COMMENTATOR DISCARDS BOTAFOGO AS FLAMENGO'S BIGGEST RIVAL AND SAYS AN 'OLD'

Coach Filipe Luís's strong form at Flamengo has been attracting attention in Europe. Besides leading the club to the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals, the former full-back is also comfortably leading the Brasileirão , cementing his position as one of the leading names in the new generation of Brazilian coaches.

Flamengo 's campaign has gained international attention, especially after their victory over Chelsea in the World Cup. The attacking style implemented by Filipe Luís has been praised by experts and has sparked the interest of European club executives.

FILIPE LUÍS ON THE RADAR FOR THE FUTURE

Among those interested, Bayer Leverkusen appears to be the coach's main monitor. Reporter Patrick Scherer revealed that the German club closely monitors Filipe Luís's work and believes he would be an important part of their future plans.

" Filipe Luís, from Flamengo, is an exciting candidate, he gets along very well with Simon (Rolfes) [Bayer Leverkusen's sporting director], who already wanted to sign him when he was still a player, " Scherer highlighted.

GERMAN CLUB PRIORITIZES EXPERIENCED COACHES

Despite the admiration, Leverkusen's board is currently searching for a more experienced coach to replace Erik Ten Hag. The possibility of Filipe Luís taking over the team has not been ruled out , but it is only seen in the near future.

Right-back Wesley, a Flamengo youth product , is starting to gain a foothold in the Brazilian national team. In Carlo Ancelotti's first matches against Ecuador and Paraguay, the position was occupied by Monaco's Vanderson. However, after his transfer to Roma, Wesley has started to receive more attention and could change the national team's call-up.

The 17th round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers has strong emotions in store for the fans who will be at Maracanã this Thursday (4), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time). In addition to the expectation regarding Wesley, another name in the spotlight is striker Samuel Lino , called up by Ancelotti for the last two matches of the competition.

WHERE TO WATCH THE BRAZIL VS CHILE GAME

The match will be broadcast on free-to-air TV Globo , with commentary by Luis Roberto and Caio Ribeiro and Roger Flores. On pay-TV, SporTV will be broadcast by Luiz Carlos Júnior, with commentary by Lédio Carmona and Paulo Nunes.

PROBABLE LINEUPS

Brazil: Alisson; Wesley, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Douglas Santos; Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães; Estevão, Raphinha, Gabriel Martinelli and João Pedro.

Chile: Vigouroux; Hormazabal, Paulo Díaz, Maripán and Suazo; Echeverría, Ignacio Saavedra and Cabral; Osorio, Aravena and Brereton.

The Brazilian football transfer window officially closed on September 2nd , preventing new signings from arriving in the country. However, the closure doesn't prevent players from leaving, as other international markets are still open. One name under consideration is center forward Juninho, who could move to Europe.

The striker, who was already considered a top contender to leave Flamengo this summer, remains in negotiations. According to Fabrício Lopes, who covers the club on social media , Juninho may be close to returning to Qarabag in Azerbaijan.

POSSIBLE EXIT OF THE ATTACKER

Internally, the club's board of directors considers the possibility of releasing Juninho to be positive. The assessment is that the move could create space in the squad and, at the same time, enhance the player's value in a new cycle in European football.

It is worth noting that, at the beginning of this season, Flamengo had acquired the rights to the striker from Qarabag himself , which makes the possible loan a turnaround in the initial planning for the player.

JUNINHO'S FUTURE

With the transfer window still open in some countries, the coming weeks are expected to be decisive for the center forward's future. If the deal goes through, Juninho will have the opportunity to resume his European career and once again represent Qarabag.