LIBERTADORES: FELIPE MELO PREFERS TO AVOID CONFRONTATION WITH FLAMENGO IN THE Round of 16

Flamengo hosts Estudiantes this Thursday (18), at Maracanã, for the first leg of the Conmebol Libertadores quarterfinals . Despite some absences, coach Filipe Luís will have important reinforcements: Varela and Bruno Henrique are available again.

PROBABLE LINEUP

After training last Wednesday (17), the tendency is for coach Filipe Luís to send onto the field a Flamengo with: Rossi; Varela, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira and Ayrton Lucas; De La Cruz (Allan), Saúl and Arrascaeta; Plata, Samuel Lino and Pedro.

CAST SITUATION

During training on Wednesday (17), the coaching staff finalized the list of players involved. Alex Sandro (calf) and Jorginho (thigh) are still recovering and are already working on the field, but individually. The same goes for Pulgar, who is in transition with physiotherapy and should only start training with the group at the end of September.

In defense, Léo Ortiz and Léo Pereira remain the starting duo . Having recovered from a groin injury, Varela is expected to return to right-back, while Ayrton Lucas has the advantage over Viña on the left. In midfield, Filipe Luís is expected to keep the trio that played against Grêmio: De La Cruz, Saúl, and Arrascaeta, although Allan will also compete for space.

Up front, there are more options. Plata, Samuel Lino, and Pedro are the favorites, but Bruno Henrique could take the center-forward spot, as he did against Internacional. Another possibility is for Luiz Araújo to start on the right, with Samuel Lino on the left and Plata in the center . Filipe Luís, however, remains a mystery and will only confirm his lineup hours before kick-off, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time) at the Maracanã stadium. The return leg is scheduled for next week in La Plata, Argentina.

Filipe Luís's work as Flamengo's manager has received praise from various sectors of Brazilian football. However, this week, former coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo sparked controversy by downplaying the former full-back's ideas. During the Galvão e Amigos program, the former coach stated that the club's style is not innovative .

Vanderlei Luxemburgo on Filipe Luís's Flamengo: "Nothing new, because we do that there"

"There's nothing new in what we're seeing here. He (Filipe Luís) waits to make a decision, and when he makes a decision, he advances the marking . Two against one, three against one. He loses and presses. Nothing new, because that's what we do," Luxemburgo declared.

THE CONTEXT

The speech came after Flamengo 's victory over Juventude, last Sunday (14). During the analysis of the game, commentator Marco Antônio Rodrigues, Bodão, highlighted that he saw a “European standard” in the way Filipe Luís organizes the team . The observation irritated Luxemburgo, who promptly responded.

"When Jorge Jesus took over at Flamengo , the team started playing like that, and we haven't seen a Brazilian team play like that in a long time. Pressing marking . It's a training system of European coaches. I know you (Luxembourg) have won everything, but they came with a certain mentality," said Bodão.

" You want to portray something as new, and it's not, " Luxemburgo retorted, visibly annoyed. "It's not new, but you didn't put it into practice," Bodão countered. "Of course you did, unless you saw it," Luxemburgo replied, before Galvão Bueno intervened, changing the course of the discussion by mentioning Arrascaeta's name.

THE IMPACT OF FILIPE LUÍS

Despite the criticism, the numbers speak in favor of the current Flamengo coach. Flamengo leads the Brazilian Championship, boasting the best attack and the tightest defense in the competition . Whenever questioned, Filipe Luís emphasizes that he draws inspiration primarily from Jorge Jesus and Diego Simeone.

The former full-back recently turned down a multi-million dollar offer from Fenerbahçe (TUR), making it clear that he intends to stay at Flamengo to fulfill the goals he set out to achieve when he took over the team. The club also rejected the offer.

In 2024, Rodolfo Landim's administration announced the purchase of the Gasômetro land and promised the delivery of the new stadium in 2029. However, during a meeting of the Deliberative Council held this Wednesday (17), president Luiz Eduardo Baptista (Bap) presented new data and stated that the arena will only be ready in 2036 .

MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PROJECTS

Landim Project:

• Capacity: 78 thousand seats
• Estimated cost: R$ 3 billion
• Opening: 2029
• Financing model: revenue anticipation
• Predicted impact on football performance

Bap Project:

• Capacity: 72 thousand seats
• Estimated cost: R$2.2 billion
• Inauguration: 2036
• Financing model: generation of internal resources (savings)
• No impact on sports performance

Upon taking over the club in January, Bap stated that he would review all of the previous management's studies , particularly regarding deadlines and costs. At this Wednesday's meeting, the board presented the first updates.

FLAMENGO'S OFFICIAL POSITION

After the meeting, the club released a statement explaining the reasons for the schedule change. The statement emphasizes that it will take at least six years to make adjustments to the Gasômetro site: "The deadlines were also revised. The original schedule ignored essential steps, such as the relocation of Naturgy, which currently occupies 55% of the site , with a gas pumping substation for the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region," Flamengo wrote.

“According to a statement from Naturgy sent to Flamengo on September 10, 2025, the estimated relocation time is four years, after obtaining a new address for the installation of the substation , which is the responsibility of the City Hall.”

WHERE WILL FLAMENGO PLAY UNTIL 2036?

Despite the seven-year delay compared to the initial forecast, the club sees no risk in the short term. This is because the Maracanã concession is guaranteed for another 19 years , ensuring Flamengo a permanent venue until its own stadium opens. Thus, by 2036, Flamengo will have two stadiums at its disposal.