REMEMBER HIM? "EX-NOVO ZICO" FROM GÁVEA, ADRYAN RETURNS TO RIO AND WILL DEFEND THE PORTUGUESE COLORS

The attacker Bruno Henrique declared his innocence in the suspicion of card manipulation in the match between Flamengo and Santos for the 2023 Brazilian Championship His defense, presented to the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD), argued that there was no malicious intent in his yellow card, received in the 50th minute of the second half, at a time when Flamengo was already losing 2-1. Bruno Henrique he was sent off after vehemently protesting against referee Rafael Klein, who considered his conduct to be a lack of respect.

“It would draw attention to the coolness that the athlete would have to have to wait for the additions of the second time to perpetrate the intended illegality, including running the risk of the match being ended before the act was completed”, claimed the Flamengo striker’s defense.

In his defense, Bruno Henrique stated that his only objective was to compete for the balland regain possession , and the chance of hitting his opponent, Soteldo, would be purely accidental. Furthermore, he argued that he was already hanging with two yellow cards and, upon receiving a straight red, he was automatically suspended for the next two matches, including the confrontation with Palmeiras, direct opponent of Flamengo in the title dispute.

Although the STJD closed the investigation, Bruno Henrique was the target of a Federal Police operation ( PF) and the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro this Tuesday, with 12 search and seizure warrants executed in various locations, including Ninho do Urubu and the player's residence, where his cell phone was seized.

In its archiving decision, the STJD indicated that the company Sportradar found no evidence of irregularities during the game, considering the value of the bets insignificant and the play as a common move. On October 2, the court informed Flamengo, the CBF, the PF and the Public Ministry about the filing of the case.

Flamengo is in a great position to win another Copa do Brasil title after beating Atlético-MG 3-1 last Sunday (03 ), in Maracanã. One of the goals was scored by < b>Arrascaeta, which seeks to expand its collection of tournament trophies. If Mengão wins the final, the Uruguayan will achieve four Copa do Brasil titles, equaling the likes of Rafael, Zinho and Roger Machado as one of the biggest winners of the competition.

Currently, Arrascaeta has threetitles: two with Cruzeiro (2017 and 2018) and one with < a href="https://www.sofascore.com/pt/time/futebol/flamengo/5981" target="_blank">Flamengo (2022). With a new achievement, he and Flamengo would consolidate themselves among the greatestchampions of the national knockout stage.

List of the biggest winners of the Copa do Brasil:

Four titles:

Rafael: Cruzeiro (2017 and 2018), Atlético-MG (2021) and São Paulo (2023)

Zinho: Flamengo (1990), Palmeiras (1998), Grêmio (2001) and Cruzeiro (2003)

Roger Machado: Grêmio (1994, 1997 and 2001) and Fluminense (2007)

Three titles:

Arrascaeta: Cruzeiro (2017 and 2018) and Flamengo (2022)

Paulo Nunes, Danrlei, Arouca, Fábio, Egídio, Thiago Neves, Dedé and Robinho

Next Game and Reunion

O Flamengo will face Atlético-MG again on Sunday (10), at 4pm, at Arena MRV, needing only a draw or even a defeat by one goal of difference to guarantee the title.

Before the Final

Before the big decision, Flamengo focuses on the Brazilian Championship and plays against Cruzeirothis Wednesday (06), at 9pm, on Independence Arena. Victory is essential for the club to remain in the G-4 and avoid being overtaken by Internacional.

In recent times, the Pulgar midfielder has established himself as one of the main players in Flamengo's midfield, especially after the arrival of coach Filipe Luís. With consistent performances, the Chilean player became one of the team's pillars and started to have a sequence of good games, which guaranteed him the starting position.

Currently, Pulgar has a contract with Mengão until December 2025, but from July 2025 he will be able to sign a pre-contract with another team. As a result, Flamengo's management is paying attention and has begun negotiations to renew the contract. However, the talks are at a standstill, and the club's current management plans to restart negotiations only after the end of the season.

The journalist Pablo Raphael, from Gazeta do Urubu, highlighted that the board's intention is to ensure the permanence of the midfielder, who has the support of Filipe Luís for the renewal. Despite River Plate's interest, to date, the Argentine club has not presented an official proposal.

SALARY APPRECIATION AND DESIRE TO STAY

Pulgar, 30 years old, arrived at Flamengoin 2022, but established himself in the team from last year, when Jorge Sampaoli took over as coach. Even in a challenging season for the club, the midfielder stood out, becoming an absolute starter for both Flamengo and the Chilean national team. So far, he has scored two goals and six assists for Rubro-Negro.

According to information from the GE website, Pulgar is one of the players in the midfield sector that receives the least at the club and expects a salary increase as part of the renewal negotiations. The red-black board recognizes the need for an increase, but the proposed values ​​are still far from a consensus.

NEXT STEPS FOR THE CHILEAN STEERING WHEEL

Recently, Pulgar traveled with the squad for the game against Cruzeiro, and, after being left out of the victory against Atlético-MG, he returns to the starting lineup to gain rhythm and prepare for the return clash against Galo, which takes place next Sunday.