OLIVINHA APOLOGIZES TO THE NATION AFTER DEFEAT IN THE FIRST MATCH OF THE NBB FINAL

Flamengo's dream of starting the construction of its own stadium is getting closer to coming true. After the City of Rio de Janeiro announced the expropriation of the Gasologista land, the red and black people are already dreaming about what Fla's home will be like. This Thursday (27), the president of Mengo, Rodolfo Landim, gave a preview, announced the capacity of the arena and revealed inspiration in Signal Iduna Park, from Borussia Dortmund (ALE). Furthermore, the president confirmed the return of the geral, a popular sector that marked Maracanã until the beginning of the 2000s.

"Daria um stadium for 80 thousand people based on the studies we have done so far. We have to evaluate architectural aspects, legality. A promise we made to the fans is that on both sides there will be an area where the fans will watch the game standing up. A promise that we will keep. bigger than the other " said Rodolfo Landim, in an interview with narrator João Guilherme.

The Borussia Dortmund fans are known, after all, like 'Yellow Wall'. During the interview, Landim said that he hopes to repeat this with the Flamengo fans, in the sectors behind the goals, with the fans standing. The director also said that tickets will be cheaper in both areas.

When asked whether Flamengo will suffer losses due to the lower values ​​behind goals, Landim assured that it would not. Therefore, the president gave an example of what is currently practiced at Maracanã, with the obligation to be free, due to state law.

Thus, considered the most popular sector in the history of Brazilian football, the Maracanã overall marked an era. In it, fans were free to run along a long stretch of the stand and ‘played together’ with the players during the 90 minutes. However, unlike Landim's plans for the new stadium, the area at the Holy Temple gave access to the entire field. At Mengão's home, it will only be about goals.

The midfielder Marcos Antônio is the club's big dream Flamengo for the mid-year transfer window. The athlete plays for Lazio, in Italy, and GE brought to light a detail that could define the negotiation. This is because Mengão is trying to sign him on loan, but there is a condition in the purchase obligation.

Lazio wants Flamengo to be obliged to buy the player under a specific condition. If Marcos Antônio reaches the goal of playing 50% of the team's games during the loan period, Mais Querido will have to acquire the midfielder permanently.

If the transfer takes place for a period of one year, it would mean that out of around 80 games, Marcos Antônio would be bought by the club, playing 40 matches. This fixed value would be around 5 to 6 million euros (R$ 35.5 million).

Flamengo is still working on the counter-proposal to try to improve the terms of the agreement, but it seems to be a matter of time before the outcome comes out. Marcos Antônio has already decided that he wants to come to Mengão, and the desire is mutual. The Italians also view the deal favorably.

The negotiations are not recent, and Flamengo is negotiating with Lazio to count on Marcos Antônio. Mengão's first offer was for a loan, but without offering any value, which was rejected outright by Lazio.

In the second offer, Flamengo included the purchase option at 4.5 million euros ( R$ 26 million). But the tendency is for Lazio to raise the value in response and the conversations will continue. However, Mengo is getting closer and closer to counting on the athlete.

O Flamengo has agreed to renew the contract with coach Gustavo De Conti. The coach, who arrived at the club in 2021, won the **Super 8 Cup** and **Campeonato Carioca** in the same year. In the 2023/24 season, De Conti led Flamengo to runner-up in the **Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB)**, losing the final to Franca. Despite the setback, the coach was praised for the work he did, especially for the evolution of the younger players in the squad.

The renewal of the contract with De Conti is a demonstration of the Flamengo board's confidence in the coach's work. The club believes that he is the right name to lead the team in the search for new titles. As a coach, De Conti spent time at Franca, São José dos Campos, Paulistano and Minas before arriving at Flamengo. On his resume, he has titles such as **Campeonato Paulista** (2015), **Liga das Américas** (2018) and **Campeonato Sul-Americano** (2019).

FLAMENGOPode HAVE A NEW DIRECTION

Next season, Flamengo will face the challenge of regaining the NBB title. In addition, the club will compete in the **Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA)**, a continental competition that brings together the best teams in the Americas. To face these challenges, Flamengo has an experienced squad, led by experienced players such as Jaú, Didi Louzada and many others. Furthermore, the club invested in young promises.

With Gustavo De Conti at the helm, Flamengo hopes to once again be a protagonist in the Brazilian and South American basketball scene. The coach has an aggressive and intense playing style, which values ​​defense and collective play. The red and black fans hope that, under De Conti's command, Flamengo will be able to win new titles and bring joy to their passionate fans.