Chances for more titles! Flamengo guarantees classification for 2 competitions in 2025

Out of coach Filipe Luís' plans, midfielder Victor Hugo is in the final stretch of his contract with Goztepe (TUR), which will not exercise the purchase option. With that, Flamengo is already moving behind the scenes in search of a new destination for the player and has started negotiations with Famalicão (POR).

The Portuguese club have shown interest in signing Victor Hugo , but the model of the possible transfer is still being discussed . Talks between Flamengo and Famalicão are ongoing, with both parties trying to reach an agreement on the terms of the deal.

The loan contract with Goztepe ended last Monday (30). If a new negotiation is not concluded in the next few days, the athlete will return to Flamengo , but the expectation is that Victor Hugo will not be used by coach Filipe Luís .

TRAJECTORY AT RUBRO-NEGRO

A product of the red-black youth system, Victor Hugo began to gain space in the main team in 2022. Since then, he has participated in the conquest of important titles, such as the Libertadores da América (2022) and two Copa do Brasil (2022 and 2024).

NEXT COMMITMENTS

While deciding Victor Hugo's future, Flamengo is focusing on the rest of the season. After being eliminated from the Club World Cup, the squad will return to Rio de Janeiro this Tuesday (1st). The team will return to training on Saturday (5), starting preparations for the match against São Paulo, in the Brasileirão, scheduled for the second weekend of July.

Former Chelsea, Corinthians and Brazilian National Team midfielder Willian revealed that he believed Flamengo would come back against Bayern Munich in the Club World Cup match. In an interview with ESPN, the player commented on the match, highlighting the good performance of the red-and-blacks, but also recognizing the difference in level between South American teams and the giants of Europe.

Willian on Flamengo after the Club World Cup: "Among the clubs in Brazil, Flamengo is the most qualified"

“There is a certain distance, and everyone who understands football knows that. When you face more qualified teams, like Bayern , Manchester City, PSG or Real Madrid, you can clearly see the difference in relation to the teams from Brazil . The intensity is different,” he said.

FLAMENGO X BAYERN IS AN EXAMPLE

Willian used the match between Flamengo and Bayern as an example, highlighting the ability of European teams to control the game, even in the face of difficult weather conditions. “ The Europeans are feeling the heat here in the United States . Even so, yesterday we could see Bayern controlling the pace, speeding up and slowing down the game when they needed to. Sometimes, what Brazilian teams lack is precisely this intensity,” he said.

FLAMENGO IS THE BEST IN BRAZIL, SAYS WILLIAN

Despite the critical analysis, the midfielder did not spare praise for Flamengo, highlighting the team's quality and attitude on the field. " Among the clubs in Brazil, Flamengo is the most qualified, due to its style of play. Yesterday, we saw the team pressing hard . For me, it is the best team in the country, due to its technical quality, the way it plays and the intensity with which it puts pressure on its opponents," he praised.

Regarding the match against Bayern, Willian pointed out that the goals conceded early on had a decisive impact. “ It’s tough to concede two goals in the first ten minutes . We know Bayern’s quality, and that gives them a lot of comfort. Even so, Flamengo reacted and scored a goal… At that point, I really believed we could equalize,” he revealed.

Despite the elimination, Willian sees the experience as positive for Brazilian football: “It’s been great to see Brazilian clubs competing at a high level. We know it’s difficult, but it’s important to face these teams on equal terms . This is good for our football,” he concluded.

When Bayern Munich (GER) opened a 2-0 lead over Flamengo in less than ten minutes last Sunday (29), many fans feared a repeat of the Brazilian National Team's traumatic 7-1 defeat against Germany in 2014. But the Red-Blacks reacted, balanced the game and gave the European giant a hard time, despite the defeat and elimination in the Club World Cup . For commentator Paulo Cobos, from ESPN, the performance of the Rio de Janeiro team was a true contrast to the National Team's embarrassment 11 years ago.

Paulo Cobos on Flamengo x Bayern: "taught the Brazilian team how to be great against the Germans"

LESSON THE SELECTION

“ Flamengo taught the Brazilian team how to be great against the Germans. Ball, character, good management... Flamengo had all of this against Bayern, which is five times richer . The dream is over, but the feeling is different. Rubro-Negro proved that the gap to the European giants is much smaller than that shown by Brazil in the 2014 World Cup,” said Cobos.

The journalist also highlighted that Flamengo had more possession of the ball and had more shots than Bayern, despite the mistakes in the game: “ They made silly mistakes and were overconfident in the game . But, for a good part of the game, they faced the opponent as equals. Very different from the cowardice and tactical delay of the National Team in 2014”, he added, also mentioning the club's restructuring work:

“Flamengo has been working for over a decade to get where it is. It has faced difficulties, but it has done its homework that many big Brazilian clubs do not . Today it is organized, has its finances in order and has the power to invest. It is still not possible to beat the European giants, but it is possible to return with its head held high,” he concluded.

HOW WAS THE GAME?

Flamengo started the match nervously, and Bayern took advantage : Erick Pulgar scored an own goal, and Harry Kane extended the lead in the first few minutes. But the Red-Blacks responded with Gerson, who unleashed a bomb into Neuer's corner to reduce the deficit. Still in the first half, Goretzka scored the third for the Germans.

In the second half, Flamengo kept fighting and got closer to the scoreboard with Jorginho . However, a mistake in the ball release cost them dearly, and Harry Kane sealed the German victory: 4-2. Despite the defeat, the Rio team finished the game with more possession and more shots.

RETURN TO BRAZIL

After participating in the World Cup, the red-black delegation returns to Rio de Janeiro this Tuesday (1st). The squad will have a few days off and will return on Saturday (5), starting preparations for the rest of the season, focusing on the Brasileirão, Libertadores and Copa do Brasil.