheus arrives as one of Al-Ahli's bets for the season . The next challenge will be on Friday (19), against Al-Hilal, for the Saudi Championship.
Revealed as a professional in October 2022, Matheus Gonçalves has won important titles with Flamengo : two Carioca Championships, the Brazilian Super Cup, and the Brazilian Cup. In total, he played 57 matches for the main team, winning 36, drawing eight, losing 13, and scoring six goals.
While Matheus Gonçalves seeks his place in Saudi Arabia, Flamengo faces Estudiantes this Thursday (18), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã . The return game, in La Plata, is already scheduled for September 25. The match will be broadcast on ESPN (pay TV) and Disney+ (streaming) throughout Brazil.
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