
Soccer
17 Jul 2024 | 18:13 |
Flamengo has dreamed of having a club in Europe for some years now. The project remained dormant in recent years, but has been debated again by management since the beginning of 2024. Therefore, the board has strengthened ties with teams mainly from Portugal. But what makes the red-black want this?
The project would not necessarily involve a purchase at first. Flamengo can start by formalizing a partnership and later, if the model works, acquire a part of the SAD (Sociedade Anônima Desportiva, like the SAF model in Brazil) of a team.
The project is ambitious, but Portugal is the focus at the moment. The club sees the country as an opportunity, including due to the number of Brazilian residents, and a good gateway to other clubs on the European continent. There is no defined team yet, but Landim has strengthened ties. Leixões, as ge initially revealed, is one of these targets.
There is an understanding that young people from Europe are sold for higher prices. Therefore, exchanges with young people trained in the youth categories can be an important asset financially. Visibility and experience count. Having a partner club would mean providing training to young people without much space, as well as an experience outside the country. Boys in transition between youth and professional teams are the main focus in this regard, as they are often left without opportunities.
Revenues in euros are also on the horizon. Financial gain is considered one of the reasons for the board's interest in this project. Financial impacts and Tondela's relegation postponed this plan. Conversations began between 2020 and 2021. The internationalization of the brand is another focus. Flamengo has been taking initiatives in this direction in recent years and sees the chance to place the brand in Europe as another step towards expansion.
Mengão has three former Atlético de Madrid players at the club, including the coach, and 'El Cholo' was in charge of all of them at the Spanish club.
17 Set 2025 | 11:37 |
Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone was yet another foreigner to recognize Flamengo's greatness . In an interview with TNT Sports, the Argentine praised the Rio de Janeiro club when asked about the "colchonera community" that has been forming at Ninho do Urubu.
Simeone praises Filipe Luís' Flamengo: "It's always beautiful to see them play"
When asked by journalist Fred Caldeira if he follows the Rubro-Negro's games, Simeone explained that he cannot watch due to the time difference , but highlighted the historical importance of Flamengo in Brazilian football.
"The truth is, I haven't been following Brazil's games, honestly, mainly because of the time difference, which is very late. But I always have a huge affection for Filipe Luís, Samu Lino, and Saúl . And Flamengo , the truth is, is a historic team in Brazil and around the world. It's always beautiful to watch them play," said the coach.
In fact, the time difference is a barrier for those who live in Europe and want to follow Flamengo. The duel against Estudiantes (ARG), this Thursday (18), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), will start at 2:30 am on Friday (19) in Madrid.
Beyond the praise, Filipe Luís's future in European football remains a topic of discussion. The Flamengo coach was once the target of interest from Fenerbahçe (TUR), but he declined the offer. Some in the Spanish press and Atlético Madrid fans are also speculating about a possible link between the former full-back and Atlético Madrid , the club Simeone has been with for over 13 years.
If the Argentine leaves the team, the chances of rumors of a future approach to the Flamengo coach increase . Meanwhile, Filipe remains at Flamengo, seeking the biggest achievements of the 2025 season.
Mengão's executive director details the behind-the-scenes of the attempt to hire Irish players, cites timing errors and criticizes the Brazilian football management model.
17 Set 2025 | 11:32 |
After investing nearly R$300 million in the last transfer window, Flamengo faced a behind-the-scenes episode involving its attempt to sign Mikey Johnston from West Bromwich . The Rio de Janeiro club intended to pay £5 million (approximately R$37 million) for the Irish striker, but the deal was vetoed by president Bap.
In an interview with the UOL portal, executive director José Boto stated that the timing of the negotiations influenced the fans' perception and ultimately derailed the deal. " I think it was a matter of timing, because if he hadn't been the first, if he had been between Saúl and Samuel Lino, the fans might have reacted differently. Obviously, the job of scouting is to bring in players nobody knows," Boto said.
Flamengo director criticizes Brazilian football management: "There is a deep-rooted culture..."
The Portuguese manager also emphasized that Brazilian clubs still need to change their hiring mindset. " There's a deep-rooted culture in Portugal that Brazil will have to adopt sooner or later . Many clubs will have to start managing more according to the team's real needs than to the media or fans," he stated.
José Boto's first signing, Juninho has only scored three goals in 27 appearances for Flamengo, starting seven of them. He has not played since the 1-1 draw with Ceará on August 3rd and has not been included in the squad.
With a reinforced squad, Flamengo returns to the field this Thursday (18) to face Estudiantes, from Argentina , in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores. The match takes place at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã.
The decisive clash in Argentina for the Libertadores is expected to have a full house and Mengão fans can now purchase tickets.
17 Set 2025 | 10:38 |
Flamengo began selling tickets this Wednesday (17) for the second leg of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals against Estudiantes at the Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium in La Plata (ARG). Tickets are available exclusively on the club's official platform : ingressos.flamengo.com.br .
Tickets will be sold in phases, according to the fan membership plans. The first group served is the Nation Without Borders group, aimed at fans from outside Rio de Janeiro, in addition to members of the Nação Maraca 1 (1-star) plan .
The visitor ticket costs R$250.96 . The price is made up of R$182.86 (ticket) + R$61.70 (Income Tax Withheld at Source – 33.33%) + R$6.40 (IOF – 3.5%). Fees are mandatory for international purchases.
The QR Code will only be available on the day of the match on the official Estudiantes website ( ticketing.estudiantesdelaplata.com ). To obtain it, you'll need to register using the same information you provided when purchasing : first name, last name, CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID), and email address.
Before the duel in La Plata, Maracanã will already be full. All tickets for the first leg against Estudiantes, this Thursday (18), were sold two days in advance. More than 69,000 fans will be present, in what should be Flamengo's largest crowd in this edition of the Libertadores . The expectation is to repeat the performance of the round of 16, when the team eliminated Internacional with two wins and secured qualification by an aggregate score of 3-0.