Argentine and Spanish press 'envy' Flamengo and are enchanted by Gabigol

The Rio de Janeiro Court ruled on Tuesday (16) that the organized fan group Jovem Fla is banned from attending stadiums for a period of two years. The decision was made by Judge Renato Guarino Martins, responding to an injunction requested by the Public Ministry of the State of Rio de Janeiro (MP-RJ) after new episodes of violence were recorded in early September.

The Specialized Stadium Policing Battalion (BEPE) released a report describing several incidents involving members of Jovem Fla . Among the incidents were reports of fans jumping train turnstiles , damaging a train station, and walking on the tracks, delaying the train's journey.

The Military Police also reported that members of the organized group were caught surfing on buses in the Cidade de Deus and Niterói regions. Fights were also reported on Avenida Brasil, near São Cristóvão, heading towards Maracanã Stadium.

EPISODES OF VANDALISM AND AGGRESSION

According to the lawsuit, one of the members urinated on a police armored vehicle and posted on social media that he "wanted to cause trouble." A merchant also reported the theft of two cases of beer and two cases of soda from the stadium's North Sector.

BEPE also reported the assault suffered by Vasco fans in a bar on Rua Alfredo Valadão , in Copacabana. The court also sent a letter to the Public Prosecutor's Office with information about new episodes of violence involving other organized fan groups, such as Fúria, Força Jovem do Vasco and Jovem do Botafogo .

Flamengo will have significant absences in this Thursday's (17) clash, at 9:30 pm, against Estudiantes, at Maracanã, for the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores . Among the big names that will be left out are midfielder Jorginho, full-back Alex Sandro and midfielder Pulgar.

Jorginho will miss the match against Argentina due to muscle swelling in his left thigh . Alex Sandro continues to recover from a left calf injury, while Pulgar is in the final stages of treatment after surgery on his right foot and will still require at least two weeks of physical therapy before returning to the squad.

IMPACT OF EMBARRASSMENTS

With these absences, the coach will have to assemble a team with alternatives for midfield and left back. The likely starting lineup includes: Rossi; Royal (Varela), Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, Ayrton Lucas (Viña); Saúl, De La Cruz (Allan), Arrascaeta; Plata, Samuel Lino, and Pedro.

The absences could influence Flamengo 's game strategy, as they seek to advance to the Copa Libertadores semifinals. The return leg will be next week in La Plata, Argentina, against Estudiantes.

POSSIBLE REINFORCEMENTS

Striker Bruno Henrique and full-back Varela are the main names expected to return to the team after being absent last Sunday (14), against Juventude, for the Brazilian Championship. Both trained normally with the team this Tuesday (16).

Created to reward clubs that contributed players to the World Cup, FIFA's Club Benefits Program has been expanded. From now on, teams that have players called up for the qualifiers , such as Flamengo, will also receive financial compensation .

The announcement was made by the organization itself, which confirmed the distribution of more than R$1.8 billion to clubs that release players to national teams . This amount represents an increase of almost 70% compared to the last edition of the program, implemented during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

HOW THE NEW MODEL WILL WORK

Until now, the benefit was restricted to clubs that had players called up for the World Cup. With this change, FIFA aims to be more inclusive and reach a wider range of teams: "The new edition of the FIFA Club Benefits Program for the 2026 World Cup will go a step further and recognize, in economic terms, the immense contribution made by clubs and players from around the world to the celebration of the preliminary and final stages of the tournament," said Gianni Infantino, president of the organization.

For the 2022 World Cup, the amount distributed was US$209 million (approximately R$1.1 billion at the current exchange rate). For the 2026 edition, the amount will rise to US$355 million , which represents approximately R$700 million more. In the last edition, 440 clubs from 51 different federations were included.

NASSER AL-KHELAÏFI’S INVOLVEMENT

The increased financial contribution was directly supported by Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, owner of PSG and president of the European Club Association (ECA) . He led negotiations that resulted in the program's expansion. Despite the initial focus on benefiting European clubs, the measure will have a global reach. After the announcement, Al-Khelaïfi celebrated the progress:

"More clubs around the world will receive a reward for releasing their players. Clubs play a fundamental role in the success of international football , and this initiative recognizes all aspects of that role, from developing younger players to releasing them to play in more important matches," he declared.