CONFRONTATION DEFINED! FLAMENGO FACES PALMEIRAS IN THE Round of 16 OF THE BRAZIL CUP; SEE OTHER GAMES

Thiago Ribeiro, Gabigol's former teammate from Santos, spoke about the striker's current situation at Flamengo and his apparently difficult relationship with Tite. The former player expressed confidence that Gabi will turn things around and took the opportunity to send a hint to the red and black coach.

For Thiago Ribeiro, what Gabigol needs is trust, something that must be given by Tite. Only with this support, shirt 99 will be able to show his best football again.

“I believe that one of the most important things in football is confidence, the player has to have confidence, and the game sequence … So I believe that for him to resume his football, it requires confidence, and that goes through the coach. I'm not there on a daily basis, anyone who is there on a daily basis knows, but the board, the coach, has to give confidence to the player”, said the attacker.

With Pedro's injury, Gabigol became the third option in the squad, but it seems he doesn't have Tite's confidence to be the player who will solve the problems from Flamengo. This scenario, according to speculation, created a certain tension between the attacker and the coach, especially after Gabi was not included in the game against Peñarol.

Thiago Ribeiro believes that the best thing to do in a situation like this , especially at a time when Flamengo needs Gabigol most, it's up to Tite to "embrace" the player, demonstrate his confidence and guarantee the striker's place in the team.

“No one unlearns how to play football. And when the player is at that stage of delivering nowhere near what he usually delivers, at that stage the coach must arrive and say: I'm putting you to play, I believe in you, I'm counting on you”, added Thiago.

Despite the complicated moment, the expectation is that Gabigol will participate in the return match against Peñarol, not just as an option on the bench, but starting as a starter.

The most important game of the season for Flamengo is approaching. Next Thursday (26), Rubro-Negro will face Peñarol (URU) in the second leg of the Libertadores quarter-finals. As a result, this Tuesday (24), the squad intensifies its preparation for the confrontation against the Uruguayan team.

According to the portal 'Coluna do Fla', Flamengo players will perform from 9:30 am (Brasília time) this Tuesday (24). The activities at Ninho do Urubu will begin at 10 am, involving all the athletes in the squad.

Once again, coach Tite will lead the work with the whole group. This includes both players who were rested and those who played in the match against Grêmio, last Sunday (22), in the Brazilian Championship.

The red and black delegation will embark for Uruguay this Tuesday (24). The flight is scheduled for 5:50 pm (Brasília time). In Montevideo, Tite will finalize his preparation and define the team's lineup on Wednesday (25), at CT Luis Suárez.

Facing a delicate moment in the season, Flamengo focuses entirely on the decisive match against Peñarol, in the quarter-finals of the Libertadores. After the 1-0 defeat at Maracanã, Rubro-Negro needs to reverse the score in the return game.

To advance directly to the semi-finals, Flamengo will have to beat Peñarol by at least two goals difference . The duel will take place on Thursday (26), at 7pm (Brasília time), at the Campeón del Siglo Stadium, in Montevideo.

The Flamengofaced one of the most delicate moments of its season after the 3-2 defeat to Grêmio, in a match valid for the 27th round of the Brazilian Championship. Last Sunday (22), the Rio team opted for a team made up mostly of young people from the base, saving 13 main players who stayed in Rio de Janeiro. This choice was aimed at preparing for the decisive Libertadores game against Peñarol, which will take place this Thursday (26). However, the strategy was not well received by the press and generated criticism, highlighting the analysis by journalist Pedro Ivo.

The decision to spare important players against Grêmio was widely debated, mainly due to the direct impact that this defeat could have on the rest of the season. Pedro Ivo, during his appearance on ESPN's Linha de Passe program, stated that Flamengo, by making this decision and announcing it publicly on Friday (20), had already committed itself negatively to the result.

A BITTER DEFEAT IN THE SEASON

According to the journalist, the fact of announcing that 13 players would not travel to Porto Alegre set the tone of an "institutional defeat" before even if the ball rolls. Flamengo, by giving up a significant part of its main squad to focus on the Libertadores, would have assumed the risk of suffering from the defeat in the Brasileirão, which in fact occurred.

This stance, according to Pedro Ivo, it's uncommon in Flamengo, which traditionally does not announce in advance who will be left out of matches. The early announcement generated a feeling that the defeat on Sunday was, in a way, already expected, devaluing the confrontation and bringing consequences that could affect the atmosphere at the club for the remainder of the season.