DO FLAMENGO NEED TO CHANGE GOALKEEPERS? BOCA JUNIORS ARRIVES IN THE LIBERTADORES FINAL WITHOUT WINNING A GAME, BUT DEFENDING

Athletico-PR secured a place in the quarterfinals of the Copa do Brasil after beating São Paulo on penalties on Wednesday night (06) at Arena da Baixada. Despite the 1-0 defeat in regular time, CAP qualified by winning on penalties thanks to the decisive performance of goalkeeper Santos, ex-Flamengo , who saved three shots.

In the first leg, played at Morumbi Stadium, the Paraná team had secured a 2-1 victory. With the aggregate score tied, the tie went to penalties. The 35-year-old goalkeeper shone in the penalty shootout, placing Athletico among the top eight in the competition. The club also secured a R$4.7 million prize from the CBF. The opponent in the next round will be determined by a draw.

SANTOS'S TRAJECTORY AT FLAMENGO

Santos arrived at Flamengo in April 2022 from Athletico-PR . Initially a reserve, he became a starter under Dorival Júnior and was a key player in the Copa do Brasil and Libertadores victories that year.

In 2023, he started as a starter under Vítor Pereira, but faced criticism after failing to stop Palmeiras' Mayke in the Brazilian Super Cup. With the arrival of coach Jorge Sampaoli, he lost his place. The Argentine preferred to use Matheus Cunha and, later, Rossi, who finished the season as the goalkeeper. The decline in performance resulted in the goalkeeper's departure from the first team.

SANTOS HAS A CONTRACT WITH FORTALEZA

Currently on loan from Fortaleza, Santos has a contract with the Ceará club until December 2026. Earlier this year, he was loaned to Athletico until the end of 2025, with a renewal clause scheduled for the following season.

Flamengo and Corinthians are in advanced stages of negotiations to establish a strategic partnership focused on jointly marketing broadcast rights and commercial properties for the Brazilian Championship. The agreement between the two clubs has already resulted in a preliminary document with consensual guidelines , which is expected to be signed soon . This information comes from journalist Rodrigo Mattos of UOL.

The alliance comes after both teams, which boast the largest fan bases in the country, opted out of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) proposed by Libra and LFU , which envisaged the centralization of media and commercial rights in a future league. Fears of financial losses and the devaluation of TV assets prompted the clubs to seek an alternative that prioritizes their own economic interests.

DIRECT CONVERSATIONS AND POLITICAL ALIGNMENT

The negotiations gained momentum with the closer dialogue between presidents Luiz Eduardo Baptista ( Flamengo ) and Osmar Stabile (Corinthians). If the impeachment process of suspended president Augusto Melo is approved this Saturday, the expectation is that the agreement will be immediately formalized , since the president of the Corinthians Deliberative Council, Romeu Tuma Jr., also participated in the negotiations and supports the initiative.

FOCUS ON REVENUE MAXIMIZATION

According to the directors, Flamengo and Corinthians account for approximately 39% to 40% of Brazilian soccer's national audience. However, in the contracts signed with LFU and Libra, the share received by both is around 13% to 15% of total revenue , resulting in approximately R$400 million. Flamengo, in fact, considers this amount below what would be fair and disputes its participation in Libra.

The agreement under discussion is a new exclusive MOU between Flamengo and Corinthians, which would establish the principles for creating a joint entity . There will also be a period of study to define the foundations and operational details of the partnership.

PARTNERSHIP FROM 2030

Under the initial terms, the cooperation would come into effect in 2030, after the current contracts expire. The marketing of the Brazilian Championship's TV rights and commercial properties —such as billboards and sponsorships—would be conducted jointly, without individual negotiations between the clubs and interested companies. The revenue sharing between Flamengo and Corinthians will be discussed and formalized at a later date.

POSSIBLE NEW AGREEMENTS

The partnership also opens the door to other collaborations in areas such as marketing and joint promotional activities, although this is still in the early stages of discussion. All commercial decisions, however, will follow the statutory procedures and must be approved by the Deliberative Councils of both clubs.

ALIGNED POLITICAL ACTION

In addition to the financial aspect, the pact stipulates that Flamengo and Corinthians will adopt unified positions on political issues, such as league participation, Brasileirão governance, and Financial Fair Play proposals . In theory, the two clubs could join a future national league—such as the "New League"—as long as they maintain autonomy over their commercial contracts.

The creation of this alliance seeks to simultaneously protect the revenues of both giants and avoid isolation in a scenario of fragmented negotiations, where joint strength can increase bargaining power vis-à-vis media outlets. Finally, the agreement also provides for the sharing of best management, governance, and internal regulation practices , aiming to strengthen the institutional framework of Flamengo and Corinthians.

On Wednesday night (06), Flamengo beat Atlético-MG 1-0 at Arena MRV and returned the score from the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil. With that, the match was decided on penalties , and the Minas Gerais team advanced to the semifinals by winning 4-3 in the shootout.

Flamengo demonstrated superiority on the field, creating numerous chances, and controlling the action for most of the 90 minutes. Cebolinha scored the winning goal. Despite their strong performance, Wallace Yan and Samuel Lino missed their penalty kicks , while the opponent converted four of their five opportunities.

FILIPE LUÍS HIGHLIGHTS COMMITMENT

After the elimination, coach Filipe Luís spoke firmly about the commitment required of everyone who wears the red-and-black jersey . According to him, although victory is not under total control, dedication to the badge must be non-negotiable:

Filipe Luís talks about Flamengo's year: "This group will fight until the end"

"I'm sorry, but we're obligated to work as hard as possible and give our lives for Flamengo. We can't control winning. No one can. Not me, not Abel (Ferreira), not Cuca, not (Leonardo) Jardim. Our obligation is to give our lives for the Flamengo badge and make Flamengo our priority. The squad gives us the ability to fight for titles; this group will fight until the end. I have faith and trust in these players. I trust them with my life, and we'll have a good season until the end."

FLAMENGO SAYS GOODBYE TO THE BRAZIL CUP

With the elimination from the Copa do Brasil, Flamengo turns its attention to the other two fronts in dispute: the Brazilian Championship and the Copa Libertadores da América. On the national scene, the team leads with 37 points and will have as its next commitment the duel against Mirassol, scheduled for Saturday (09), at 6:30 pm, at Maracanã. The match is valid for the 19th round of the Brasileirão.