GENERATION OF 2019 SEES "DROUGHT" OF TITLES IN FLAMENGO'S DISASTROUS YEAR

Exactly one year ago, Gabigol scored the goal that guaranteed Flamengo's 1-0 victory over Athletico-PR, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, thus winning their third title in the Conmebol Libertadores (you can remember this moment in the video below) . This sweet memory represents the last title that Flamengo celebrated, as the club entered 2023 full of hope, but the season is heading towards a disappointing outcome.

Flamengo started the year with the promise of playing in seven competitions. However, the team finished as runner-up to Carioca, the Copa do Brasil, the Supercopa do Brasil and the Recopa Sul-Americana. In the Club World Cup, Rubro-Negro was eliminated in the semi-final, and in Conmebol Libertadores, they left the competition early in the round of 16. Now, the last hope lies in the Brasileirão, but Flamengo is only in fifth place, nine points behind leader Botafogo, who still has one game to play and could open up a 12-point lead if they beat Cuiabá next Sunday.< /p>

This is the first time that the "2019 Generation", made up of players like Gabigol, Bruno Henrique, Arrascaeta, Everton Ribeiro and others, faces a period without titles. With this talented group, Flamengo has won 11 titles in the last four years, including three Cariocas (2019, 2020 and 2021), two Libertadores (2019 and 2022), two Brazilian Championships (2019 and 2020), two Brazilian Super Cups (2020 and 2021), a Brazilian Cup (2022) and a South American Recopa (2020). Now, the club is reliving a period without titles that it has not experienced since 2018.

Arrascaeta expressed the group's feeling well: "We know that this year has been very frustrating for us. We are not used to it. We are We are used to lifting trophies, so this is an atypical year, and we need to keep our heads up", he said after the Brazilian Cup final defeat to São Paulo at Morumbi. In the 23 years of this century to date, Flamengo has faced a similar or greater period of drought on only six occasions (see list below).

The worst of them happened between Carioca's titles in 2014 and 2017, when the club went three years and 24 days without winning. Likewise, between the 2001 and 2004 State Championships, Flamengo also faced almost three seasons of fasting, with a period of two years, nine months and seven days without titles. Currently, Flamengo was overtaken by Grêmio and left the G-4, as the match against Bragantino was postponed.

The club has 50 points on the leaderboard and runs the risk of ending Sunday in sixth place if Athletico-PR beats São Paulo at the Ligga Arena. In search of a direct place in the 2024 Libertadores, Rubro-Negro will return to the field on Wednesday, when they will face Santos at 8 pm (Brasília time) at Mané Garrincha, as Maracanã is ceded to Conmebol for the final of the Liberators.