Flamengo leads the CBF ranking for the fifth year in a row and the cast celebrates togetherness at the end of the year party

For now, forwards Juninho and Michael remain at Flamengo . Both were on the list of players available for transfer, but the board didn't like the offers they received. Therefore, at least until a new decision is made, they remain on the roster and at the disposal of Filipe Luís's coaching staff .

The reality, however, is complicated. Both are behind several competitors in the attacking sector and have long contracts, expiring on December 31, 2028. In Michael 's case, the situation is even more pressing: in addition to the competition, the striker has a high salary, which makes any transfer difficult, especially in the domestic market. The information was released by UOL.

NEGOTIATIONS DID NOT PROGRESS

Juninho and Michael received inquiries from Saudi football, but all proposals involved loans . The model didn't please the players or Mais Querido, preventing any progress in the negotiations.

With no playing time, Michael hasn't played since June 24, when he faced Los Angeles FC in the Club World Cup. After that, he was a substitute against Bayern Munich and only included in the squad against São Paulo and Grêmio , without playing any minutes.

Juninho , meanwhile, played in five games after the World Cup in the United States, always coming on as a substitute. In total, he only played 62 minutes, reflecting the lack of space under Filipe Luís. His last appearance was on August 8 , in a 1-1 draw against Ceará at Castelão.

BRUNO HENRIQUE'S PUNISHMENT MAY CHANGE THE SCENARIO

Bruno Henrique's 12-match suspension, imposed by the Superior Court of Justice (STJD) for match-fixing, could open up opportunities for Juninho and Michael. Flamengo, however, has already announced it will appeal the decision . Currently, competition in their respective sectors remains fierce: in addition to them, the squad includes Pedro, Samuel Lino, Plata, Luiz Araújo, Wallace Yan, and Everton Cebolinha.

Flamengo's current priority is renewing Filipe Luís's contract . The coach's contract runs until the end of 2025 and has already received an offer from the club, which includes an extension until December 2026 , with the option of an automatic renewal for another season.

The main obstacle in the negotiations is financial, but Flamengo 's board believes this won't be a problem. Filipe is expected to present a counteroffer , as his prestige has earned him a salary comparable to that of Brazil's top coaches. This information comes from the 'GE' portal.

EUROPEAN PLAN, BUT FOCUS ON FLAMENGO

Filipe Luís has never hidden his desire to work in Europe at some point in his career . However, he understands that he is still in the process of maturing and is unlikely to take that step now, as the European market tends to be more active in the middle of the year. Therefore, he is likely to remain at Flamengo until at least 2026.

The first proposal was submitted before the Club World Cup, but negotiations were put on hold due to the intense movement during the transfer window. Now, both Filipe's and Arrascaeta's contract renewals are at the top of the club's priorities.

NUMBERS IMPRESS

Flamengo is willing to improve its initial offer to seal the deal quickly. The coach has already won the Copa do Brasil (2024) , as well as the Supercopa do Brasil and the Campeonato Carioca (2025). He is currently leading the Brasileirão and is in the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores.

In charge of the professional team since October 2024, Filipe Luís has only lost six of his 65 matches , with 43 wins and 16 draws. His 74.3% success rate is the best since Jorge Jesus' 81.6% between 2019 and 2020.

The longing for Mengão on the field can be alleviated this Saturday (06). This is because the under-20 team , world champion two weeks ago, returns to play, and soon in a classic against Vasco, for the sixth round of the Carioca Championship of the category . The ball rolls at 9:30 am (Brasília time), in Gávea, with broadcast by FlamengoTV.

CHECK OUT THE GAME LIVE (WITH IMAGES)

CHANGES IN THE RUBRO-NEGRO CAST

The red-and-black team will have some new additions to the team that defeated Barcelona (ESP) in the World Cup final. The starting central defense duo, Iago and João Victor, are with the Brazilian U-20 team , and four world champions have already said goodbye: goalkeeper Lucas Furtado, midfielders Matheus Gonçalves and Lorran, and forward Shola.

Meanwhile, the coach will be counting on the return of Léo Nanneti, one of the heroes of the international triumph. The 18-year-old goalkeeper had a special time completing training with the senior national team at Granja Comary, where he even received praise from Cláudio Taffarel , a four-time world champion. Now, he returns to Flamengo to reinforce the team for the derby.

HOW THE TEAMS ARRIVE

On a roll, Flamengo thrashed Fluminense 4-0 last Saturday (30), away from home, with three goals from Guilherme and one from Joshua . The result put the Garotos do Ninho in second place in the Carioca, with 10 points in four games.

Vasco, meanwhile, leads the competition with 12 points from five matches. In the last round, the Cruzmaltino beat Boavista 2-1 at São Januário. Like Flamengo, their rival will also be without midfielder Leandrinho for the U-20 national team.