CREATIVE OF FLAMENGO, ANDRÉ LUIZ SAYS GOODBYE TO THE CLUB AND STAYS IN PORTUGAL

Even after five years, Jorge Jesus, who will coach Cristiano Ronaldo next season , remains a reference point for Flamengo, both inside and outside the club . With impressive numbers and historic titles between 2019 and 2020, the Portuguese coach left a lasting legacy. This impression was reinforced by right-back Rodinei, who praised the coach's leadership and impact on the red-black squad.

Rodinei on Jorge Jesus at Flamengo: "he changed a lot in our group"

“Since Jorge Jesus arrived, he has changed a lot of things in our group. He was always paying attention to the defense, to the attackers ... He was a totally different guy, and you could already feel that the players respected him a lot,” said Rodinei , in an interview with the Denílson Show podcast.

THE ARRIVAL THAT CHANGED FLAMENGO

Jorge Jesus took over as Flamengo 's coach in June 2019, after Abel Braga left. At the time, he negotiated with Atlético-MG, but opted to sign with the Rio de Janeiro club. In just a few months, he promoted a tactical and technical revolution that culminated in memorable achievements .

REFERENCE FOR EX-PLAYERS AND FILIPE LUÍS

Jorge Jesus' admiration is not limited to Rodinei. Former players such as Diego Ribas, Gabigol and Rafinha have already declared the Portuguese as the best coach they have worked with . The current Flamengo coach, Filipe Luís, also considers the “Mister” a great inspiration for his leadership style.

ONE OF THE GREATEST IN THE CLUB'S HISTORY

Under Jorge Jesus' command, Flamengo won five titles: Libertadores, Campeonato Brasileiro, Supercopa do Brasil, Recopa Sul-Americana and Campeonato Carioca . There were only four defeats in 58 games. In 2019, the team scored 90 points in the Brasileirão, a record in the points-based era with 20 clubs, and enchanted the continent with its attacking and dominant style.

A Fenerbahçe product and currently a standout at Real Madrid, the Mengão product, Vini Jr , young Arda Güler recalled with emotion the beginning of his career in Turkey. In an interview this Tuesday (1), the 19-year-old attacking midfielder highlighted the importance of the Turkish club's number 10 shirt and made a point of praising Alex , Fenerbahçe idol and former Flamengo player.

Real Madrid's Arda Güller on former Flamengo player Alex: "He's our savior"

“As you know, the number 10 jersey is sacred in Turkey. It’s not just the creative player. It’s our saviour, it’s Alex – the real Alex. When I wore that jersey for the first time… I don’t even know how to describe it. I wasn’t just following in Alex’s footsteps . I was taking on the creative responsibility of the whole team and millions of fans. It was a privilege. An honour. A dream,” said the youngster.

BRAZILIAN IDOL IN Türkiye

Alex is a legendary player at Fenerbahçe, where he played between 2004 and 2012 and made his mark with titles and remarkable performances, many of them under Zico, who was the club's coach between 2006-08. Such idolatry even resulted in a statue at the entrance to the Şükrü Saraçoğlu stadium, the club's home in Istanbul . Before shining in Europe, the midfielder had a brief stint at Flamengo in 2000, on loan from Parma (ITA). For Rubro-Negro, he played 12 games and scored three goals.

ARDA GÜLER'S CAREER

Arda made his professional debut for Fenerbahçe at the age of 16, inheriting the iconic number 10 shirt. In 2023, he transferred to Real Madrid for 20 million euros (around R$106.8 million at the exchange rate at the time). Today, he is considered one of the top prospects in European football.

FLAMENGO TRIES TO TURN THE KEY AFTER THE WORLD CUP

Meanwhile, Flamengo, the club that had Alex for a brief period, is trying to recover after being eliminated from the Club World Cup . The Rubro-Negro's next match will be on July 13, against São Paulo, at Maracanã, for the 13th round of the Brazilian Championship.

With the transfer window approaching, Brazilian clubs are already working to strengthen their squads for the second half of the season. In this scenario, Flamengo goalkeeper Matheus Cunha has emerged as a target for several teams in the country .

According to the newspaper Lance!, the player's agents have signaled interest from other clubs, taking advantage of the fact that the goalkeeper's contract with Flamengo ends in December of this year. Thus, since July 1st, the goalkeeper has been free to sign a pre-contract with any team . Despite this, the red-and-black club has not yet been officially notified nor received any formal proposals. Recently, Matheus Cunha's name was mentioned at Bahia, led by Rogério Ceni, who worked with the youngster at Mengão.

SITUATION AT FLAMENGO

Matheus Cunha has lost space in the squad since the rise of Agustín Rossi , who has established himself as an absolute starter under Filipe Luís. With few opportunities since 2023, the goalkeeper chose not to renew his contract with Flamengo.

The red-black board, in turn, is studying alternatives: it could try to negotiate him during this window to avoid leaving without financial compensation or keep him until the end of his contract, even if that means releasing him without costs from January 2026.

NUMBERS BY MENGÃO

Since losing his starting spot in the final stretch of 2023, Matheus Cunha has played just 17 matches, adding up the last two seasons — most of them with alternative teams or in less important games in the calendar, such as in the Cariocão, or against smaller teams in the Copa do Brasil.