Reinforcement receives ‘mission’ from Tite at Flamengo

Carlos Alcaraz, Argentine midfielder from Flamengo, was once again available to Tite after serving a suspension in the last game against Vasco, valid for the Brazilian Championship. Now, he is preparing for the decisive Libertadores clash against Peñarol (URU), where he should be one of the fundamental pieces of the red and black squad.

Since August 30th, when he started training at Ninho do Urubu, Alcaraz has been attracting attention for its performance. His first match for Mengão took place on September 1st, in a game against Corinthians, when the midfielder came on in the second half and had a performance that pleased both the coaching staff and the fans.

ADAPTATION PERIOD

After a period of 17 days of training, Alcaraz is fully adapted to the team's style of play. This time was essential for coach Tite to better understand the player's qualities and potential on the field, preparing him for future important challenges with Mais Querido.

MILLIONAIRE HIRING

Carlos Alcaraz arrived at Flamengoin a negotiation that involved 17.6 million euros (approximately R$108 million), with Flamengo acquiring 80% of its economic rights from Southampton, from England. The midfielder, who is just 21 years old, signed a five-year contract with the Rio club, valid until August 2029.

Experienced coach Joel Santana commented, on his YouTube channel, about Gabigol's situation at Flamengo under Tite's command. Joel believes that Gabi is hurt by his current position in the team, where he is the third reserve in attack, behind even Carlinhos, who was hired at the beginning of the season from modest Nova Iguaçu.

Joel suggested that Tite and Gabigol should have a conversation to resolve possible differences and improve the situation: “Do you think the guy is happy? Our beloved center forward, who gave so much glory, is sad, he is hurt. He sits the two of them down: ‘Let’s just have a chat between the two of us’. There you and Gabi are left. Sit down and talk”, said the 'King of Rio', as he became known for having been champion in the city's four biggest clubs.

Joel Santana is an important figure in Flamengo's history, being the seventh coach with the most games for the club. He had several notable spells, with titles such as the 1986 Carioca Championship, the Conmebol Gold Cup and the 2008 State Championship. In his 200 games in charge, Joel achieved 114 wins, 45 draws and 40 defeats.

Tite's termination fine at Flamengo

If Flamengo decides to terminate Tite's contract, the club would have to pay the amount related to his salary until the end of his contract, which runs until December 2024. With Tite receiving around R$1.8 million per month, the fine would total R$7.2 million. The information was released by the RTI Esporte portal.

However, so far, everything indicates that Tite will remain in charge of Flamengo until the end of the contract.

Bruno Henrique, a player who will be a key player for Flamengo in this final stretch of the season due to Pedro's injury, expressed his sadness over his teammate's situation and revealed his desire to "make up" for the support he received from the number 9 in 2022 .

“I hope I can do this, like Pedro did in 2022, when I was away. He was the king of America, he led Flamengo to titles, a very important player, not only on the field, but also outside”, commented Bruno Henrique.

In an interview with ESPN, Bruno Henrique commented on the serious injury de Pedro, highlighting that this type of injury is one of the most feared by professional athletes. He also mentioned that he hopes to repay the attitude of the number 9, who was one of the team's pillars during his absence last year, when he spent a large part of the season away. Now, the situation is reversed, and BH takes on the role of replacing the center forward.

“This injury (ACL) is what every player fears. It's Pedro's second, and faced with a fatality, in training, injuring his knee. It's difficult to understand, right, but we have to accept it”, lamented BH.

Much requested by the fans as As a starter, Pedro faced a dilemma in 2022, performing well but not being frequently selected. With the arrival of Dorival Júnior, the coach responded to the fans' outcry, placing Pedro and Gabigol to play together.

Unfortunately, this change was triggered by the serious injury to Bruno Henrique, which occurred in June of that year, in a match against Cuiabá. After needing to undergo surgery, the number 27 only returned to the pitch in 2023.

With Pedro taking his place, the response was impressive. His numbers in the Libertadores were extraordinary, with more participation in goals than games. Pedro ended that season with 29 goals and ten assists in 59 matches, in addition to winning the title of best player on the continent.

In addition to his individual achievements, the center forward was one of the main names, alongside Gabigol, in winning the Libertadores and Copa do Brasil with Flamengo.