NO DEAL! FLAMENGO CANNOT REACH AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIAN CLUB FOR ZAGUEIRO

Former midfielder Vampeta said he is convinced that Internacional will come out victorious against Flamengo in the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores . The first duel is scheduled for next Wednesday (13), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time) , at Maracanã. The statement was made during the program “Canelada”, on Rádio Jovem Pan, in which the former athlete made his prediction and bet with journalist Thiago Asmar.

While Asmar, a self-confessed fan of the Rio de Janeiro club, believes in the red-black team's qualification, Vampeta said he will bet all his chips on the team from Rio Grande do Sul , which is experiencing a period of recovery under the command of coach Roger Machado.

FLAMENGO DEFEATS MIRASSOL

Flamengo, in turn, defeated Mirassol 2-1 at Maracanã . Despite the opposition's pressure in the final minutes, Filipe Luís's team managed to hold on and secure the three points.

Vampeta takes a dig at Flamengo: "I'm going for red"

"I'm going with the red. I've already gone with Internacional before, whatever comes in the knockout stage, I'm always the opposite , I'm always against. Whatever comes in the knockout stage, I'm going against Flamengo until the end of the Libertadores," declared Vampeta.

INTER WILL HAVE AN IMPORTANT MISSING TEAM

Colorado will have a significant absence for both games against Rubro-Negro . Striker Carbonero suffered a grade 2 groin injury and, according to the Rio Grande do Sul press, is expected to be sidelined for about 30 days. Roger Machado's starter, the Colombian is considered a key player in the attack, and his absence is expected to alter the offensive scheme.

Flamengo expects Nicolás de la Cruz to return . Having recovered from injury, the Uruguayan midfielder is already training with the ball and could be included in the squad. Additionally, newly signed Jorge Carrascal has already been registered and is available to the coaching staff.

Flamengo remains active in the transfer window , seeking reinforcements for the remainder of the season. Among the targets is defender Lucas Fasson, from Lokomotiv Moscow (Russia), whose price has already been set by the Russian club.

According to journalist Raisa Simplicio , Lokomotiv is willing to accept a €5 million (approximately R$31.6 million) offer for the defender. The player has also received an offer from an unidentified Brazilian club.

CONTRACTUAL SITUATION

With a contract until June 2026, Fasson could be traded this summer, as Lokomotiv intends to avoid the possibility of losing him without a financial return in the future. In addition to Flamengo , Atlético-MG is also closely monitoring the 24-year-old's situation .

LUCAS FASSON'S TRAJECTORY

Discovered by São Paulo, the defender left the club in 2020 to play for La Serena in Chile. He then played for Athletico-PR, where he excelled and ended up transferring to Lokomotiv Moscow in 2022 , where he remains in Russian football to this day.

FLAMENGO SQUAD IN DEFENSE

Flamengo currently has Léo Pereira, Léo Ortiz, and Danilo as its main defensive options . Cleiton is also part of the group, but is expected to leave the club. Pablo, although a player for Mais Querido, has not been used in matches.

Turning attention to the Brasileirão, Flamengo beat Mirassol 2-1 this Saturday (9) at Maracanã, and remained firm in the lead of the national competition. One of the visiting team's goals was scored by Gabriel 'Jamal', former athlete of Mais Querido, who experienced a special moment upon returning to the stadium where he won titles and wore the number 10 shirt.

When asked about finding the net at a venue he knows well, Jamal couldn't hide his satisfaction: "The Maracanã is the biggest stage in world football; it's always great to score here. A great game, a great crowd , a great club on a global scale. Scoring a goal is always good, it's important, especially on the biggest stage in Brazilian football. We're happy."

PRAISED THE QUALITY OF ARRASCAETA

The striker also commented on the duel with Arrascaeta , the current number 10 for the red-black team: " I took his shirt, he gave it to me. He was very helpful. In my opinion, he's the most consistent number 10 in Brazilian football in recent years," he said.

Gabriel praises Arrascaeta: "A guy who thinks ahead"

"He's a guy who maintains a very high standard, very difficult. Players come to Brazil and compare themselves to him, but he's always at the top. A guy who thinks ahead, is always second to the line. He masters the fundamentals between the lines. It's very difficult to play from where he plays, and he does it masterfully. It's good to watch him play," he concluded.

MIRASSOL SEES THE MATCH AS A TEST

Despite the loss, Gabriel stated that the São Paulo team viewed the game as an opportunity to test their strength against one of the most qualified squads in the country: " It leaves a feeling that we could have won, because Mirassol had gone three months, nine games, without a win. It leaves this feeling that we could have beaten them, despite Flamengo being the leader of the Brazilian championship," said the player.