President of Flamengo questions Botafogo's investments and calls for discussion on financial fair play

One of Flamengo's four reinforcements for the second semester, Charly Alcaraz was entered in the quarter-finals of the Libertadores and will make his debut with the red-black shirt this Thursday, at 7pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, against Peñarol, from Uruguay. The Argentine will have the chance to resume a dream that was interrupted four years ago.

While Flamengo has already won three titles and is looking for an unprecedented fourth in the Libertadores, the most Alcaraz achieved in the competition was reaching the quarterfinals. final in 2020. That season, aged 17, the midfielder played five matches for Racing and was eliminated by Boca Juniors. Racing won the first game 1-0 at El Cilindro, but lost 2-0 at Bombonera.

"I played in the Libertadores with Racing, but playing with Flamengo is a really beautiful challenge. I'm with a lot of desire to face the next phase of the Libertadores, which will be very difficult, but I am very convinced with the group", said the midfielder in his presentation.

That year, without the presence of fans due to the pandemic of Covid-19, Alcaraz was one of the highlights against Flamengo. Racing eliminated Rubro-Negro in the round of 16 after two 1-1 draws, with the Argentine converting the fourth penalty in the penalty shootout. The following year, Alcaraz played just one match in the group stage and, in 2022, he was sold to Southampton, from England.

The biggest signing in Flamengo's history, at a cost of R$110.6 million, Alcaraz arrived at Ninho do Urubu with great expectations. The club's scouting department categorizes market targets into three levels, and the 21-year-old Argentine was on “shelf A” due to his versatility in midfield.

In training during these first weeks at the club , Alcaraz has impressed with his performance. He was suspended against Vasco last Sunday and is now once again an option for Tite, who will define the lineup for this Wednesday's activity. The midfielder promises to intensify the competition for a place in midfield.

At 37 years old, goalkeeper Paulo Victor was announced last Friday (13) as a new reinforcement of Al-Rayyan, from Qatar. Previously, he played for Al-Ettifaq, in Saudi Arabia, where striker Vitinho also plays. Hired last week, Paulo Victor has already made his debut by saving a penalty in the Asian Champions League. Check out.

In the match against Al-Hilal, led by Jorge Jesus, Paulo Victor saved Serbian striker Mitrovic's shot, but were unable to prevent Al-Rayyan's 3-1 defeat. The game took place on Tuesday afternoon (17), at 1 pm (Brasília time). The former Flamengo goalkeeper's contract with the Qatari team runs until the end of next season. Before his time in Saudi football, PV also had a spell at Marítimo, in Portugal.

Paulo Victor arrived against Flamengo at the age of 17, in 2004. He remained at the base until 2009, during which time he was the fourth goalkeeper in the red squad -black in winning the Brazilian Championship. In 2010, he was loaned to América-RJ and, upon returning to Mais Querido, he began to have more opportunities in 2012.

From 2012 to 2016, Paulo Victor was a starter at various times, but lost space with the arrival of Alex Muralha. During his time at Grêmio, where he arrived in 2017, he only took over as a starter in the 2019 season. That year, he became a hero by saving three penalties in the Gaúchão final against Internacional, although he was also the goalkeeper who conceded the five goals in the 5-0 defeat to Flamengo in the Libertadores.

The Copa Libertadores da América continues in full swing, and Flamengo only takes to the field this Thursday (19), against Peñarol (URU). Meanwhile, this Wednesday (18), two duels between Brazilian teams mark another stage of the competition. Fluminense and Atlético-MG, as well as São Paulo and Botafogo, face each other in the first legs of the quarter-finals.

The first clash takes place at 7pm (Brasília time), when Fluminense hosts Atlético-MG. MG at Maracanã. Then, at 9:30 pm, São Paulo visits Botafogo at the Nilton Santos Stadium. The return games are scheduled for September 25th, with Atlético-MG hosting Fluminense at MRV Arena and São Paulo facing Botafogo at Morumbi.