Former Flamengo player, Pablo Marí recalls Rubro-Negro's achievement in his career: "they took me out of..."

Guillermo Varela's injury , diagnosed as pubalgia, opened the way for Emerson Royal to regain his starting position at Flamengo. The right-back should start playing this Sunday (14), when Rubro-Negro faces Juventude , at 4 pm (Brasília time), at Alfredo Jaconi, for the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship.

GRADUAL RETURN

Royal returned to action in the final minutes of the 1-1 draw with Grêmio at Maracanã, the final game before the FIFA World Cup. However, his last start was almost a month ago, on August 13, in the 1-0 victory over Internacional , also at Maracanã, in the Copa Libertadores, when he suffered a sprained left ankle.

Emerson Royal on his start at Flamengo: "I wasn't 100% ready to play"

Since then, he missed the next match against Inter at Beira-Rio and was subsequently named in the squad for two matches, but remained on the bench. In an interview with Flamengo TV, Royal admitted he wasn't yet 100% fit , but assured he would be ready after the recovery period:

"I'm now at Filipe's disposal. I was on the bench, but I wasn't 100% fit to play. It was a difficult time; I felt a lot of pain, and it was uncomfortable . But now I feel good and prepared. If Filipe needs me, I'll be ready to play a great game," the player declared.

WEIGHT REINFORCEMENT

Signed in the last transfer window for €9 million (approximately R$58 million) from Milan (ITA), Emerson Royal has only played five games for Flamengo . Among the mid-year signings, he has only been used more than Jorge Carrascal . Samuel Lino has become a regular starter, while Saúl has taken advantage of Pulgar's absence to gain some regularity.

SCENARIO IN THE BRAZILIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Leading the Brazilian Championship with 47 points, three points ahead of second-place Cruzeiro and a game in hand , Flamengo is looking to extend its lead at the top of the table. The challenge, however, also involves a hurdle: the team hasn't beaten Juventude in Caxias do Sul for 28 years.

Flamengo is no longer in the running for the Copa do Brasil , but did not miss the opportunity to provoke a rival this Thursday (11). This is because Vasco, when releasing the official art for the classic against Botafogo, used a style very similar to the one that Mais Querido usually adopts in its publications.

The response came quickly: on Twitter , Flamengo's official profile commented: " I don't know if you noticed, but someone wants to be me ." The interaction went viral, and Flamengo fans flooded the post with provocations against their rival.

WHAT WAS COPIED?

The similarities caught attention: the visual style of the art; the phrases used in the publicity; even the font chosen was virtually identical to that used by Flamengo . The result was a wave of mockery from Flamengo fans , who reinforced the provocation initiated by the club.

CRUZMALTINE REACTION

Naturally, Vasco fans also appeared in the comments to respond, reminding that Flamengo has already been eliminated from the Copa do Brasil. However, the red-and-blacks made a point of highlighting the five titles won in the competition , including last year's, using the argument as a response to the rival's provocation.

NEXT GAME

While Vasco tries to continue the campaign to become more like Mengão, Mais Querido returns to the field on Sunday (14), at 4 pm (Brasília time), to face Juventude , at Alfredo Jaconi Stadium, in Caxias do Sul, for the 23rd round of the Brasileirão. Mais Querido seeks the first victory against Jaconero away from home since 1997, when with an own goal from Rodrigo Silva, managed to come out victorious.

Flamengo and the Rio de Janeiro City Hall have reached an agreement that removes the deadline for completing the Gasômetro stadium project . Previously, the project was supposed to be completed by 2029. This information comes from journalist Rodrigo Mattos of the UOL portal.

CLUB STILL WAITING FOR STUDIES

Meanwhile, Flamengo is awaiting economic feasibility studies conducted by FGV and Arena to obtain a more accurate cost estimate . The initial budget was R$2 billion, but Luiz Eduardo Baptista's (BAP) administration is already projecting figures closer to R$3 billion.

The board emphasizes that it will not move forward with the project if it impacts athletic performance or requires funding from the Federal Savings and Investment Agency (SAF). When deciding when to start and complete the project, the club's leadership points to three determining factors :

1) CAPACITY TO GENERATE OWN RESOURCES: Bap had previously stated that the goal is to increase Flamengo 's annual revenue, which is around R$1.4 billion, by up to 50%. The surplus would be allocated to the stadium . In 2025, with the World Cup prize money, the expectation is to exceed R$1.7 billion in revenue.

2) COST OF MONEY: With the Selic rate at 15%, the current interest rate scenario is considered unviable for borrowing. A reduction in interest rates would be crucial to speeding up the start of construction on the Gasômetro site.

3) STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP : The club is open to the possibility of a strategic partner, as long as the agreement is limited to the stadium, as is the case with Palmeiras and WTorre. Any model that requires a SAF remains out of the question.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS' VISION

With the agreement signed, Flamengo gained time to await a more favorable economic scenario and the completion of budget studies . The board believes the project will only move forward when at least one of these factors—or a combination of them—proves viable.