MARACANÃ, THE STAGE OF DISAPPOINTMENTS: FLAMENGO EXPERIENCES A TURBULENT MOMENT AT HOME IN 2023

On the morning of this Friday (15), during the Posse de Bola program, on Uol, journalist Juca Kfouri made controversial statements about Flamengo and the case involving Bruno Henrique and alleged manipulation of sports betting.

Juca Kfouri: "It's clear that Flamengo has influence in the Court of Justice to prevent him from being tried"

SERIOUS ACCUSATIONS

The commentator insinuated that the club would have influence in the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) to delay the trial of the number 27 , who recently scored the winning goal for Flamengo in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Libertadores.

Kfouri stated, without any evidence: " For weeks now, I've only been referring to him as the accused Bruno Henrique . It's clear that Flamengo has influence in the Court of Justice to prevent him from being tried."

MAURO CEZAR DEFENDS THE CLUB

Before Kfouri's statements, Mauro Cezar Pereira had already come out in defense of Flamengo, noting that the club had no involvement in the case . He compared the situation to that of Lucas Paquetá and criticized the timing of the re-emerging issue:

"Flamengo has nothing to do with this. It's the player's problem, as he's hired his lawyers and is moving forward with his career . Clubs field players while they're not suspended. I just think this issue should have been raised earlier. When Bruno Henrique plays and scores a goal, everyone talks about it."

Mauro Cezar also highlighted that similar cases involving other clubs don't receive as much attention, citing Internacional's Thiago Maia: " They don't talk about Thiago Maia, whom Internacional puts on the field without paying him . The player hasn't been paid, and the situation drags on."

The controversy reinforces the debate over Bruno Henrique's trial, but makes it clear that, for now, Flamengo remains free to count on the striker on the field. The striker is even available to coach Filipe Luís this Sunday (17), when Flamengo faces Internacional again, but this time in the Brasileirão. The game is scheduled for 6:30 pm (Brasília time).

Cruzeiro has opened talks to try to sign Matheus França , a 21-year-old attacking midfielder who came through Flamengo's ranks and is currently playing for Crystal Palace in England. Despite the interest, the club's board believes the fees involved are outside the standards adopted at Toca da Raposa II , according to Goal.

REQUEST BECOMES AN OBSTACLE

The main obstacle is the player's high salary request, combined with the demands made by the English club . Matheus França was acquired by Crystal Palace in August 2023 for around €20 million—approximately R$126 million at the current exchange rate—a similar amount to the amount paid at the time of the transfer.

If Cruzeiro accepts the requested figures, the attacking midfielder would become one of the three highest-paid players in the squad , behind only Gabriel Barbosa and Matheus Pereira. However, the club currently considers this amount unaffordable.

PASSAGE THROUGH FLAMENGO

Matheus França played 52 matches for Flamengo between 2021 and 2023, scoring nine goals and providing two assists. Despite his short tenure, he demonstrated his ability to decide matches and participate in decisive moments , gaining experience in national and continental tournaments.

The player also shone in the youth ranks of the Brazilian national team. His professional debut for the red-and-black team came in 2022 , when he scored six goals and played an important role in the Libertadores and Copa do Brasil victories.

Flamengo's standout player in recent matches, Samuel Lino could be close to his first call-up to the Brazilian National Team . On Thursday night (14), the striker met with coach Carlo Ancelotti at Mocellin Steakhouse , in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro. The news was first reported by Coluna do Fla.

Ancelotti had already seen Samuel in action the day before at the Maracanã, when Flamengo beat Internacional 1-0 in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16. On that occasion, the striker gave full-back Aguirre a hard time, creating good plays down the left flank.

In the previous duel, against Mirassol for the Brasileirão, Samu had provided the assist for Léo Pereira to open the scoring in the 2-1 victory. Recently signed from Atlético de Madrid (ESP), Samuel Lino has played five games with the Manto Sagrado, without yet scoring goals , but with performances that have been attracting attention.

DATE OF CALLING

The next Brazilian national team roster will be announced by Carlo Ancelotti on August 25th at 3:30 pm (Brasília time) at the CBF headquarters. The 23 players will be announced for the matches against Chile at the Maracanã and Bolivia in El Alto, on September 4th and 9th, respectively, in the final rounds of the World Cup qualifiers. Brazil has already secured a spot in the World Cup and is looking to improve on its current third-place finish.

There is an expectation that other Flamengo athletes will be called up, as happened in Ancelotti's first call-up , when Léo Ortiz, Danilo and Alex Sandro, in addition to Wesley and Gerson — then Flamengo players —, were included in the list.

HISTORY AGAINST ANCELOTTI

In Europe, Samuel Lino and Carlo Ancelotti have faced each other several times. The striker, playing for Valencia and Atlético de Madrid, recorded four wins, three losses, and four draws against the coach , who was then in charge of Real Madrid. Samu scored twice in matches against teams managed by the Italian.