Filipe Luís's Flamengo could reach its centennial milestone against Atlético-MG

Defender Léo Ortiz has once again been linked in Europe, this time as a potential target for Sporting Clube de Portugal . According to Portuguese broadcaster SIC Notícias, the club is considering submitting a proposal in the region of €15 million, plus bonuses, to try to convince Flamengo to release the defender.

However, sources at the Rio de Janeiro club consulted by this report state that Flamengo has no interest in negotiating Léo Ortiz at this time, and that the player himself also has no desire to leave the club. Flamengo's board considers the defender an important player in the squad and intends to keep him for the remainder of the season.

SPORTING DOESN'T WANT LÉO ORTIZ IMMEDIATELY

When contacted by Sporting insiders, the response was straightforward: "Unlikely. The Portuguese club would have to sell one of the defenders. I don't think they'll buy any more ." This indicates that, although there is speculation surrounding Ortiz's name, there are no concrete negotiations at this time.

According to our findings, no official offer has yet reached Flamengo, reinforcing that, at least for now, the defender remains 100% focused on the Rubro-Negro. In fact, the Mais Querido is considering entering the market for a defender.

GERMAN TEAM PROPOSAL

Flamengo recently received an official offer from RB Leipzig of Germany for defender Léo Ortiz two weeks ago. The offer was around €15 million (approximately R$95.6 million), with €12 million fixed and €3 million tied to targets. However, Flamengo promptly rejected the offer.

Flamengo returns to the field this Wednesday (06) to face Atlético-MG, in the second leg of the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil. The match will be played at Arena MRV, at 7 pm (Brasília time), and will be refereed by Gaucho Rafael Klein , according to the schedule defined by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).

The organization also confirmed the entire refereeing team for the decisive match. The assistant referees will be Bruno Raphael Pires (GO) and Rafael da Silva Alves (RS) . The video referee will be Wagner Reway (SC). This will be Flamengo 's second match with Rafael Klein in charge.

FULL ARBITRATION SCALE

• Main referee: Rafael Rodrigues Klein (RS)
• Assistant 1: Bruno Raphael Pires (GO)
• Assistant 2: Rafael da Silva Alves (RS)
• Fourth referee: José Mendonça da Silva Junior (PR)
• VAR: Wagner Reway (SC)

RAFAEL KLEIN'S EXPERIENCE WITH FLAMENGO IN 2025

So far, Rafael Klein has refereed only one Flamengo match this season: the 2-1 victory over Vitória in early April in the Brasileirão . In the Copa do Brasil, he was on the field last week for the goalless draw between CSA and Vasco in the first leg of the third round.

HOW WAS THE FIRST GAME?

In the first match between Flamengo and Atlético-MG, played at Maracanã, the Red-Blacks had the majority of possession but failed to find the net. The Minas Gerais team capitalized on a mistake by Léo Pereira when clearing the ball and scored through Cuello , securing a 1-0 lead.

NEXT CONFRONTATION

With the defeat in the first leg, Flamengo needs to beat Atlético-MG by two or more goals to guarantee direct qualification. If they win by one goal, the decision will be on penalties . This Wednesday's duel (06) starts at 7 pm, at Arena MRV, in Belo Horizonte.

Flamengo's football director, José Boto, spoke with coach Filipe Luís to discuss the team's playing style . The manager's plan is to make adjustments that will make the team even more competitive . The information was released by journalist Mauro Cezar Pereira.

Mauro Cezar Pereira on Flamengo: "It's Filipe Luís's obligation to have an ace up his sleeve"

CHANGES MAY START THIS WEDNESDAY

According to MCP, fans are expected to start noticing changes in the Copa do Brasil clash against Atlético-MG. He believes Filipe Luís needs to offer tactical alternatives during matches: " Today, for example, it's Filipe Luís's responsibility to have an ace up his sleeve ," the journalist stated.

Mauro also welcomed Boto's initiative, emphasizing that the red-and-black coach should be held accountable internally: " When Boto was hired, he came with this more technical profile, as a sporting director . So, these conversations are natural and important. It's up to him to question the coach's strategies and decisions," he explained.

CRITICISM OF THE MONOTATIC STYLE

The journalist took the opportunity to analyze Filipe Luís's work so far and made a direct criticism of Flamengo 's lack of variation in play under his command: " The team has been monotactic — it always plays the same way , without many tactical variations."

Finally, Mauro emphasized that pressure is part of the maturation process for a coach still at the beginning of his career: "Only established coaches, like Guardiola, Klopp, or Simeone, achieve a degree of complete autonomy . Until then, pressure is natural."