Flamengo players revolt with director

In the relationship between Gabigol and coach Tite at Flamengo, only the field is capable of speaking. Between the striker and coach, there is practically no dialogue, and the cold and silent war dictates that only one of them should remain at the club for the season in 2025.

No atmosphere with the coaching staff and also with the squad , Gabriel Barbosa has been convinced to change and airs, but even the clubs that expressed interest in the first half of the year backed away. With a contract at Flamengo until the end of December, Gabigol had offers from Palmeiras, Corinthians and Santos, was mentioned at Grêmio, but did not want to sign a pre-contract with any team.

The expectation was to try to turn things around on top in the second half, otherwise he would end his time at Flamengo like the idol he became, without any fuss.

Tite's arrival last year changed the entire perspective of the striker, who was already in a bad phase previously, and lost his place once and for all to Pedro with the presence of the new coach. With the center forward's recent injury, Tite kept Gabigol at the end of the line, under the argument that Carlinhos and Bruno Henrique perform better in the scheme with a reference man .

Without understanding the criteria, Gabi maintains her dedication to the basic level of professionalism in training, as it is not part of the coach's or the club's plans for a possible renewal. With the chances of a comeback practically buried, the two possible paths are to wait for the election in Flamengo to find out if Tite will remain with the next president; or wait for the end of the contract to freely listen to proposals again. Palmeiras and Santos have not yet given up on the idea, and Bahia appears as an option, as it has good investment capacity.

Retired from the field since 2017, former midfielder Zé Roberto, who had a spell at Flamengoin the 90s, it is looking to buy 90% of SAF from São Bento, a club in São Paulo. According to GE, a meeting scheduled for this Wednesday night (18) could decree the sale of the Sorocaba team to the company Flash Forward, which belongs to the former player.

Zé Roberto is the main name of the company. However, the group also has partners such as former athlete Fransérgio and businessman Tiago Ribeiro (former CEO of Estoril). In addition to Flamengo, Zé played in Brazilian football with the shirts of Palmeiras, Santos and Grêmio. In Europe, the former athlete defended giants such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

The offer is R$130 million, which would be paid in installments. This amount would be invested on a specific basis in the football team and the club’s structure. The project is to take São Bento to the elite of São Paulo football and Brazilian Series B in up to six seasons.

Revelation from Portuguesa-SP, Zé Roberto stood out at Lusa and caught the attention of Real Madrid in 1997. However, the player had difficulty fitting into the Spanish club and was loaned to Flamengo in 1998.

At Flamengo, Zé Roberto was a starter in the Campeonato Carioca competition, entered the field 23 times and aroused the interest of Bayer Leverkusen , leaving Gávea in the same season. As an athlete, the former midfielder also played in the 2006 World Cup for the Brazilian team.

This Saturday (14), the Flamengoadopted a strategy of preserving some of its main players during training. Fabrício Bruno, Arrascaeta and Bruno Henrique were spared from part of the activities in order to control the load of physical effort, thinking about tomorrow's duel. Although they did not fully participate in the training sessions, the trio are confirmed as starters in the match.

The decision to preserve the athletes is in line with common practices in modern football, where monitoring workload is essential to avoid injuries, especially in players who usually play in most games and are in decisive phases of the season. This type of management is particularly important at times when the calendar becomes tight, with consecutive games.

Fabrício Bruno, the team's defender, has been a fundamental piece in the red and black defense, and its preservation in training indicates the concern of the medical department and the technical committee in keeping the athlete in the best conditions for the confrontation. Arrascaeta, Uruguayan midfielder, is one of the team's creative pillars, responsible for organizing and articulating offensive plays. Bruno Henrique, in turn, is one of the most dangerous attackers in the squad, with a combination of speed and skill that often makes the difference in games.

The choice to spare these three athletes reflects careful preparation for the game, with a focus on ensuring they are fully fit by the time the kick-off whistles. The measure aims to avoid unnecessary wear and tear in training activities, while ensuring that players are ready to perform to the maximum during the 90 minutes of the match.

The practice of load control is increasingly frequent in elite clubs, especially in teams that compete in several competitions throughout the year. In the case of Flamengo< /a>, who has a schedule full of commitments both in the Brazilian Championship and in other competitions, it is crucial to balance rest time and work on the field to avoid losing athletes due to physical issues.