LIKE THIS? WITH TITE'S ARRIVAL, TWO FLAMENGO IDOLS CAN RENEW CONTRACT

In the relationship between Gabigol and coach Tite at Flamengo, only the field is capable of speaking. Between the striker and coach, there is practically no dialogue, and the cold and silent war dictates that only one of them should remain at the club for the season in 2025.

No atmosphere with the coaching staff and also with the squad , Gabriel Barbosa has been convinced to change and airs, but even the clubs that expressed interest in the first half of the year backed away. With a contract at Flamengo until the end of December, Gabigol had offers from Palmeiras, Corinthians and Santos, was mentioned at Grêmio, but did not want to sign a pre-contract with any team.

The expectation was to try to turn things around on top in the second half, otherwise he would end his time at Flamengo like the idol he became, without any fuss.

Tite's arrival last year changed the entire perspective of the striker, who was already in a bad phase previously, and lost his place once and for all to Pedro with the presence of the new coach. With the center forward's recent injury, Tite kept Gabigol at the end of the line, under the argument that Carlinhos and Bruno Henrique perform better in the scheme with a reference man .

Without understanding the criteria, Gabi maintains her dedication to the basic level of professionalism in training, as it is not part of the coach's or the club's plans for a possible renewal. With the chances of a comeback practically buried, the two possible paths are to wait for the election in Flamengo to find out if Tite will remain with the next president; or wait for the end of the contract to freely listen to proposals again. Palmeiras and Santos have not yet given up on the idea, and Bahia appears as an option, as it has good investment capacity.

Retired from the field since 2017, former midfielder Zé Roberto, who had a spell at Flamengoin the 90s, it is looking to buy 90% of SAF from São Bento, a club in São Paulo. According to GE, a meeting scheduled for this Wednesday night (18) could decree the sale of the Sorocaba team to the company Flash Forward, which belongs to the former player.

Zé Roberto is the main name of the company. However, the group also has partners such as former athlete Fransérgio and businessman Tiago Ribeiro (former CEO of Estoril). In addition to Flamengo, Zé played in Brazilian football with the shirts of Palmeiras, Santos and Grêmio. In Europe, the former athlete defended giants such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

The offer is R$130 million, which would be paid in installments. This amount would be invested on a specific basis in the football team and the club’s structure. The project is to take São Bento to the elite of São Paulo football and Brazilian Series B in up to six seasons.

Revelation from Portuguesa-SP, Zé Roberto stood out at Lusa and caught the attention of Real Madrid in 1997. However, the player had difficulty fitting into the Spanish club and was loaned to Flamengo in 1998.

At Flamengo, Zé Roberto was a starter in the Campeonato Carioca competition, entered the field 23 times and aroused the interest of Bayer Leverkusen , leaving Gávea in the same season. As an athlete, the former midfielder also played in the 2006 World Cup for the Brazilian team.

Tite, current coach of Flamengo, was direct when commenting on the tight calendar of Brazilian football and the idea of ​​sparing players amid the intense sequence of games. In a recent interview, he spared no criticism of the current competition model in the country and made it clear that, contrary to what many suggest, he has no intention of arbitrarily preserving players in decisive moments.

Tite's main criticism revolves around the excess of games throughout the season. The Brazilian calendar is historically tight, with competitions such as the Brazilian Championship, the Copa do Brasil, the Libertadores, and, in years of the World Cup or Copa América, there is still the weight of international team tournaments. This scenario means that clubs, especially the big ones, have to deal with an exorbitant number of matches in a short space of time, which increases the wear and tear on players and, consequently, the risk of injuries.

However, despite this situation, the coach made it clear that it is not in his plans to adopt a strategy of rotating players indiscriminately. "No one spares", said Tite, in response to suggestions that Flamengocould rest its main athletes in some games. He highlighted that sparing athletes without a clear justification, just with the intention of preserving the squad, would be a risky attitude, especially considering the pressure for immediate results in a club of Flamengo's magnitude.

Tite was also emphatic when explaining that, when making decisions about the lineup, he takes into account several factors, including the physical condition of the athletes, the importance of the match and the team's long-term planning. "Am I going to save my job? Put my job at risk?", joked the coach, highlighting that, in a club with pressure and expectations like Flamengo, a bad result can be costly, including a coach's position.

The Brazilian football calendar is one of the most intense in the world. While in many European countries clubs play, on average, between 45 and 50 matches per season, in Brazil this number easily exceeds 70, considering all competitions. Furthermore, long trips between states, climate variations and the difference in the quality of lawns contribute to the wear and tear of athletes.