Flamengo director criticizes synthetic lawn and highlights the potential of the Brazilian Championship

Pablo Marí's time at Flamengo was short, but extremely impactful —both on the field and in the club's finances. Even more than five years after his departure, the Spanish defender still generates revenue for the club .

According to Flamengo 's most recent financial statement, the club still owes approximately R$4 million for the defender's permanent transfer to Monza in Italy. This amount is part of one of the most lucrative deals in Gávea's recent history.

FROM BETTING TO THE CHAMPION PILLAR

Signed in 2019 from Grupo City for approximately R$5.5 million, Pablo Marí arrived as a gambler and quickly became a regular starter for Jorge Jesus' team. With his technical prowess, leadership, and defensive confidence, he was a key player in the team's Brasileirão and Libertadores victories that year . In 30 appearances for the Manto Sagrado, he scored three goals and left the club on a high note.

SALE TO ARSENAL AND PROFIT MULTIPLIED

His performance at Flamengo caught the attention of European football, and the defender was traded to Arsenal-ING in 2020 for €14 million . From there, he was loaned to Italian clubs like Udinese and Monza, until being bought outright by the Monza club in 2023.

Since Flamengo retained 40% of the player's economic rights, it received R$14.6 million from the sale . However, a portion of €680,000 (approximately R$4.35 million) is still outstanding and should bolster the club's cash flow in the coming months.

PRESENT IN FIORENTINA AND IN GOOD PHASE

In early 2025, Marí was traded again—this time to Fiorentina, at the direct request of coach Raffaele Palladino, who knew him well from Monza. With a contract until June 2026, the 31-year-old defender is a regular starter for the Florence team . On social media, Flamengo fans praised the board's decision to sign the defender, which continues to yield financial rewards even years after his departure.

Flamengo is very close to officially signing Jorge Carrascal . The deal with the Colombian midfielder is already finalized, but the announcement is pending the arrival of the final document signed by Dynamo Moscow , the club that holds the player's rights.

Carrascal was even at Maracanã last Thursday (31), during the match against Atlético-MG for the Copa do Brasil, but has not yet been officially presented. The reason is precisely the bureaucratic issue with the Russian club . The information was released by journalist Venê Casagrande, who found that Flamengo expects to receive the final document this Friday (1).

DEAL DONE, TESTS DONE

The player is already in Rio de Janeiro, where he underwent routine medical examinations . Agreements have been reached with both Carrascal and Dynamo Moscow—all that remains is to formalize the transfer. The time difference with Russia is hindering the resolution of the situation.

Flamengo will pay 12 million euros (around R$77.5 million) to acquire the Colombian, who has been called by some fans the "Colombian Neymar" due to his technical and dribbling style.

LONG NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE RUSSIAN CLUB

Negotiations with Dynamo have been dragging on for weeks. Carrascal even wanted to be registered to play in the Club World Cup with Flamengo , as negotiations were already advanced. However, the Russian club resisted releasing the player quickly, which delayed the deal. Now, the only remaining step is Dynamo's final signature.

CARRASCAL: NUMBERS AND CAREER

Last season, Carrascal made 35 appearances for Dynamo Moscow, scoring eight goals and providing three assists . The 26-year-old also played for Millonarios (Colombia), Karpaty (Ukraine), River Plate (Argentina), and CSKA Moscow.

FLAMENGO'S NEXT GAME

While finalizing the signing, Flamengo is preparing to face Ceará this Sunday (3), at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), at Arena Castelão , for the 18th round of the Brazilian Championship. The match will be broadcast on SporTV (closed TV) and Premiere (pay-per-view).

The Prosecutor's Office of the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) has formally charged Flamengo striker Bruno Henrique with involvement in a match-fixing scheme. The player is accused of deliberately forcing himself to receive a yellow card in the Brazilian Championship match against Santos on November 1, 2023, in order to favor bets made by his brother. If convicted, the player could face a suspension of up to two years.

THE ARTICLES AND THE GRAVITY OF THE ACCUSATION

The complaint, based on a Federal Police investigation, places the player under two articles of the Brazilian Code of Sports Justice (CBJD):

• Article 243 – Deliberately acting in a manner detrimental to the team, with the aggravating circumstance of paragraph 1 (obtaining financial advantage). Penalty: suspension of 360 to 720 days .
• Article 243-A – Acting against sporting ethics with the intent to influence the outcome of the match. Since the action was consummated (the card was actually issued), the penalty ranges from a 12- to 24-game suspension .

BASIS OF THE COMPLAINT: MESSAGES AND ACTIONS IN THE FIELD

Complaint against Bruno Henrique, from Flamengo: "intentionally caused his third yellow card"

According to a report by UOL journalist Rodrigo Mattos, the complaint is based on evidence gathered in the criminal court. Among the main elements are WhatsApp conversations between Bruno Henrique and his brother, Wander Nunes Pinto Junior, in which the player allegedly anticipated his intention to receive a yellow card —information used by Wander to place bets.

“The materiality and authorship are evidenced by all the records of conversations in messaging applications extracted from the police investigation (...) and by the dynamics of the game itself that took place on 11/1/2023, in which the player, in stoppage time, intentionally provoked his third yellow card”, states the complaint.

The prosecution also considers that there was an economic advantage, even if indirect: “ The offense was committed through the promise of an economic advantage — even if not directly for the athlete, but for the benefit of his brother and network of contacts.”

OTHERS INVOLVED AND POSSIBLE PUNISHMENTS

In addition to Bruno Henrique , his brother and three others were also charged: Claudinei Vitor Mosquete Bassan, Andryl Reis, and Douglas Barcelos. All are accused of benefiting from insider information to place bets . The group was charged under Article 242 of the CBJD, which deals with offering an advantage to influence the outcome. In this case, the penalty could include a fine or even a ban from the sport.

NEXT STEPS IN THE STJD AND IN THE ORDINARY COURT

The complaint will still be reviewed by the first instance of the Superior Court of Justice (STJD), which will decide whether to take the case to trial. A date has not been set for the hearing. Meanwhile, the case is also being heard in the ordinary courts: Bruno Henrique is already a defendant following a complaint filed by the Federal District Public Prosecutor's Office . The player's defense denies the accusations and has already tried—unsuccessfully—to have the case annulled in higher courts.