Soccer

Flamengo 1 x 0 Vasco marked the worst audience of the classic in 6 years

Mengão beat Cruzmaltino against just over 10,000 people, the lowest number since the 2019 Carioca Championship, also in Engenhão

Pickle with the ball in Flamengo's victory against Vasco with many empty chairs - Photo: Gilvan de Souza/Flamengo

02 Mar 2025 | 16:01 |

The victory of Flamengo (1), in Engenhão , recorded the worst audience of the classic of millions in six years. Only 10,788 paying and 10,966 gifts accompanied the red-black triumph with a goal from Bruno Henrique .

The number represents less than 25%of the total ticket load ( 38.500 ) and draws attention even to the prior expectation of a reduced audience. The last time a Flamengo x Vasco had such a low audience was in April 2019, when 10,854 fans watched the final of the Carioca Championship , also held at Engenhão by decision of Cruzmaltino.

Choice of Engenhão repeats and harms Vasco

in both cases, Vasco opted for Engenhão instead of Maracanã or St. Januario, alleging difficulties to divide the public into 50/50 , as required by the State Regulation. In 2019 , the club justified the decision as a protest against the concession of Maracanã to Flamengo and Fluminense. Already in 2025 , the president Pedrinho revealed that he wanted to prevent the red-black from playing twice in a row in the stadium where he feels principal.

The choice, however, has resulted in defeats on both occasions and, moreover, can lead to financial loss . Official Borderô has not yet been released by ferj , but the collection should be far below the one recorded in the Guanabara Cup classic , which took 44,544 fans to Maracanã.

Factors that dismissed the audience

Low demand for tickets can be attributed to several factors:

high prices: values between R $ 50 (half-ticket) and R $ 140 (whole). For the return game, with Flamengo, the prices will be even higher, but the Maracanã will certainly have a larger audience.

Engenhão little attractive: The stadium does not usually receive large audiences , even in games from Botafogo, owner of the house. Complicated access, feeling of insecurity and the structure lower than Maracanã pushes the fans. There are complaints about bad visibility in some sectors and problems with acoustics.

Filipe Luís regrets empty bleaches

in the post-game collective, Filipe Luís commented on the bass public , but said I understand Vasco's strategy:

"I am particularly in football for the fans. I received at the Atletico Madrid and Flamengo is what moves me.

The coach also stressed that the change of place turned out to be positive for Mengão, as the team had to leave the comfort zone :

"I understand what Vasco did.

Now, Flamengo prepares for the duel of the return, which takes place next Saturday (8), at 17h45, in Maracanã. With the advantage of the draw, the Red-Black may even lose by a goal difference to secure place in another final of the Carioca Championship.

Last minute

Soccer

Arrascaeta makes a similar criticism of Jorge Jesus: “Flamengo only loses…”

Uruguayan gave a press conference at Ninho do Urubu and spoke about the problems of unprepared professionals at the club

Arrascaeta uses Jorge Jesus' famous quote at Flamengo to criticize unprepared professionals at the club - Photo: Gilvan de Souza/Flamengo

16 Ago 2025 | 19:00 |

Friday (15) was marked by a press conference with Arrascaeta, at Ninho do Urubu. The Uruguayan midfielder made strong statements about the club's backstage and even repeated a famous phrase from Jorge Jesus, the Portuguese coach who marked an era at Flamengo.

Arrascaeta quotes Jorge Jesus: "Flamengo only loses to itself"

CRITICISM OF DESPERATE PROFESSIONALS

Without directly mentioning the coach, Arrascaeta emphasized that internal problems often harm the club's atmosphere . The Uruguayan also made it clear that he will always stand by his teammates in situations where unprepared professionals could harm them:

"I often tell my friends that Flamengo only loses to itself, because it's difficult to explain some of the things that happen here. Sometimes it's due to a lack of capacity from people who don't realize the size of the club or who aren't used to dealing with this pressure . But when you have experienced and respected players like Alex Sandro, Bruno, Nico, Viña, and so many others, the group becomes stronger," said the number 10.

"Whatever happens outside won't affect our squad. We'll always be together. When something happens to a teammate, we'll be here to help," Arrascaeta assured. The statement alludes to the controversy surrounding former doctor José Luiz Runco, who was fired after exposing details of De La Cruz's physical condition , claiming the Uruguayan was living with an irreversible chronic injury.

SUPPORT FOR DE LA CRUZ

At the time, Arrascaeta posted a photo alongside De La Cruz, accompanied by the message: " It's about taking care of our own. It's that simple ." The gesture was interpreted as a dig at the former professional, as well as a pat on the back for his club and national team friend.

Now, at the press conference, the number 10 reinforced the importance of squad unity in the face of external turbulence: "Regardless of who it is, Nico or another player, we have to be together. It's very difficult to stay focused on the field when these situations happen. But I've been here for six years and I know that Flamengo always experiences moments like this. Our role is to keep ourselves in the locker room so that this doesn't affect us, even though some situations are very difficult," he concluded.

Flamengo 1 x 0 Vasco marked the worst audience of the classic in 6 years