TEAMMATES IN THE URUGUAY SELECTION, ARRASCAETA EXCITES PARTNERSHIP WITH DE LA CRUZ AT FLAMENGO

Flamengo and Estudiantes (ARG) will face each other on September 18th and 25th in search of a spot in the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores da América . Most experts consider Flamengo to be the favorite, but according to former defender Leandro Desábato, who won the competition in 2009 with the Argentine club, the first leg at the Maracanã will be decisive.

Debate about Flamengo vs Estudiantes, in the Libertadores: "If you get a good result in Brazil, you'll have a chance"

"Flamengo has a very good team. I thought Estudiantes would decide it away, but it will be at home. If they get a good result in Brazil, they'll have a chance. When you put pressure on the fans and make the opponent feel it, they don't like it . Estudiantes has good players who have dropped off in performance, but they remain important," said Desábato.

FANS CAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR FLAMENGO

The former defender also highlighted the strength of the Argentine fans as a decisive factor: "Estudiantes is highly respected, a role model. Players who play there always say it's a different club, and that helps a lot. The fans transmit this energy, and in the Libertadores, it's even more felt . They make you believe you're going to win, even without having the best team," he added in an interview with Cielosports.

HOW ESTUDIANTES ARRIVES FOR THE CONFRONTATION

Estudiantes secured home advantage after finishing first in Group A , the same as Botafogo, with 12 points. Flamengo , in turn, advanced with 11 points in Group C. In the round of 16, the team from La Plata eliminated Cerro Porteño (PAR), winning 1-0 away and drawing 0-0 at home.

GAME DATES

• First leg: Flamengo x Estudiantes – September 18, at 9:30 pm (Maracanã).
• Return: Estudiantes x Flamengo – September 25, at Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium.

The winner of the match will face the qualifier from Racing (ARG) vs Vélez Sarsfield (ARG) in the semi-finals .

Flamengo officially announced Betano as its newest master sponsor in a multi-million dollar contract valid until 2028. Before the deal, Corinthians tried to negotiate with the company, but the Rubro-Negro rejected any possibility of a joint partnership with the São Paulo club.

According to journalist Pedro Ramiro, Corinthians was looking to increase its sponsorship revenue and even proposed a kind of "married partnership" involving shared goals between the two clubs . However, from the outset, Flamengo made it clear that it would not accept this type of negotiation.

AGREEMENT DETAILS

The signed contract provides for a payment of R$268 million per season, which will be divided between professional football , the club's Olympic sports, and the official channel. This is one of the largest sponsorship deals in Brazilian football.

DEBUT IN THE HOLY MANTLE

Although the deal was sealed in mid-August, Betano's name only appeared printed in the center of the red-black uniform last Sunday (31), during the 1-1 draw against Grêmio, at Maracanã, with a big party to celebrate the partnership.

FLAMENGO'S NEXT COMMITMENT

With the new master sponsor, Flamengo returns to the field only on September 14th, against Juventude , in the 23rd round of the Brasileirão. The match takes place at 4 pm (Brasília time), at the Alfredo Jaconi Stadium, in Caxias do Sul.

Historically identified with Fluminense, Carlos Alberto Parreira revealed that he was close to managing Flamengo at three points in his career. The statement was made during an interview with the Basticast podcast. According to the coach, he even hosted then-Fluminense president Márcio Braga at his home, but was unable to accept the invitation.

Carlos Alberto Parreira: "On the three occasions Flamengo approached me, I already had a signed contract"

“I had three opportunities, but the three times Flamengo approached me, I already had a signed contract: twice with foreign teams and once with the Brazilian national team ,” said Parreira, who became famous for leading Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title.

The coach also recalled the occasion when he had to personally reject Márcio Braga: "Once Márcio Braga spent the entire afternoon at my house, but I couldn't tell him I'd already signed with the national team because Ricardo Teixeira had ordered no one to know. That was an order for me. I kept stalling, feeling sick, unable to speak," he said.

PARREIRA'S GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS

Now 82 years old, Parreira made history by winning his fourth world championship in 1994. He also won the Copa América (2004) and the Confederations Cup (2005), both with decisive performances by Adriano Imperador.

But his career wasn't all about glory. In 1999, he led Fluminense to the Série C of the Brasileirão , the year in which the Laranjeiras club lifted the third division trophy—a low mark among Rio de Janeiro's biggest clubs.

THE PARTNERSHIP WITH ZAGALLO

A great teammate of Parreira, Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo was also by his side in the 1994 fourth title. An icon of Flamengo's history, the "Old Wolf" led Flamengo to notable victories, such as Petkovic's free kick goal in 2001 , which decided the Carioca against Vasco, and the Champions Cup in the same year.