Journalist criticizes Matheus Cunha and highlights: “naked goalkeeper”

Loud music in the mixed zone, “title” celebration at the airport, posts on social media with Christ the Redeemer wearing the Peñarol (URU) shirt and the coach mocking Flamengo fans... The Uruguayan team's party after The 1-0 victory at Maracanã, in the first game of the Libertadores quarter-finals, caught the attention and angered the red and black players. The “exaggerated” celebration also had repercussions in Uruguay, generating an ironic comment from journalist Valentín Fletcher, who teased: “Were you champion?”.

“Congratulations to the Penãrol fans for winning a new championship. Peñarol has been playing at an international level for many years, which doesn't even fit in Uruguay. You won the Maracanã, right? Oh, it didn't come out. I saw a lot of people ecstatic and excited. But… My mistake for not being well informed” said Valentín Fletcher, appearing on the channel 'Las voces del fútbol', from Uruguay.

In addition to mocking the party of Peñarol fans, Fletcher criticized two Uruguayan players who defend Flamengo. “They are a disgrace, starting with the Uruguayans. They have to ask the public for forgiveness. Guille Varela played with the Peñarol shirt (underneath). From Arrascaeta, okay, he's a Peñarol fan, he wants to play for Peñarol. But you have to respect the Flamengo fans”, declared Fletcher.

The journalist recalled that Varela, trained in Peñarol's youth categories, always showed affection for the Montevideo club. Arrascaeta, on several occasions, expressed his desire to end his career with his childhood team, which will precisely be Flamengo's next opponent.

The list of Peñarol celebrations at Maracanã was extensive. After the end of the game, the players played loud music, singing and dancing in front of Brazilian journalists. At the airport, the athletes celebrated with the fans, jumping and celebrating together.

In the changing rooms, goalkeeper Aguerre took a photo pointing to the patch with Peñarol's five Libertadores cups (although he had never seen the club to win the tournament, as it was born in 1993 and the last title was in 1987). Coach Diego Aguirre, in turn, celebrated the fact that he “silenced Maracanã”.

With the scenario still open , Peñarol and Flamengo meet again next Thursday (26), this time at the Campeón del Siglo Stadium, in Montevideo. After losing 1-0 in the first game, Flamengo needs to win by two goals to guarantee their place in the semi-finals. A 1-0 victory would take the decision to penalties. The match starts at 7pm (Brasília time).

Coach Tite's life at Flamengo is not easy. The coach has accumulated bad results and poor football on the field. Despite still being in the three possible competitions (Copa do Brasil, Libertadores and Brasileirão), fans have been very critical of the coach and his choices.

Therefore, during Flamengo's Live this Monday (23) at UOL, columnist Renato Maurício Prado stated that Tite is only being kept in his position at Flamengo because of the prestige he has.

RMP cited Flamengo's recent record and considered that any other coach would have already been fired with such a bad sequel. The journalist understands that Tite should have already left and opined that Filipe Luís, coach of the red and black youth teams, would be the ideal replacement.

The campaign in the last 13 games is seven defeats, four wins and two draws. It's a horrible thing. If it weren't for Tite, if he didn't have his name, his prestige would have already fallen. Any other coach would have fallen with this performance. And I think Flamengo will throw away the Libertadores and the Copa do Brasil, which are the two competitions left. When things go wrong, if you don't create a new fact, you won't go anywhere. For me, Tite should have already been replaced. And when they ask who, I say: Filipe Luís.

Renato Maurício Prado

Vinícius Júnior's magnificent season for Real Madrid will, indeed, be rewarded. The star hopes to receive the best player in the world award from France Football magazine, which organizes the Ballon d'Or awards. But according to Spanish newspaper Marca, this expectation has already become reality.

This is because the striker revealed by Flamengo has already been announced that he will be the big winner of the Ballon d'Or in the edition that takes place in October and rewards players for the 2023/24 season, which has already come to an end. It is only a matter of time before Vinícius Júnior becomes the first Brazilian to win the honor since Kaká, in 2007.

The newspaper highlights that “Vinícius Júnior is dressed in gold” and already knows that he is waiting for glory. Furthermore, the star's resilience and effort were praised and rewarded: “Vinícius made mistakes on occasions, but he also knew how to assimilate and work like few others so that his football changed and adapted to the needs of his team. From being the protagonist of parodies and all kinds of situations that sought to make him ridiculous, he became respected and feared by those who step onto the pitch and face him.”

The awarding of the Ballon d'Or, at the organized event by France Football, is scheduled for October 28th, with just over a month left for Vinícius Júnior to experience the greatest moment of his career so far. From what he continues to play, however, the hunger and the possibility of this being just the beginning, piling up awards and consolidating himself as the best player in the world today, is very high.