Soccer
Flamengo's multi-champion signs with Santos and reveals Neymar's support
05 Set 2025 | 17:05
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Soccer
20 Mai 2025 | 08:34 |
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After the draw in the classic with Botafogo for the Brasileirão , Flamengo returns to the field this Wednesday (22) to face Botafogo-PB , at Maracanã, for the second leg of the third phase of the Copa do Brasil. With the advantage of the 1-0 score built in the first duel, Rubro-Negro should go to the field with an alternative formation , prioritizing the physical recovery of the cast.
The marathon of games has required a greater effort from the coaching staff led by Filipe Luís . Last weekend's classic was played less than 72 hours after the victory over LDU, in the Libertadores. As a result, the club has intensified the control of the athletes' workload and should continue with a cautious strategy to manage the squad in the coming weeks.
Arrascaeta, who was on the list of players who were most physically exhausted , ended up being left out of the classic and should return against Botafogo-PB. Other names such as Bruno Henrique , Alex Sandro, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira and Luiz Araújo are also concerns. De La Cruz , with an injury to his left knee, is confirmed to be absent in the next matches.
In addition to the cases of fatigue, Flamengo will no longer have Allan , Pulgar and Plata . The first two should only return in the last round of the group stage of the Libertadores, against Deportivo Táchira . De La Cruz and Plata will be prepared with full focus on the Club World Cup , in June.
Since the beginning of the competition, Flamengo has adopted the plan of fielding the Copa do Brasil team according to the physical context and the season calendar, without a fixed starting team for the tournament.
With the squad being managed, players like Danilo and Ayrton Lucas are expected to start. Gerson, out of the derby, returns and should play alongside Evertton Araújo — the only defensive midfielders available at the moment. In attack, Juninho, Pedro and Michael are the main candidates.
On the right side, Varela was expected to start, but Wesley 's suspension in the Brasileirão could keep him as a starter this Wednesday. On the bench, the expectation is for the presence of youngsters like Joshua and Lorran .
With an advantage on the scoreboard and a focus on preserving important players, Flamengo is looking to advance in the Copa do Brasil without giving up the strategy that has been guiding the season: rotating the squad and controlling wear and tear .
Out since Mais Querido's rout of Vitória, the full-back underwent treatment on his calf and should reinforce Mengão in the knockout round debut.
05 Set 2025 | 23:21 |
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Left-back Alex Sandro is expected to return to action on September 18, when Flamengo faces Estudiantes, from Argentina, in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores, at Maracanã, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time).
According to information from SBT Rio journalist Venê Casagrande, the player is being prepared by the medical department to be available for Filipe Luís. Besides him, the coach also has Ayrton Lucas and Matías Viña as options for the position.
In Flamengo 's 8-0 rout of Vitória, Alex Sandro had to be substituted in the 24th minute of the first half after experiencing pain in his left calf . Uruguayan Viña came on in his place and completed the match.
In an official statement, the club explained the situation: " Athlete Alex Sandro, substituted in the first half of the match against Vitória, underwent an MRI scan . The results revealed a muscle injury in his left calf. The player has already begun treatment under the supervision of Flamengo's medical department," the team reported.
The severity of the injury also forced Alex Sandro out of Carlo Ancelotti's squad for the Brazilian national team. In the full-back's absence, Brazil defeated Chile 3-0 and now prepares to face Bolivia at altitude in the next round.
After the Russian team paid the 25 million euro release clause, the midfielder left Mais Querido and has already played six games for the Russian club.
05 Set 2025 | 23:12 |
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Flamengo officially announced Gerson 's departure on July 4, 2025, after Zenit of Russia paid the player's release clause . Since then, some Flamengo fans have questioned whether the midfielder was satisfied with the move. Teammate Douglas Santos, full-back at the Russian club, assured that the "Joker" is happy with the new phase of his career.
" Zenit is a great club that welcomes foreign players very well. I've been there for six years, and they've been improving this every year. They're even learning Portuguese to welcome Brazilians. Gerson was definitely welcomed and is happy ," said Douglas Santos in an interview in the mixed zone.
Introduced shortly after the FIFA Club World Cup, Gerson has already played six matches wearing the number 9 jersey for Zenit. So far, he has yet to score or provide any assists. The midfielder has started four matches, totaling 341 minutes on the pitch.
Before his transfer, Gerson had spent more than two years in his second stint at Gávea. In total, he played 253 matches, scoring 19 goals and providing 34 assists. During his time there, he won major titles: a Libertadores, two Brazilian Championships, a Copa do Brasil, four Cariocas, three Brazilian Super Cups, and a Recopa Sudamericana.
Gerson 's departure was for a fee of €25 million (approximately R$160 million). The sum represented one of the largest transfers Mengão has received in recent years, but it didn't lessen the weight of the departure of one of the team's technical leaders.
Carlo Ancelotti called up the 18-year-old for the national team's training sessions in Teresópolis and the Mengão goalkeeper was praised by the world champion goalkeeper
05 Set 2025 | 19:02 |
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Coach Carlo Ancelotti has selected five athletes from the youth ranks of Rio de Janeiro clubs to participate in the Brazilian national team's training session in Teresópolis. Among those selected is Léo Nanneti, Flamengo's goalkeeper, who shone in the Under-20 Intercontinental Cup victory over Barcelona.
During a press conference, four-time world champion and current goalkeeping coach for the Brazilian national team, Taffarel , made a point of joking and praising the young Flamengo player. " I didn't like him. I didn't like him because in the first training session he asked me to put gloves on him (laughs) ," he said before concluding.
" You know those gloves that are really tight? You can put one on and you can't put the other on. He said, 'Professor, can you put the glove on with me?' I said, 'Get out of here now' (laughs). I'm a coach, I'm not a glove fitter," he said in a relaxed tone.
Tafarel then revealed his admiration for the youngster: " He's a really cool kid. I didn't even realize he was the goalkeeper in that final (of the U-20 World Cup). I was really happy he came here with us; he has great potential. I liked him, especially because he's an 18-year-old kid, but he already has a real professional attitude. I'm sure he'll bring a lot of joy to Flamengo," he concluded.
Léo Nanneti, who came through Flamengo 's youth ranks since the U-9s, is considered one of the club's brightest prospects. A key player in the U-20 World Cup final, the goalkeeper saved two penalty kicks against Barcelona , securing the title for Mengão.
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