
Soccer
Flamengo should have reinforcements for the clash with Estudiantes in the Libertadores
16 Set 2025 | 15:04
Soccer
26 Set 2024 | 10:00 |
"Sleeping giant" of South American football, Peñarol became a threat to Flamengo's stay in the Copa Libertadores -2024 even spending less than 15% of tonight's opponent's payroll.
The Uruguayan team, which has already been continental champion on five occasions, but is currently suffering a 37-year drought in the tournament, spends something on around US$ 800 thousand per month (R$ 4.4 million) with the maintenance of its professional cast. At Flamengo, this money would only be enough to pay Tite's coaching staff and the salary of one of its most expensive players, such as Arrascaeta, Pedro, Bruno Henrique and Gabigol.
Tough line with money
Peñarol has already had teams considerably more expensive than the current one. In 2020, before the Covid-19 pandemic, his salary bill exceeded US$1 million per month (R$5.5 million). But the club couldn't pay its bills.
The current president, Ignacio Ruglio, took over at the end of that year precisely with the mission of putting the house in order and providing financial health to the Uruguayan team.
The new management was exchanging expensive players for cheaper athletes and cutting the budget. It also adopted controversial measures, such as cutting the cast's salary in half during a strike that paralyzed Uruguayan football for a month last year.
Good fight
Despite the run of five consecutive titles (two with Palmeiras, two more with Flamengo and one with Fluminense), Brazilian football still lags behind Argentina in the number of Libertadores wins: 25 to 23.
And this year the land of Lionel Messi has a golden opportunity to interrupt the recent green and yellow hegemony and increase its clearance as a record holder a little more.
After all, this decision edition is scheduled for Buenos Aires and will be played on November 30 — Monumental Más, home of semi-finalist River Plate, is the favorite stadium to host the title game.
Libertadores - quarterfinals final (return)
Tuesday - River Plate 1 x 0 Colo-Colo, in Buenos Aires-ARG (1 to 1 in the first leg)
Yesterday - Atlético -MG 2 x 0 Fluminense, in Belo Horizonte (0 to 1 on the way)
Yesterday - São Paulo 1 (4) x (5) 1 Botafogo, in São Paulo (0 to 0 on the way)< /p>
Today - Peñarol x Flamengo, in Montevideo (1 to 0 in the first leg)
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Mengão faces the Argentine team with important absences that could impact the team's lineup and strategy at Maracanã this Thursday (18)
16 Set 2025 | 15:49 |
Flamengo will have significant absences in this Thursday's (17) clash, at 9:30 pm, against Estudiantes, at Maracanã, for the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores . Among the big names that will be left out are midfielder Jorginho, full-back Alex Sandro and midfielder Pulgar.
Jorginho will miss the match against Argentina due to muscle swelling in his left thigh . Alex Sandro continues to recover from a left calf injury, while Pulgar is in the final stages of treatment after surgery on his right foot and will still require at least two weeks of physical therapy before returning to the squad.
With these absences, the coach will have to assemble a team with alternatives for midfield and left back. The likely starting lineup includes: Rossi; Royal (Varela), Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, Ayrton Lucas (Viña); Saúl, De La Cruz (Allan), Arrascaeta; Plata, Samuel Lino, and Pedro.
The absences could influence Flamengo 's game strategy, as they seek to advance to the Copa Libertadores semifinals. The return leg will be next week in La Plata, Argentina, against Estudiantes.
Striker Bruno Henrique and full-back Varela are the main names expected to return to the team after being absent last Sunday (14), against Juventude, for the Brazilian Championship. Both trained normally with the team this Tuesday (16).
Mengão has been frequently loaning players to national teams due to its star-studded squad, and the club must pay a sum for the athletes.
16 Set 2025 | 15:39 |
Created to reward clubs that contributed players to the World Cup, FIFA's Club Benefits Program has been expanded. From now on, teams that have players called up for the qualifiers , such as Flamengo, will also receive financial compensation .
The announcement was made by the organization itself, which confirmed the distribution of more than R$1.8 billion to clubs that release players to national teams . This amount represents an increase of almost 70% compared to the last edition of the program, implemented during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Until now, the benefit was restricted to clubs that had players called up for the World Cup. With this change, FIFA aims to be more inclusive and reach a wider range of teams: "The new edition of the FIFA Club Benefits Program for the 2026 World Cup will go a step further and recognize, in economic terms, the immense contribution made by clubs and players from around the world to the celebration of the preliminary and final stages of the tournament," said Gianni Infantino, president of the organization.
For the 2022 World Cup, the amount distributed was US$209 million (approximately R$1.1 billion at the current exchange rate). For the 2026 edition, the amount will rise to US$355 million , which represents approximately R$700 million more. In the last edition, 440 clubs from 51 different federations were included.
The increased financial contribution was directly supported by Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, owner of PSG and president of the European Club Association (ECA) . He led negotiations that resulted in the program's expansion. Despite the initial focus on benefiting European clubs, the measure will have a global reach. After the announcement, Al-Khelaïfi celebrated the progress:
"More clubs around the world will receive a reward for releasing their players. Clubs play a fundamental role in the success of international football , and this initiative recognizes all aspects of that role, from developing younger players to releasing them to play in more important matches," he declared.
Analyst says that stadium renovations and elitism with excessive ticket price increases have eliminated the hostile atmosphere at Mengão.
16 Set 2025 | 15:14 |
ESPN journalist André Galindo sparked debate by analyzing the current atmosphere at Maracanã , especially during Flamengo games . According to the commentator, the stadium has lost some of the intimidating atmosphere that characterized previous eras.
André Galindo, from ESPN: "At the old Maracanã, Flamengo was scary, but not anymore"
According to Galindo, the new Maracanã no longer commands the same respect from opponents as the old one. He recalled that, in the past, the pressure from the red-and-black fans made a difference on the field, something that seems to have weakened today.
" Flamengo at the New Maracanã is 'my house, your house.' There's no hostile atmosphere. At the old Maracanã, Flamengo was scary, but not anymore. The only stadium in Rio that can have a hostile atmosphere is São Januário . Other than that, no one can," he declared.
The journalist also criticized the lack of synchronicity among organized fan groups. In his view, the lack of unity harms the atmosphere in the stands , previously considered one of the strongest in South America.
"Flamengo doesn't scare anyone in the stadium these days. The fans don't sing, the organized fans don't sing together; it's disorganized . At the old Maracanã, yes, the old Flamengo fans were scary, but nowadays they don't scare anyone," he added.
In the analysis, however, Galindo did not take into account important points: Flamengo remains alongside Mirassol as the only undefeated team at home in the 2025 Brasileirão. After the duel against São Paulo in the Brasileirão, the tricolor's coach, Hernán Crespo, even gave 'thanks to God' that he would not face Mais Querido again at Maracanã .
Despite the criticism, Maracanã will be the stage for another decision. Next Thursday (18), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), Flamengo hosts Estudiantes (ARG) for the first leg of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals.
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