RED-BLACK IN THE AREA! FLAMENGO LANDS IN SÃO PAULO FOR THE DUEL AGAINST BRAGANTINO

The 1-1 draw between Flamengo and Grêmio in the 22nd round of the Brazilian Championship went down in tournament history as the most attended game of 2025. At Maracanã, 69,447 fans watched the match, 64,495 of whom were paying. The revenue was also impressive, reaching R$4.9 million, the highest amount recorded in the competition this season.

The previous record was held by the classic between Flamengo and Fluminense, played in the second leg of the Campeonato Carioca final, also at Maracanã. On that occasion, 69,393 people were in attendance, with 64,351 paying , in a match that guaranteed the state title for the Mais Querido.

FLAMENGO HEGEMONY

The strength of the Flamengo fans as home team has been directly reflected in the attendance figures. Flamengo dominates the rankings for the season's largest attendances, occupying the top 11 spots among the games with the most fans in the country.

Furthermore, the average attendance is impressive: in 26 home matches , the club has supported 47,026 paying spectators per game, according to a survey published by "ge ." This record only reinforces Flamengo 's status as the most passionate fan base in Brazil.

LIST OF THE LARGEST AUDIENCES

• Flamengo 1 x 1 Grêmio (Brazilian) — 64,495 paying spectators — R$ 4,995,950
• Flamengo 0 x 0 Fluminense (Carioca) — 64,351 paying spectators — R$ 4,315,309
• Flamengo 1 x 0 Internacional (Libertadores) — 63,567 paying spectators — R$ 5,176,822
• Flamengo 2 x 0 São Paulo (Brazilian) — 63,330 paying spectators — R$ 4,693,378
• Flamengo 4 x 0 Corinthians (Brazilian) — 62,940 paying spectators — R$ 4,472,050

The draw between Flamengo and Grêmio at Maracanã, in the 22nd round of the Brasileirão , drew strong criticism from technical director José Boto. In an interview given in the mixed zone, the director pointed out errors by Paulo César Zanovelli's refereeing, which, in his view, would have hampered the Mais Querido's offensive performance.

According to José Boto , the number of fouls called against the team does not reflect their performance on the field. Mengão finished the match with 67% possession and 26 shots on goal, but the referee called 18 fouls against the red-blacks , seven more than Grêmio, who only committed 11.

"I don't think it was the main factor [for the draw], there were many factors. We had a lot of shots, we didn't get them right and the goalkeeper made saves. [Refereeing] It's worrying because it hinders our attacking avalanche. It's not the first time it's happened, it takes away the fluidity of our game and I don't think it's by chance... I don't know, we need to be very attentive to this [about a possible conspiracy]", declared the director.

ARBITRATION STANDARD

Boto reinforced his dissatisfaction by highlighting that the high number of fouls committed against a team that maintained greater offensive volume and possession of the ball would be "impossible" to happen naturally.

"The opponents play with the weapons they have [regarding fouls]. The stupidity is the referee's. It's impossible that we have 67% possession, shoot 26 times, and the referee manages to give us more fouls. That's impossible. A team that has more offensive volume doesn't commit more fouls than one that spends the whole time defending," said the Flamengo director.

DECISIONS THAT HARMED

Finally, the director reiterated that he sees a pattern of decisions that are detrimental to Flamengo: "This is a pattern that has already been verified. It can't happen. The opponents play as best they can and know how. All styles of play are legitimate. What can't happen is refereeing that harms us, disrupts the rhythm of the game . It's not the penalty, it was well-deserved. It's stalling the game, giving cards to our players when they don't even commit fouls. This type of refereeing, which isn't the first time, is something we need to be aware of."

Still unsure whether they will have Lucas Paquetá until the end of the season , West Ham won their first victory in the Premier League this Sunday (31) . In the third round of the competition, the team beat Nottingham Forest away from home 3-0, in a match marked by efficiency in the final minutes.

OPPONENT DOMINATION, WEST HAM EFFICIENCY

Despite the heavy score, West Ham struggled again. Controlled by Nottingham Forest for much of the match, the London team benefited from their rival's inability to finish plays . When they had the opportunity, they were decisive.

All three goals came in the final six minutes. Bowen opened the scoring, and the home side completely lost their way. Lucas Paquetá then doubled the lead with a penalty , and Callum Wilson sealed the victory, securing the Hammers' first win of the season.

PAQUETÁ MARKS AND SENDS A MESSAGE IN THE CELEBRATION

During the celebration, Paquetá made a gesture of connection with his hand and then feigned a refusal. He then kissed the West Ham crest. This gesture was interpreted as a response to rumors of a possible transfer to Aston Villa , a club that had expressed interest in the Brazilian.

HOW MUCH WILL FLAMENGO PROFIT FROM THE SALE?

Having nurtured the player in its youth academy, Flamengo is entitled to approximately 4% of the total value of each international transfer for Paquetá . Based on the £47 million offer, the Rio de Janeiro club stands to receive approximately £1.88 million (R$13.8 million) at the current exchange rate.