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

Presidente do Flamengo comemora Libertadores, mas detona Intercontinental

Com a conquista do tetra da competição sul-americana, o Mengão também garantiu vaga no torneio da FIFA após o fim do Brasileirão

Presidente do Flamengo, Bap critica Copa Intercontinental da FIFA após título da Libertadores - Foto: Adriano Fontes/Flamengo

30 Nov 2025 | 13:00 |

Tetracampeão da Copa Libertadores ao superar o Palmeiras por 1 a 0 no último sábado (29), o clube garantiu vaga na Copa Intercontinental, marcada para dezembro. Após a decisão em Lima, o presidente rubro-negro, Bap, não poupou críticas ao formato da competição e ainda fez uma provocação bem-humorada à presidente alviverde, Leila Pereira.

Bap após título da Libertadores do Flamengo: "o Intercontinental é absolutamente injusto"

CRÍTICAS AO INTERCONTINENTAL

Logo depois da conquista, Bap reclamou da logística e da diferença de condições entre os participantes do torneio mundial: “Acho que o Intercontinental é absolutamente injusto. Vamos chegar menos de 20 horas antes do jogo, e a gente perde dinheiro se cair no primeiro jogo. Olha o que aconteceu com o Botafogo ano passado. Outro dia estávamos discutindo Fair Play financeiro”, afirmou o dirigente.

O mandatário do Flamengo também destacou o impacto esportivo da viagem: “Fair Play esportivo, não é legal o time campeão da Libertadores chegar para jogar com menos de 24 horas, fazer uma viagem de 15 horas, com sete horas de fuso… Hoje vamos desfrutar, e segunda-feira vou decidir o que vamos fazer”, completou.

QUANDO SERÁ A ESTREIA NA COPA INTERCONTINENTAL

Classificado diretamente para as quartas de final, o time estreia no dia 10 de dezembro, contra o Cruz Azul (MEX), no Catar. O elenco, no entanto, terá um desafio antes: enfrentar o Mirassol, em 7 de dezembro, pela última rodada do Brasileirão. A sequência causa preocupação pela proximidade das datas e pela longa viagem até o Oriente Médio.

A PROVOCAÇÃO A LEILA PEREIRA

Bap também revelou uma brincadeira com Leila Pereira, presidente do Palmeiras, durante um evento da Conmebol, na véspera da final. A alusão recorda a derrota de 2021, por 2 a 1, em Montevidéu. Desta vez, porém, o troco veio: vitória na capital peruana e a consagração com o quarto título continental.

“Na sexta-feira comentei com a Leila, brincando, que o raio não cai duas vezes no mesmo lugar (em referência à final perdida em 2021). Ela pediu a palavra e respondeu: “Cai sim”. Eu estava pensando aqui com meus botões… ela estava certa. Em Lima, cai”, disse o presidente.

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