Soccer

DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS? ROMÁRIO’S LAST GAME WITH THE FLAMENGO MANTO WAS IN CAXIAS DO SUL

In 1999, the star experienced the last act of his history at Mais Querido when he participated in a party with girls after defeat to Juventude

26 Jun 2024 | 08:14 |

This Wednesday (26) Flamengo returns to Caxias do Sul, in Rio Grande do Sul, to face Juventude in the Brasileirão. This confrontation doesn't happen that often in the history of the two teams and it's worth remembering one of them, 25 years ago.

It was in Caxias do Sul that the relationship between Romário and Flamengo came to an end. Younger people may not know, but Baixinho was fired from Rubro-Negro in November 1999, after a 3-1 defeat to Juventude, in the Brasileirão, followed by a visit to the famous Festa da Uva and partying in concentration. The incident marked the troubled end of his time at the Rio club.

Romário arrived at Flamengo in 1995, as the main attraction of the club's centenary. Voted best player in the world and responsible for Brazil's fourth world championship in 1994, Baixinho had the world at his feet and decided to don the Sacred Mantle and return to his beloved Rio de Janeiro. In total, there were 241 games and 204 goals scored. On the field, Shirt 11 did his job. And outside of that, he was the protagonist of a series of confusions.

Romário had three spells at Flamengo (1995/96 – 1997 – 1998/99). In the last one, he arrived from Valencia in January 1998 and stayed until the infamous game with Juventude, on November 10, 1999, for the Brasileirão. The biggest star of that generation and hero of the four, Baixinho didn't like to give satisfaction to anyone. And he rarely did. His attitude has always been one of independence and self-confidence, characteristics that both helped and harmed him.

After the 3-1 defeat at Alfredo Jaconi, in which he scored the red-black goal, Romário decided that he would visit the Grape Festival. He took with him full-backs Maurinho and Fábio Baiano and striker Leandro Machado. According to Maurinho's report, in 2023, everyone was free to leave, but some did not respect the time to return. The nighttime getaway ended up becoming one of the most controversial moments in Romário's career.

According to the former Flamengo full-back, the visit to the Festa da Uva did not yield any results. nothing more than a few hugs, smiles and posing for photos. Maurinho assured that nothing much happened that night, but other reports show that it was not quite like that. An article in IstoÉ magazine, on November 24, 1999, revealed that the case was much more serious. The reports at the time showed a scene of parties and excesses that went against the club's rules.

Upon returning to the Reynolds Hotel, the real party began. According to the IstoÉ report, six girls from the nightclubs Madrigal, in Porto Alegre, and Cassino, in Caxias do Sul, were taken to a “private event”. Around ten players from the squad participated in the party. In times before cell phones and social networks, the scandal exploded on the pages of newspapers and on television programs. The repercussion was immediate and negative, affecting the image of everyone involved.

Romário, as expected, did not deny that he participated in the party. Away from the group that stayed in Rio Grande do Sul to play a selective Copa Libertadores tournament, Baixinho arrived in Rio saying that he had left and that he would continue leaving. President Edmundo Santos Silva confirmed the decision to send the star away, unless Romário apologized, which he did not happen. Camisa 11 ended up signing with Vasco, where he stayed until 2002.

From the episode in Caxias do Sul, there was the famous photo with the Queen of the Grape Festival, Fabiana Koch, from Caxias, who graduated as a dentist and was at the center of a request for impeachment by the mayor of Caxias, Flávio Cassina, in 2020. Romário's dismissal from Flamengo marked the end of an era at the club and highlighted the complexities of managing a player with a strong personality and undeniable talent.

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Soccer

Saiu! Confira a escalação do Flamengo para enfrentar o Madureira pelo Carioca

Técnico Filipe Luís confirma equipe titular para duelo decisivo no Maracanã; Rubro-Negro defende vantagem de três gols contra o Madureira com novidades

Confirmado entre os titulares, Lucas Paquetá é a esperança de criação do Flamengo na semifinal do Carioca - foto: reprodução

02 Mar 2026 | 19:55 |

A definição do segundo finalista do Campeonato Carioca acontece na noite desta segunda-feira (02), com a bola rolando às 21h (horário de Brasília) no Estádio do Maracanã. Para o confronto de volta contra o Madureira, o técnico Filipe Luís confirmou uma equipe com mudanças significativas, promovendo a entrada de Lucas Paquetá entre os titulares.

O Rubro-Negro entra em campo defendendo uma larga vantagem construída no jogo de ida. A partida terá cobertura completa para quem não for ao estádio, com transmissão exclusiva dos canais por assinatura. O torcedor poderá acompanhar todos os lances ao vivo através do SporTV (TV fechada) ou pelo Premiere (sistema pay-per-view), ambos canais do Grupo Globo.

CONFIRA A ESCALAÇÃO

O Flamengo vai a campo com: Andrew; Emerson Royal, Léo Ortiz, Vitão e Alex Sandro; Evertton Araújo, De La Cruz e Lucas Paquetá; Carrascal, Cebolinha e Pedro. A estratégia visa manter a intensidade para carimbar o passaporte para a final, onde o Fluminense já aguarda o vencedor.

LISTA DE DESFALQUES

A montagem da equipe para esta segunda-feira foi diretamente impactada pelo Boletim Médico do clube. Ao todo, o Flamengo tem seis baixas confirmadas, sendo a ausência de Giorgian De Arrascaeta a mais sentida. Além do meia, o Mais Querido tem outros desfalques.

Bruno Henrique: O atacante foi vetado devido a uma pubalgia e segue em tratamento.
Erick Pulgar: O volante chileno queixou-se de dores musculares após a final da Recopa contra o Lanús e não foi relacionado.
Jorginho e Léo Pereira: Ambos foram vetados pelo Departamento Médico por conta do alto desgaste físico acumulado na última partida.
Saúl: O jogador segue o cronograma de recuperação após cirurgia no calcanhar esquerdo e ainda não está à disposição de Filipe Luís.

DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS? ROMÁRIO’S LAST GAME WITH THE FLAMENGO MANTO WAS IN CAXIAS DO SUL