LIKE THIS? JOURNALIST ACCUSES FLAMENGO FOR LACK OF ETHICS IN HIRING CARLINHOS

With the final stretch of the 2024 season approaching, Flamengo faces an important challenge after the injury to Pedro, who suffered a ruptured ligament in his left knee. The club's vice-president of football, Marcos Braz, stated in an interview with "Fla TV" that he will discuss with coach Tite and his committee the possibility of seeking a new reinforcement to make up for the striker's absence.

The Flamengo see you next time Tuesday (stipulated deadline) to regularize any player who may play for the team this season. However, the options available are limited, as only athletes without a contract can be signed outside the transfer window. Braz highlighted the difficulties in finding suitable names on the market.

"The window is practically over, and the restrictions are enormous in making a signing at this time. After the window closes, it is only possible to sign players who were already without a contract before closing. This greatly reduces the options", explained the manager.

Despite speculation about possible hiring, Marcos Braz highlighted that The red and black squad already has alternatives for the position. Flamengo has, in addition to Gabigol, who must take responsibility in the attack, other players who can perform the role, such as Carlinhos and Bruno Henrique, who can also be improvised as a center forward.

"We have three players who can play in this position. Gabigol has always solved our problems, we have Carlinhos and Bruno Henrique, who can play the role of 9. We will analyze calmly until Tuesday and decide what is best for Flamengo", concluded Braz.

Pedro's injury was a hard blow for the team, not only because of the impact on performance on the field, but also because of what it means behind the scenes. With a deep and talented cast, Flamengo tends to maintain its competitive level even with absences, thanks to a full bench. However, Pedro's departure raises the question of how the club will fill this gap.

Rumors about possible international reinforcements began to circulate quickly, with names like Memphis Depay, Martial and Mariano Díaz gaining prominence in the press. However, Flamengo's board is taking a cautious approach. According to information from UOL, two main factors are guiding the club's strategy: the performance of the players already available and the budget situation.

Firstly, Flamengo is evaluating the ability of its current players to cover Pedro's absence. Among the possible replacements, Gabigol, Bruno Henrique and Carlinhos are mentioned as viable options. These players have a history of good performance and familiarity with the style of play Flamengo, which could facilitate adaptation and minimize the impact of Pedro's injury.

In addition, the club's financial situation is a crucial point in the decision. With more than R$329 million invested in recent signings, Flamengo has already committed a significant part of its budget. This amount is just a little below the R$360.9 million spent in 2019, when President Rodolfo Landim made large investments. The high financial burden of previous signings implies a more restrictive management of available resources.

Flamengo's board also faces difficulties in relation to the sale of players, which further impacts the budget. Negotiations for transfers of Wesley and Fabrício Bruno did not progress as expected, resulting in a lower than desired performance in player sales. This limits the club's ability to invest in new reinforcements, especially in a competitive market.

The attacker Carlinhos should be Flamengo's starter in the classic against Botafogo this Sunday (18), in the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship. The number 22 must take over the space left by Pedro and Gabigol. Playing against the Rio rival brings back good memories for the player. In this year's Carioca he scored two goals against Botafogo.

At the time, Carlinhos was wearing the Nova Iguaçu number 9 shirt. The match was held in February, at the Engenhão stadium, in the sixth round of the tournament. Botafogo led 2-0, but Carlinhos led his team's reaction by scoring two goals. In the end, the match ended in a 2-2 draw.

The game against Botafogo will be Carlinhos' fourth as a starter with the Rubro-Negro shirt. He was part of Tite's lineup against Palmeiras, Atlético-MG and São Paulo. Against the Minas Gerais club, number 22 scored the second goal of the game.

Without Pedro, Gabigol and Everton Cebolinha, Mengão's number 22 should gain a sequence in Tite's starting team . In addition to the match against Botafogo, he should be selected in the starting eleven against Bolívar, on Thursday (22), in the return game of the round of 16.

As Pedro and Gabigol only return in September , Carlinhos should also play against: Bragantino (25); in the first game of the quarterfinals of the Copa do Brasil (27, 28 or 29); and Corinthians (01/09).

Signed by Mais Querido after being second top scorer in the Campeonato Carioca, striker Carlinhos projected to win all the titles that Flamengo has to compete for this season. The projection was made during 'Carona com Smigol', a FLATV program.

In the conversation, he said that “this energy of ours, this vibration of ours in each training session and each game, everyone donating to the maximum, so nothing is better than finishing as champions of the Brazilian Championship, we will achieve that, God willing. Let's look for all possible titles.”