Championship standout, Vinicius Souza celebrates captain's ribbon at Sheffield United

The Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) scheduled for this Thursday (26), at 10 am, in Rio de Janeiro, the judgment of the request for annulment of the match between Fluminense and São Paulo, played at the beginning of this month by the Brazilian Championship.

São Paulo requested the game be challenged, and the case will be analyzed by the Full Court, the last instance of the STJD. The club claims that referee Paulo Cesar Zanovelli made a legal error in awarding Fluminense's first goal, which won the match 2-0.

The controversy began in a ball dispute between Calleri and Thiago Santos, in midfield, in the first half. Zanovelli scored a free kick from Calleri, but gave Fluminense an advantage, as the ball went to Thiago Silva. However, Thiago Silva thought the foul had been called, touched the ball with his hand and restarted the play, which resulted in Kauã Elias' goal.

For São Paulo, Zanovelli should have scored a free kick. Thiago Silva touched the ball with his hand, which, according to the club, would justify the cancellation of the goal.

Images and audio released from the VAR review caused outrage among São Paulo directors. The video shows Zanovelli contradicting himself when reviewing the move on the VAR monitor. He initially confirms the application of the advantage, but later maintains the validation of the goal.

“I was going to give the advantage, the player (Thiago Silva) stops and takes the free kick. I signal a foul. Let's move on. I gave the advantage, I followed. It’s a legal goal, okay, Igor (Junio ​​Benevenuto, VAR)?”, said Zanovelli to the video assistant.

São Paulo had already protested about the move, first with a letter sent to the CBF, and later in a meeting between president Julio Casares and the president of the CBF, Ednaldo Rodrigues. This Monday, the club filed the request for annulment with the STJD.

Article 259 of the Brazilian Code of Sports Justice (CBJD) provides for the possibility of annulling a game in which the referee does not comply with the rules of football, citing errors of law that could change the result of the match.

"Article 259, § 1: The match, competition or equivalent may be canceled if there is proven to be an error of law relevant enough to alter its result."

Zanovelli was also denounced by the STJD prosecutor's office and could be suspended for up to 120 days, but this trial will not take place on Thursday. Furthermore, the Full Court will analyze an appeal by São Paulo related to the punishments applied to Rodrigo Nestor and Sabino, who were suspended for four and five games, respectively, after a fight in the classic against Palmeiras.

Forward Neymar, currently 32 years old and a player for Al-Hilal, expressed his support for Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 World Cup. The Middle Eastern country made official its interest in hosting the tournament in July this year, and awaits confirmation of the venue, expected to be announced soon.

“Happy to have the World Cup here in Saudi Arabia. I think it will be a very surprising World Cup, for people from all over the world to get to know Saudi culture and the country more. I think it will be a beautiful experience. I hope to be here with everyone. I'm very happy for the country. I think the country deserves this recognition, this opportunity to be able to host a World Cup”, declared Neymar in a video published on Al-Hilal's social networks, this Monday (23), in celebration of Saudi National Day.
MAJOR INVESTMENTS IN SAUDI FOOTBALL

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in football, attracting big stars who played for the main clubs in Europe. Neymar, who transferred to Al-Hilal, and Cristiano Ronaldo, star of Al-Nassr, are examples of this movement that puts the country in the spotlight on the global sporting scene.

These investments seek to strengthen local football , and the possibility of hosting the 2034 World Cup is part of a larger strategy to project Saudi Arabia internationally, not only as a sporting destination, but also as a cultural and tourist destination.

Since his arrival in Saudi football, Neymar has had few opportunities to play. The player suffered a serious injury in October last year, while playing for the Brazilian team, which sidelined him. The striker underwent surgery on his left knee and is in the final stages of recovery, although there is still no official date for his return to the field.

A fundamental piece in coach Tite's scheme at Flamengo, Gerson faced a difficult time this year, when he had to step away to treat hydronephrosis, which required surgical intervention. However, as the saying goes "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", the 'Joker' came back even stronger. Since the surgery, the midfielder has participated in all available games, whether for Rubro-Negro or the Brazilian team.

Impressively, Gerson was on the field for 83% of the possible minutes between Flamengo and Selection. This means that he played 38 consecutive matches — 36 for Flamengo and 2 for Brazil —, totaling 3,420 minutes, of which he played 2,835.

At a time when Flamengo faces physical exhaustion and several injuries, Gerson seems immune to these problems, remaining in excellent physical shape and with an extraordinary performance, which justified his call-up to the Brazilian team.

Despite having undergone surgery, Gerson did not lose his consistency. Even with the marathon of games, the number 8's level of performance remained high. During this run of 38 consecutive matches, he scored 2 goals and provided 5 assists.

In addition to his offensive contribution, Gerson also stands out defensively, even playing in a more advanced position under Tite's command. He has an average of 86% success rate on passes per game, many of them in the final third of the field, 52% success rate on long balls, almost two tackles and four ball recoveries per game.

This regularity , combined with his numbers and the physical effort required to participate in so many consecutive games, make Gerson one of the most underrated players in the country today, despite all of his quality not always being highlighted in comparison to other names in Brazilian football this season.< /p>