BRL 22.5 MILLION ON THE ROUTE! FLAMENGO RENEWS WITH ITS MAIN SPONSOR

Controversies always seem to surround Flamengo, and yet another unexpected piece of news involving the club came to light this Wednesday (18), this time related to women's football. Rubro-Negro was condemned by the courts in a case brought by six former players, with a decision that surprised everyone.

The action, which had been ongoing since 2021, resulted in a conviction worth R$3.2 million. According to information from Uol, the names of the players were not revealed, but they were released during the reformulation of the sport in 2022 and were seeking recognition of a professional bond with Flamengo.

Flamengo, which maintains a partnership with the Brazilian Navy did not pay the athletes directly, as they were third sergeants. They played for the club between 2015 and 2021, a period in which they won the Brazilian Women's Championship. However, the players argued that the practice adopted by the club and the Navy was irregular, according to the partnership contract.

“An item in the cooperation term made it clear that the Navy would not provide financial resources, nor would it carry out the direct transfer of facilities. Flamengo was intentionally omitted to pay the athletes”, guarantees lawyer Rafael Cunha.

Despite the initial decision, Flamengo can still appeal. The Regional Labor Court of Rio de Janeiro unanimously understood that Flamengo benefited from the situation and determined that the club must record the athletes' contributions in their Work Cards, in addition to paying the due salaries and other labor obligations.

In addition to these six players, eight others also filed lawsuits against Flamengo for the same reason, but their trials have not yet taken place. In response to Uol, the club commented on the case:

“Of the nine legal actions involving former Navy athletes and coaches, eight had court decisions removing the employment relationship with the Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, considering that these are exclusively third-level Navy sergeants”, he says.

Last week, children who practice judo in the social project Jogaremos Juntos, promoted by Flamengo's Social Responsibility, had an unforgettable experience. They visited the club's headquarters, in Gávea, and trained alongside Flamengo's judo teachers and athletes, experiencing a day full of learning, discipline and sportsmanship.

In total, 70 children, from centers of Cantagalo and Queimados, had the chance to practice judo under the guidance of high-level professionals, reinforcing the values ​​of the sport, such as respect, determination and teamwork.

At the dojô, the children were welcomed by the coach of the under-13 and under-15 red-black judo teams, Rodrigo Domiciano, who, together with club athletes, shared his experiences and spoke about the importance of dedication to progress in the sport. “In the midst of so many negative references, it is essential that these children have positive references. Here they can see that it is possible to reach a higher degree, seek a black belt, seek important competitions and this will change their realities”, he said.

For many, the day was a unique opportunity to become inspire, dream big and continue following the path of sport. “The children came very excited. They've been talking about coming here to Flamengo for a week. It's important for them to be here, in a different place, with so much structure... This all makes them want to dedicate themselves more”, said professor Alves, who teaches judo at Jogaremos Juntos - Núcleo Queimados. Cantagalo resident Leda Maria Pereira de Macedo, mother of student Davi, added. “Children who live in communities need sports so they don't get lost and judo has already got my son back on track. He now has discipline, he has become another child! Davi takes a shower, goes to bed early... I'm very happy. I'm very grateful to have the project there”, she praised.

With its own methodology, Jogaremos Juntos is an education project through sport, based on socio-emotional skills. Through it, children and young people have the opportunity to work on self-knowledge, resilience, empathy, focus and other skills that they learn from sports and put into practice to face and overcome challenges in life, whether at school, in family or with friends.

In total, the project serves 800 children in six communities in Rio de Janeiro - Cantagalo Pavão Pavãozinho, Complexo do Alemão, Vila Aliança, Morro do Banco, Santa Cruz and Queimados - with classes football, judo, basketball, artistic gymnastics and volleyball. The project is encouraged by the Federal Sports Incentive Law and has Shell as a sponsor.

Flamengo president Rodolfo Landim revealed that he will fulfill an old promise regarding the possible new stadium, last Thursday. According to him, if the red-black club's new home really gets off the ground, it will have two sectors without seats, one behind each goal. The club's current president stated that he is inspired by the "general" of other arenas around the world, such as that of Signal Iduna Park, owned by Borussia Dortmund (ALE).

For Flamengo, which has its history absolutely linked to Maracanã, the "general" has great symbolism. In the old days of the stadium, the popular sector, without seats and located on the edge of the field, marked an era in Rio's football. Nowadays, the grandstand style has taken on new formats, but can still be seen in several arenas around the world, mainly in Germany.

Signal Iduna Park is a reference to modernism, without abandoning the "root" of the stands. Borussia Dortmund's home ground is known worldwide for the "yellow wall" sector, which is behind one of the goals. There is no separation into upper and lower stands, and the space has no chairs, which benefits the cauldron aesthetic. The yellow wall sector model is the most requested among Flamengo fans, for their possible new stadium. In addition to the proximity of the stands to the field, the size of the space allocated for the most ardent fans is one of the factors that pleases not only the red and black fans, but also the club's management.

Home of the main team from Germany, Bayern Munich, the Allianz Arena was opened in 2005. Even though it is a recent construction and has an aesthetic very similar to the most modern arenas in the world, the place has a reserved space without chairs. It is behind one of the goals, in the so-called southern sector of the stadium.

Despite some flamengo fans not being pleased with the modern aesthetic presented, the Allianz Arena is seen as one of the references of the red-black board, for the construction of its new stadium. The sector where organized Bayern fans are is not that big, compared to Signal Iduna Park, as it only occupies the lower ring of the three that are present behind one of the goals. However, the proximity of the stands to the field is seen as a positive factor.

The Neo Química Arena, formerly the Corinthians Arena, was opened in 2014 for the World Cup in Brazil. After the end of the World Cup, the chairs in one of the sectors behind the goal were removed. One of the most modern stadiums in Brazil, the home of the São Paulo club manages to create a "cauldron" aesthetic due to the popular space. In addition to the non-seat sector of the arena not being separated by a lower and upper ring, its proximity to the field creates a favorable environment for the home team. Large, spacious and eye-catching, the place where Corinthians' organized fans are located has already witnessed several parties and is one of the differences of the club's stadium.

The MRV Arena, the most recent in Brazil, opened in 2023, tried bring a modern stadium aesthetic. However, the project always envisaged a popular sector without chairs. The same is intended for the main organized fans of Atlético-MG. The space is behind one of the goals, only in the lower ring. Although the sector without chairs is not considered large and spacious, its proximity to the field gives it a "cauldron" aesthetic. The place was designed to house not only Atlético-MG's most ardent fans, but also the mast flags, horizontal and vertical banners and flags of the club's organization.