AMID VALUE AND HARASSMENT FROM ABROAD, FLAMENGO STARTS TALKS FOR PLAYER RENEWAL

In another initiative aimed at strengthening the youth academy, Mais Querido hosted a special talk this week with defender Danilo. The defender spoke with athletes from the under-15 and under-16 categories in the auditorium of the George Helal Training Center , as part of the "Champion Talk" project, coordinated by Alfredo Almeida, the youth academy director, along with Patricia Negreiros, head of the human development department.

Champion Talk aims to connect young athletes with role models who have already forged successful paths in football, reinforcing their sense of belonging to the club. Danilo's choice was no accident: the defender has won more than ten titles in his career, including the Club World Cup, two Champions Leagues, the Copa Libertadores, and the European Super Cup .

DEFENDER REMEMBERS HIS CAREER

At 34, Danilo also boasts experience from two World Cups with the Brazilian national team (2018 and 2022). Recognized for his leadership on and off the field, he discussed the challenges of his career abroad, his dreams, and his goals still in progress. He expressed satisfaction with the reception of the young players.

Danilo on talks with Flamengo's young players: "A good experience"

"It was a beautiful experience to be able to share a little of my experience with the boys. I think this type of action should become constant, reducing the distance between the youth and professional levels and increasing the feeling of integration and belonging to the club and its culture . It was beautiful to see the sparkle in the boys' eyes, reviving in me a feeling of pleasure for playing football and creating an even greater connection with the colors of Flamengo," declared the defender .

BASE DIRECTOR REINFORCES VALUE

During the meeting, Danilo highlighted defining moments in his career and the importance of resilience in sports . Alfredo Almeida emphasized the project's impact: "Danilo fulfilled his dream of playing for Flamengo ," he said before concluding.

" We try to show our youth athletes Danilo's journey, which wasn't easy , but he managed to achieve beyond his competence on the field. We will continue this initiative with other professional athletes so that our youth athletes can understand each one's story, the difficulties they faced and the focus they had to overcome them," said the director.

Once again, Flamengo fans packed the Maracanã. Last Sunday (31), 64.4 thousand paying spectators, 69.4 thousand people in total, watched the 1-1 draw with Grêmio , in the 22nd round of the Brasileirão. Driven by the historic 8-0 victory over Vitória, the Nation created great expectations for the duel, especially with the return of Torcida Jovem Fla to the stadium.

Filipe Luís makes a request to Flamengo fans: "We ask you to come and support us"

After the match, coach Filipe Luís emphasized that support needs to go beyond excitement and that the fans' presence will be essential during the season's most difficult moments: " It's important that the Maracanã is always packed, that the fans understand we need them . That the fans push us along because this Brazilian Championship won't be easy. After a rout, and a loss as well, there's a tremendous sense of euphoria," the coach began.

"But it's important for fans to know that when they come to Maracanã, we ask them to come and support us, not just wait for another rout. We need our fans until the end; I'm sure they'll make a difference with their return (Torcida Jovem Fla)," said Filipe Luís.

RECORD ATTENDANCE

With over 69,000 in attendance, Flamengo broke its own attendance record in Brazilian football in 2025. On the field, the team controlled possession and created chances, opening the scoring with Arrascaeta. However, they ultimately conceded the equalizer after Ayrton Lucas conceded a penalty in the second half.

NEXT COMMITMENTS

Flamengo will now be away from Maracanã for more than two weeks due to the FIFA World Cup. The team returns to action on September 14th against Juventude at 4 pm at Alfredo Jaconi stadium, for the 23rd round of the Brasileirão.

The reunion with the Nation is scheduled for September 18th, at 9:30 pm, when Rubro-Negro receives Estudiantes (ARG) in the first leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals, with the return leg the following Wednesday (25), in La Plata, Argentina.

On Sunday (31), in a duel valid for the 22nd round of the Brasileirão Betano, Flamengo only managed a 1-1 draw with Grêmio in front of almost 70 thousand fans at Maracanã. Even with the stumble, Mais Querido remains in the lead, maintaining a three-point advantage over Cruzeiro , currently in second place.

Despite maintaining the top spot in the table, the result sparked outrage among players and management. The reason was the penalty awarded by Paulo Cesar Zanovelli after a handball by Ayrton Lucas, which led to the equalizer for the Tricolor Gaúcho, converted by goalkeeper Tiago Volpi . The dissatisfaction was so great that the club's leadership is preparing a formal protest to the Brazilian Football Confederation ( CBF ).

CBF POINTS TO ACCURATE MARKING

According to journalist Paulo Vinícius Coelho (PVC), the CBF believes Zanovelli's decision was correct. During an appearance on UOL Esporte's De Primeira program, the commentator revealed the organization's official position on the controversial move.

" For the CBF, there's no controversy. It was a penalty for Grêmio . For the CBF, there's no controversy. It was a penalty for Grêmio, and they're being awarded. The CBF's understanding of the rule is different from that of the refereeing commentators," said PVC.

FILIPE LUÍS CRITICIZES CRITERIA

After the match, Filipe Luís also commented on Paulo Cesar Zanovelli's performance. The experienced full-back believes the repeated errors are a concern and hinder the flow of matches. " What I'd like is for them to hand the game over to the referee and correct what he does , for him to watch the game and see what they do wrong. And mistakes are repeated, and the rules are not corrected," he stated.

The player also emphasized that the Rubro-Negro were superior to their opponents and that the draw only occurred due to the questionable play that led to Grêmio's goal. José Boto, director of the Rio de Janeiro club, also criticized the high number of fouls awarded, which, according to him, hindered Mengão's attacking style.