Flamengo is close to announcing striker Gonzalo Plata

After 51 years, Carioca had its first round with no victory from the state's big four. While Flamengo and Botafogo lost their games, Vasco and Fluminense were only tied. For former player and commentator Zinho, this was a reflection of an alleged lack of seriousness on the part of the teams with the state championship.

During the program 'ESPN FC', Zinho even suggested that the federation put the big ones to play later, if at the beginning they use alternative teams, as this harms even the fans, who are left in doubt whether or not to go to the stadium.

"Carioca is not taken with the seriousness that the public deserves, I'm venting. This is absurd. The championship doesn't start. It sets up a table for the big ones to enter later. The fan himself It's up to us whether or not to go to the games", said Zinho.

Flamengo participates in pre-season in the United States due to a contract, difficult to break, which was signed by the former management with the Fc Series organization. Thus, while Filipe Luís and the main players train outside the country and have a friendly scheduled, a "B" team remained to play the first four rounds of Carioca.

However , for Zinho this is still a big problem, diverting the responsibility for Carioca's bad credibility to the clubs, which would be "ending the championship".

"I'm with Leila. It's not cool to leave. Everyone has a structure. You're not going to end the championship, you're ending it. A competition that starts with the coaches and the teams doing the pre-season. The biggest team of the state plays outside of Rio", said the former player, agreeing with Leila Pereira's speech, who criticized clubs like Flamengo, for doing pre-season outside of Brazil.

"This business of doing pre-season abroad is for managers to go for a walk. There is no benefit for the athlete, no financial benefit for the club. Absolutely nothing. It's for managers to take a trip to Disney" , he said the representative of Palmeiras.

Carioca is in crisis on its own

Despite the speeches of Zinho, for some time now Carioca has not had the same credibility as in its heydays in the 70s, 80s and 90s. With modern football, not only the state football in Rio has harmed the calendar, for example. Teams from other states have treated the state competition with caution given a Brazilian calendar that can reach up to 80 games a year.

With 2025 being an even tighter year for clubs like Flamengo, who will compete in the World Cup in June/July. Buying time for players to rest and prepare is crucial.

Another factor that further takes away the incentive for Carioca is a lack of prizes for the tournament

Just as it has been in recent years, the 2025 Carioca Championship will not have cash prizes for the champion or runner-up. Clubs will receive a minimum fixed amount for participation and an additional percentage at the end of the competition, depending on the commercial performance of the tournament.

Finally , all of this results in little stimulus from the federation itself, especially with the less relevant and emerging teams. This causes huge technical disparity in relation to the big four. With rare exceptions, such as Nova Iguaçu, which reached the final of the tournament in 2024.

During one of Flamengo's pre-season training sessions, midfielder Gerson was caught in conversation with Everton Araújo, a young talent from Flamengo's youth teams. club. Everton, who has been gaining ground in the work led by Filipe Luís, received guidance from number 8, who has stood out for his leadership within the group.

LEADERSHIP FOR THE JOKER 

Flamengo prepares to face São Paulo in the next Sunday (19), at 5pm, Brasília time. The match promises to be challenging, but also an opportunity for Mengão to test the squad's evolution after intense weeks of training. Everton Araújo is one of the names at the academy that has been attracting attention in the activities of the professional squad. The integration between experienced players and young talents is a brand that Flamengo seeks to maintain, and moments like the conversation between Gerson and Everton reinforce this strategy.

GERSON'S GOOD PHASE

Good performances by Gerson with the red-black shirt has borne fruit not just at club level but also at international level. The player, who has established himself as a key player in the Flamengo b>, has been a constant figure in Dorival Júnior's call-ups for the Brazilian National Team.

In the Seleção's last match, Gerson was a starter in the victory against Peru, at the Mané Garrincha stadium. The consistent performance in midfield reinforces the player's good form, as he seeks to bring the same performance to Mengão this season. The interaction between Gerson and the youth base exemplifies the work that Flamengo has been doing to create a more integrated squad prepared for challenges.

This model, which focuses on the development of internal talents, is seen as essential for the club's future. With young talents standing out and leaders like Gerson taking an active role in the group, Flamengodemonstrates to be on the right path for a promising season. The match against São Paulo will be another chance to assess Mengão's strength on the field.