WHAT A STAGE! ARRASCAETA HAS NOT PARTICIPATED IN GOALS AT FLAMENGO FOR ALMOST 3 MONTHS

The "marriage" between Tite and Flamengo officially came to an end this Monday (30), with the announcement of the coach's resignation. Thus, the coach ends his time at Rubro-Negro after 70 games, with a 64.7% success rate, in addition to having won a state title and suffered a disappointing elimination in the Libertadores da América.

Tite took over Flamengo on October 9, 2023, after Jorge Sampaoli left. The former Brazilian national team coach signed a contract until the end of 2024, but his departure comes three months ahead of schedule.

During his time in charge of Flamengo, Tite accumulated 70 matches, totaling 41 wins, 13 draws and 16 defeats. Under his management, the team scored 109 goals and conceded 50. He also led the team to win the Campeonato Carioca undefeated.

Despite a promising start, Flamengo's performances under Tite's command did not please the majority of the fans. The team, which led the Brasileirão for a few rounds, began to oscillate and currently occupies fourth place with 48 points, nine behind leader Botafogo, who has 57.

Elimination in the Libertadores

Three-time champion of the Libertadores, Flamengo entered the 2024 edition as one of the favorites and top seed in Group E. However, the performance of the team in the group stage fell below expectations, resulting in a second-place finish. In the round of 16, Flamengo beat Bolívar (BOL) 2-1 on aggregate, but was eliminated in the quarter-finals after being defeated by Peñarol (URU) without managing to score a goal.

In addition to Tite, the entire technical committee is also leaving Flamengo. Among the professionals leaving the club are assistants Cleber Xavier, Matheus Bachi, César Sampaio and Vinícius Bergantin, physical trainer Fábio Mahseredjian and performance analyst Lucas Oliveira.

Last Sunday (29), Flamengo won again in the Brazilian Championship after four rounds without triumph. In a game valid for the 28th round, the team defeated Athletico-PR 1-0 at Maracanã. With the aim of regaining confidence in the season, the cast did not receive a day off and will be performing again this Monday afternoon (30).

According to the portal 'Coluna do Fla', the cast starts at 3pm (Brasília time) at Ninho do Urubu. Activities focusing on the Copa do Brasil are scheduled to begin at 3:30 pm.

On Monday morning (30), the Flamengo announced the dismissal of coach Tite. The club also confirmed that Filipe Luís, current coach of the under-20 team, will take charge of the main team on an interim basis. Filipe will be responsible for leading training with a focus on the semi-finals of the Copa do Brasil against Corinthians.

After elimination in the Libertadores , Flamengo directs its attention to the two competitions remaining in the season: the Campeonato Brasileiro and the Copa do Brasil. This Monday (30), the team begins preparations for the decisive clash against Corinthians.

Flamengo will return to the field this Wednesday (02), at Maracanã, to face Corinthians in the match first leg of the semi-finals of the Copa do Brasil, at 9:45 pm (Brasília time).

Situation in the Brazilian Championship

At the moment, Flamengo occupies fourth place in the Brazilian Championship table, with 48 points. The team is nine points away from leader Botafogo, who has 57 points. Furthermore, Flamengo still has one game less compared to other teams, referring to the first round of the competition.

The elimination of Flamengo in the Libertadores, against Peñarol away from home, intensified the pressure on Tite. However, in addition to criticism of the coach, other names have been mentioned by fans and journalists. Mauro Cezar Pereira, for example, harshly criticized Arrascaeta and Nico de la Cruz.

Mauro not only questioned Arrascaeta's behavior, but also his performance in recent years, suggesting that the Uruguayan has not been playing his best football . He even made a pun on the player's name. Furthermore, the journalist mentioned De La Cruz, questioning the physical form of the former River Plate player.

“Arrascaeta has been dragging on for years. Maybe Lil Gabi could even make some rhymes with it. Arrasca drags on. And De La Cruz looks like he's nailed to the cross. He also drags on, he is never in shape. What happens? Who questions? It seems like no one,” said Mauro Cezar Pereira on UOL’s Posse de Bola.

It’s worth remembering that both Arrascaeta and De La Cruz played in familiar territory. The elimination of Flamengo took place in Uruguay, and the number 14, in fact, has never hidden that he has been a Peñarol fan since childhood.

Even highlighting the performances of Arrascaeta and De La Cruz, Mauro Cezar Pereira also held Tite responsible for the elimination. The journalist pointed out that the coach is often the main target of criticism, but also mentioned the Flamengo board as part of the problem.

“Tite is largely responsible for the Libertadores, but this package has many characters. If once again, they just cut off the coach's head, without making vehement demands on the players, since the managers don't do it... Tite is one of those responsible, but this has been happening for years with several coaches. Players always go blank. There is a lack of charge”, stated MCP.

Finally, Mauro criticized the stance adopted by Tite during the game, stating that there was a lack of “blood in the eyes” to seek victory in Montevideo.

“It involves a lot of the coach, who has this good guy profile. Yesterday it was about playing with the knife between the teeth, blood in the eyes and beatings. That's how you play a finishing game like that. It doesn't finish. That's what's missing, coming together, being intense. This team is not like that”, he concluded.