Soccer
11 Abr 2025 | 15:05 |
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Former Flamengo , Internacional and Brazilian National Team striker Leandro Damião announced his retirement this Friday (11) through his social media. The now 35-year-old former striker really stood out in the Gaucho team, where he was the 2010 Libertadores champion and three-time Gaucho champion in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
In a video published on his official Instagram account, the former player spoke about the difficult start to his career , the clubs he played for, including his arrival at the Rio de Janeiro red-black team.
when the invitation from Flamengo arrived, it was difficult to say no, a huge club
"At the time I signed with Flamengo, I was practically signed with another club in Brazil. But when the invitation from Flamengo came, it was hard to say no, it's a huge club. Scoring goals with that shirt and scoring bicycle kicks was an incredible opportunity. I spent more or less a year and a half there. We were also champions of Rio de Janeiro at the time," said the former center forward.
"The time has come to hang up my boots and close a chapter that was decisive in my story. Today, I say goodbye to football. A childhood dream that has come true. With the tireless support of my father and my family, and with a lot of dedication, I managed to achieve what seemed so far away: to be a football player. I will remain with my friends, the affection of the fans, the respect for the clubs I played for and, above all, my gratitude. From the car trip to Santa Catarina, where it all began, to the unforgettable moments with Internacional; from the dream of wearing the yellow jersey to the historic moments in Japan. I was a winner."
Between 2016 and 2017, Leandro Damião scored the 12,000th goal in Flamengo's history . In a match valid for the 2016 Brazilian Championship, the center forward opened the scoring from a penalty in the 2-1 victory against Grêmio. Wearing the Manto Sagrado , the striker "redeemed" himself for the bicycle kick goal scored against Rubro-Negro in 2011. In the 2017 Brazilian Championship, Damião scored a bicycle kick goal that tied the match against Avaí at Ressacada.
The coach has managed to get the Mengão player back to playing at a high level at Real Madrid and the Brazilian star defends his stance.
06 Set 2025 | 21:00 |
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2002 World Cup winner Rivaldo approved of how Xabi Alonso has handled his relationship with Vini Jr. at Real Madrid. In an interview with Betfair, the former player commented on the Spanish coach's decision to leave the Flamengo-born striker on the bench for the second round of La Liga against Real Oviedo .
Rivaldo on Xabi Alonso's action: "It was a strategy to get the best out of Vini Jr"
For Rivaldo, the decision wasn't a punishment, but rather a strategy to boost the number 7's performance: "I don't see it as a punishment. It was a strategy to get the best out of Vinícius . It's a way to make him grow even more ," the five-time world champion emphasized.
Alonso's gamble quickly paid off. In the 3-0 victory over Oviedo, Vini Jr. came on in the second half and made his mark. In the following round, he found the net again against Mallorca , confirming his strong start to the season.
Rivaldo also praised the arrival of the new Real Madrid manager and his relationship with the Brazilian: " Xabi is a great coach, but he was also a great player . He knows exactly what someone like Vinícius thinks and feels. Sometimes you have to make adjustments, even with the stars," he concluded.
After ending last season below expectations, Vini Jr. started this season on a high note. In three La Liga rounds, he has two goals and one assist, contributing to half of Real Madrid's goals. Without being called up for the FIFA international break , the striker remained in Spain and remains focused on the rest of the season. The Merengues' next match will be on September 13th, against Real Sociedad, away from home, in the fourth round of the Spanish Championship.
Juan Sebástian Verón, idol and current president of the La Plata club, which faces Mengão in the Libertadores, does not forgive the entity's decision
06 Set 2025 | 20:00 |
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Flamengo already knows its next opponent in the Copa Libertadores : Estudiantes de La Plata (ARG), in the quarterfinals. Even before the ball kicked off, the president of the Argentine club and idol Juan Sebastián Verón took to social media to criticize CONMEBOL, following Independiente's exclusion from the Copa Sudamericana.
Estudiantes president Verón on Conmebol: "They chose the easiest option"
"They chose the easy option. It's very difficult to understand how they came to this decision ... and I don't condone any kind of violence, but this is all very unfair," criticized the president of Estudiantes de La Plata .
The punishment came after Independiente fans got into a fight with Universidad de Chile supporters. They invaded the visiting team's section, stole banners , threw bombs, and set fire to objects.
Given the seriousness of the case, Conmebol decided to exclude the club from the competition and apply a fine of 250 thousand dollars (approximately R$ 1.3 million) , in addition to a punishment of seven games within Conmebol with closed doors, in addition to another seven as a visitor without the right to fans.
In the quarterfinals, Flamengo and Estudiantes will face off in two decisive matches . The first will be on September 18th at the Maracanã Stadium. The second leg is scheduled for the 25th at the Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium in La Plata.
Quarterfinal matches
Coach Filipe Luís hopes to have the midfielder available in the Libertadores, against Estudiantes, but the most likely scenario indicates a return in October.
06 Set 2025 | 18:00 |
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Midfielder Erick Pulgar may be close to returning to Flamengo . Between Thursday (11) and Friday (12), the player will undergo a CT scan to evaluate the fracture in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot, suffered at the end of June. The exam will be decisive in defining the stage of recovery and the deadline for returning to the field.
The analysis will show the medical department the degree of bone healing . There are two possible scenarios:
The Chilean midfielder was injured on June 29th during Flamengo 's match against Bayern Munich in the Club World Cup. Days later, he underwent surgery in Chile and has since followed a strict recovery protocol.
A starter before his injury, Pulgar has been missing from the squad's rotation. Despite the strong partnership between Saúl and Jorginho, the coaching staff considers the Chilean a key player in maintaining the midfield's competitiveness.
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