"WE WERE BETTER", SAYS CRUZEIRO PLAYER AFTER DRAWING WITH FLAMENGO

The career of one of the greatest Brazilian midfielders of recent decades has come to an end . Renato Augusto, a Flamengo player, has announced his retirement from football . His last club was Fluminense, where he terminated his contract four months ago.

Renato Augusto, Flamengo product: "The time has come to hang up my boots"

"The time has come to say goodbye. Or even a see you soon to football . It's time to turn to the other side of life, pay more attention to my children, and return to being a full-time father and husband. The time has come to hang up my boots," he declared in an interview with GE.

FAMILY IN THE FOREGROUND

Now, the former player intends to dedicate more time to his wife, Fernanda, and his sons, Romeu, seven, and Mateo, two. The decision was motivated not only by the natural physical limitations of his age , but mainly by the desire to be more present in his family's life.

"It's really hard to actually say, 'I'm going to stop.' For 31 years, that's all I did. Since I was six years old, I've always been playing. I thought it would be easy, but it wasn't. What weighed most heavily was the desire to be closer to my family," he said.

A CAREER MARKED BY FLAMENGO AND SUCCESS

Discovered in 2005, Renato Augusto wore the Sacred Mantle in 93 matches, scoring nine goals. In 2006, he won his first titles: the Copa do Brasil and the Campeonato Carioca, repeating the state title in 2007. In 2008, he transferred to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany in a €10 million deal, a fee that helped the club pay off debts and retain midfielder Ibson.

After five years in Europe, he returned to Brazil in 2013, but revealed that Flamengo showed no interest in him. So, he moved on to Corinthians, where he became an idol , and later played for Beijing Guoan in China. At the end of his career, he played for Corinthians again and ended his career at Fluminense.

At 37 years old, Renato Augusto says goodbye as a player of refined class, with memorable spells at top clubs and call-ups to the Brazilian National Team , leaving his mark on national and international football.

Flamengo will have an important reinforcement for the duel this Thursday (18), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã. Defender Léo Ortiz returns to the starting lineup after serving an automatic suspension in the Brasileirão and is confirmed for the first leg of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals against Estudiantes.

In addition to Léo Ortiz , other players are available again for Filipe Luís , including Varela and Bruno Henrique, who were rested against Juventude. Alex Sandro and Jorginho, on the other hand, remain doubtful and will have their fitness assessed shortly before the match.

HANGING ROD

Right-back Guillermo Varela, the team's starting right-back, is on the field with a yellow card. If he receives another warning, the Uruguayan will be out of the second leg, scheduled for September 25th at Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium in La Plata.

PROBABLE LINEUPS

To face Estudiantes, Flamengo must maintain the base of the team that has been playing: Rossi; Varela (Emerson Royal), Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira and Ayrton Lucas (Viña); Saúl, De La Cruz (Jorginho) and Arrascaeta; Plata, Pedro and Samuel Lino.

Eduardo Domínguez will have almost his entire squad available for the game later today. He's expected to field the following: Muslera; Román Gómez, Santiago Núñez, Facundo Rodríguez, and Santiago Arzamendia; Ascacíbar, Gabriel Neves, Amondarain, and Medina; Tiago Palacios and Guido Carrillo.

Flamengo takes to the field this Thursday (18) , at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), to face Estudiantes at Maracanã for the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores. In addition to the weight of the confrontation, coach Filipe Luís needs to manage an extra concern: right-back Guillermo Varela is suspended and could become an important absence for the return leg , scheduled for September 25, at Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium, in La Plata.

After resting some starters over the weekend, Filipe Luís will have reinforcements for the match. Varela, Bruno Henrique, and Léo Ortiz return after absences against Juventude , increasing the team's strength. Meanwhile, Alex Sandro and Jorginho are doubtful and will have their fitness assessed hours before the game.

STUDENTS ARRIVE WITHOUT STAFF

On the other side, Estudiantes will have confirmed absences. Coach Eduardo Domínguez will be without González Pirez and Edwuin Cetré, both in the medical department. Even so, 27 players traveled to Rio de Janeiro and completed their final training session at Fluminense's training center in the West Zone. The Argentine team reaches the quarterfinals after defeating Cerro Porteño 1-0 on aggregate.

PROBABLE LINEUPS

FLAMENGO (Coach: Filipe Luis): Rossi; Varela (Emerson Royal), Leo Ortiz, Leo Pereira and Ayrton Lucas (Viña); Saul, De La Cruz (Jorginho) and Arrascaeta; Plata, Pedro and Samuel Lino.

ESTUDIATES (Coach: Eduardo Domínguez): Muslera; Román Gómez, Santiago Núñez, Facundo Rodríguez and Santiago Arzamendia; Ascacíbar, Gabriel Neves, Amondarain and Medina; Tiago Palacios and Guido Carrillo.