KEEP LEADING! FLAMENGO MAINTAINS AUDIENCE RECORD IN 2024

Flamengo will have a special ingredient in the duel this Thursday (18), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, for the quarterfinals of the Libertadores. Goalkeeper Agustín Rossi will meet Estudiantes again, the club where he played before arriving in Brazilian football .

Rossi on the duel between Flamengo and Estudiantes in the Libertadores: "The main thing is to keep ourselves mentally strong

At a press conference at Ninho do Urubu, the Argentine celebrated the team's recent progress and emphasized the importance of approaching each match with total focus . Mengão is the home team in the first leg and plays for its life away from home against the club from La Plata.

" We're coming off a big win in the South, in a place where Flamengo hadn't won in a long time . I always say the same thing: we take it one game at a time. Now, Thursday, is very important. Our home, our fans, a packed stadium, as we're used to. Then comes the derby on Sunday, but today we're only thinking about Thursday," he said.

TRUST IN MENTAL STRENGTH

For Rossi, the key to the match will be the red-and-black team's psychological preparation: "The main thing is to stay mentally strong, to prepare ourselves as best we can for this sequence. I know well what the Libertadores means to Estudiantes . And we know that there are no easy games in the competition, no matter where they are. On the field, we're 11 against 11, with tactical, technical, and physical determination. It will be a very competitive game, as it usually is in the Libertadores," he stated.

ADVANTAGE OF DECIDING AT MARACANÃ

The goalkeeper also emphasized the importance of opening the match at home against Nação: "We have the advantage of playing the first game at Maracanã. It's crucial to have a great performance to then seek qualification there . If we get a good result here, we have a good chance of reaching the semifinals. It'll be tough, but we're ready," he concluded.

Flamengo basketball faces another international challenge. Starting this Thursday (September 18), in Singapore, the club competes in the FIBA Intercontinental Club Cup , considered the world championship of the sport. Flamengo TV will be the sole broadcaster of the games throughout Brazil, bringing every play of the competition to the Red-Black Nation, which brings together the continental champions in pursuit of the ultimate club basketball title.

João Guilherme will be the narrator, while Duda Machado, a Flamengo basketball legend, will provide commentary. Emerson Santos, also known as Emershow, will be reporting from the court, directly from Singapore, reinforcing Flamengo TV's exclusive coverage.

FLAMENGO'S NEXT GAMES

FlaBasquete debuts this Thursday against NBA G League United (USA) at 6 a.m. (Brasília time). On September 19, also at 6 a.m., the team faces the Illawarra Hawks of Australia . The decisive games are scheduled for the weekend.

VICTORIOUS HISTORY

Flamengo has already conquered the world twice. In 2014, the team defeated Maccabi Haifa of Israel 90-77 at Maracanãzinho , featuring players like Marcelinho Machado, Marquinhos, Laprovittola, and Olivinha.

The second championship came in 2022, in Egypt, with a victory over Hereda San Pablo Burgos of Spain , in a final marked by standout performances from Yago, Olivinha, and Luke Martínez. Now, the goal is a third championship.

Bahia's 2-1 defeat to Cruzeiro last Monday (15) represented not only the Celeste's turnaround at Fonte Nova, but also the end of a taboo. This is because the Bahian team was undefeated as home team in the Brasileirão. Now, only Flamengo and Mirassol remain unbeaten at home in this edition of the competition .

Bahia opened the scoring with a beautiful strike from Flamengo product Jean Lucas, but Cruzeiro responded with goals from Sinisterra and Gabigol. The result marked the Tricolor's first home defeat after a ten-game unbeaten run .

FLAMENGO DEFENDS ITS STRENGTH AT MARACANÃ

With Bahia's relegation, Flamengo now carries the exclusive title alongside Mirassol. The league leader, Flamengo, has played 12 home games, winning nine and drawing three . Their last loss at Maracanã came on July 31st, to Atlético-MG, in the Copa do Brasil. On that occasion, the Rio de Janeiro team was superior but was ultimately punished for a mistake in the clearance.

MIRASSOL SURPRISES

Mirassol , a major surprise in the 2025 Brasileirão, also remains undefeated at home. They've played 10 games, winning six and drawing four , demonstrating that the interior of São Paulo has become one of the most difficult places to earn points.

FLAMENGO GAMES AT MARACANÃ FOR THE 2025 BRAZILIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

• Flamengo 1x1 Internacional (1st round)
• Flamengo 6x0 Juventude (4th round)
• Flamengo 4x0 Corinthians (6th round)
• Flamengo 1x0 Bahia (8th round)
• Flamengo 0x0 Botafogo (9th round)
• Flamengo 5x0 Fortaleza (11th round)
• Flamengo 2x0 Sao Paulo (13th round)
• Flamengo 1x0 Fluminense (15th round)
• Flamengo 1x0 Atlético-MG (17th round)
• Flamengo 2x1 Mirassol (19th round)
• Flamengo 8x0 Vitória (21st round)
• Flamengo 1x1 Grêmio (22nd round)

NEXT CHALLENGE

Flamengo's next match will also be at home, but for the Copa Libertadores. Rubro-Negro faces Estudiantes (ARG) this Thursday (18), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, for the first leg of the quarterfinals.