Flamengo intensifies hiring and invests more than R$275 million in the 2024 season

In the relationship between Gabigol and coach Tite at Flamengo, only the field is capable of speaking. Between the striker and coach, there is practically no dialogue, and the cold and silent war dictates that only one of them should remain at the club for the season in 2025.

No atmosphere with the coaching staff and also with the squad , Gabriel Barbosa has been convinced to change and airs, but even the clubs that expressed interest in the first half of the year backed away. With a contract at Flamengo until the end of December, Gabigol had offers from Palmeiras, Corinthians and Santos, was mentioned at Grêmio, but did not want to sign a pre-contract with any team.

The expectation was to try to turn things around on top in the second half, otherwise he would end his time at Flamengo like the idol he became, without any fuss.

Tite's arrival last year changed the entire perspective of the striker, who was already in a bad phase previously, and lost his place once and for all to Pedro with the presence of the new coach. With the center forward's recent injury, Tite kept Gabigol at the end of the line, under the argument that Carlinhos and Bruno Henrique perform better in the scheme with a reference man .

Without understanding the criteria, Gabi maintains her dedication to the basic level of professionalism in training, as it is not part of the coach's or the club's plans for a possible renewal. With the chances of a comeback practically buried, the two possible paths are to wait for the election in Flamengo to find out if Tite will remain with the next president; or wait for the end of the contract to freely listen to proposals again. Palmeiras and Santos have not yet given up on the idea, and Bahia appears as an option, as it has good investment capacity.

Retired from the field since 2017, former midfielder Zé Roberto, who had a spell at Flamengoin the 90s, it is looking to buy 90% of SAF from São Bento, a club in São Paulo. According to GE, a meeting scheduled for this Wednesday night (18) could decree the sale of the Sorocaba team to the company Flash Forward, which belongs to the former player.

Zé Roberto is the main name of the company. However, the group also has partners such as former athlete Fransérgio and businessman Tiago Ribeiro (former CEO of Estoril). In addition to Flamengo, Zé played in Brazilian football with the shirts of Palmeiras, Santos and Grêmio. In Europe, the former athlete defended giants such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

The offer is R$130 million, which would be paid in installments. This amount would be invested on a specific basis in the football team and the club’s structure. The project is to take São Bento to the elite of São Paulo football and Brazilian Series B in up to six seasons.

Revelation from Portuguesa-SP, Zé Roberto stood out at Lusa and caught the attention of Real Madrid in 1997. However, the player had difficulty fitting into the Spanish club and was loaned to Flamengo in 1998.

At Flamengo, Zé Roberto was a starter in the Campeonato Carioca competition, entered the field 23 times and aroused the interest of Bayer Leverkusen , leaving Gávea in the same season. As an athlete, the former midfielder also played in the 2006 World Cup for the Brazilian team.

Carlos Alcaraz's debut for Flamengo was marked by a performance that, even in the midst of the 2-1 defeat to Corinthians, left a good impression. The young Argentine midfielder, aged 21, was signed for R$110.6 million, becoming the most expensive acquisition in the club's history. His arrival in Rio de Janeiro took place last Thursday, and, after just two training sessions, he was put to the test on Sunday, at the Neo Química Arena, in the 25th round of the Brazilian Championship.

Alcaraz started the started on the bench and entered the field at half-time, replacing Erick Pulgar, who had received a yellow card. The change soon brought a new dynamic to the team, and the Argentine didn't take long to stand out. With just five seconds on the field, he stole the ball from Yuri Alberto in defense, took off towards the attack, and, in a quick table with Pedro, found himself face to face with goalkeeper Hugo Souza. He tried to dribble the archer, but ended up being intercepted. Although he didn't score, the move demonstrated his skill and quickness of thought, which was enough to cheer up the Red and Black fans.

The fans' excitement, however, didn't just come from this isolated play. Alcaraz,wearing the number 37 shirt, proved to be a participative and versatile player, moving around different areas of the field and fulfilling the role of second midfield man well. His presence was felt in several regions of the pitch, as indicated by the heat map provided by the "Sofascore" website, which highlights his willingness to contribute both in defense and attack.

Alcaraz's debut could be seen as an indication of what the player can offer to the Flamengo. Although he had little time to adapt, he showed no fear in assuming responsibility on the field, something essential for an athlete of his position and with the value of investment that was made. The fact that he entered at a complicated moment in the match, with the team at a disadvantage, and still managed to stand out, shows that the Argentine has the potential to be a key player in coach Tite's scheme.