FLAMENGO COACH, TITE AGAIN EXALTS ZICO: ''THE GREATEST I'VE SEEN PLAY''

Flamengo idol, Gabigol seems to be experiencing a melancholic end at the club. The player has felt the board's lack of interest in renewing his contract and receives few minutes on the field under Tite's command. The situation, practically consolidated by the board, has irritated the attacker.

According to the portal Uol, which released information this Wednesday morning (18), Gabigol adopted a more reserved stance in training and has not presented the expected performance in terms of intensity and performance, which contributed to the loss of space, being passed over by Carlinhos.

The portal also highlights that Gabigol shows dissatisfaction with his current situation and, during training, arrives commenting on the little playing time he has received. With the lack of opportunities, the chances of reversing this scenario decrease.

Another factor that complicates Gabigol's situation at Flamengo are the statements made by the club's directors. When asked about the striker's future, the answer is that the chances of renewal are minimal. This stance is reinforced by the little use of the player by Tite.

In 2024, Gabigol started as a starter in just three matches, although he was listed for 33 games. Two of these opportunities were at Cariocão, and only one at Brasileirão. Furthermore, the number 99 has been deployed in midfield, without being tested as a center forward in the absence of Pedro, who is injured.

The striker has already sought more diligently for a place in the starting team, but the The sum of all these factors has discouraged Gabigol, who now sees the end of the season as a countdown to his last moments with the Flamengo shirt.

With the future undefined, there would still be the possibility of renewal, but the board's statements indicate otherwise. Marcos Braz, for example, has already stated that it is “unlikely” that Flamengo will extend Gabigol's contract.

The club even offered a renewal for another year, with a 50% salary increase. However, this was the established limit, and, without being able to demonstrate to Tite that he can still be useful to the squad, it is unlikely that a new proposal will be made.

The Peñarol team arrived in Rio de Janeiro this past Tuesday (17) to prepare for the clash against Flamengo. Aiming for the match against Mais Querido, striker Javier Cabrera revealed what would be the best strategy to adopt at Maracanã.

“We have to defend well, but what we do very well is the counterattack from the flanks , right and left, so we hope that happens", said Javier Cabrera, about Peñarol's game strategy for the match against Flamengo.

"We know the importance of this game, but we cannot forget that we decided at home. We know the shirt we're wearing. They have a great squad; whoever plays, we'll try to make as few mistakes as possible", concluded the Peñarol player.

Despite Javier Cabrera's confidence, Flamengo will be able to count on the support of the Nation, which promises to fill Maracanã on Thursday (19). Playing at the "Templo Sagrado", Rubro-Negro lost only two matches, against Botafogo and Fortaleza, both in the Brasileirão.

Thus, the Mais Querido squad continues preparing for the clash against Peñarol, in the Libertadores. The first game will be at Maracanã, on Thursday (19). The ball rolls at 7pm, with live broadcast throughout Brazil on ESPN, on a closed channel, and Disney+, via streaming. The decision will be valid for the Libertadores quarter-finals.

Luiz Araújo had his good run at Flamengo interrupted by a fractured cartilage in his right knee. In addition to his importance on the field, the striker plays a crucial role off it, helping Mirassol, a team from Série B in the Brasileirão. The number 7 raised the level of the São Paulo club, which today emerges as one of the favorites for access to Series A.

Revealed by Mirassol, Luiz Araújo transferred to São Paulo and, later, to Lille (FRA). With these negotiations, the club from the interior of São Paulo raised almost R$8 million. Part of this amount, around R$5.4 million, was used to build the Mirassol Training Center in 2018.

“What we received from the athlete's transfer to France gave us the opportunity to we started construction of the CT. It was a project and a dream that we managed to achieve with a modern CT that provided working conditions for our professional and grassroots athletes. One of our objectives was to be included in the competitions organized by the CBF so that we have a year-round calendar, which the CT helped us achieve” stated the president of Mirassol, Edson Antônio Ermenegildo.

In 2013, at the age of 17, Luiz Araújo left Mirassol to join São Paulo's youth teams. After standing out in the under-17 and under-20 teams, in addition to his time with the professional team, he was sold to Lille. The player also played for Atlanta United (USA) before wearing the Flamengo shirt.

With the support of Luiz Araújo, Mirassol reached another level. Currently, it occupies third place in Series B, with 43 points after 27 rounds. The São Paulo team is directly competing for a place in the G-4 with Sport and Vila Nova, fourth and fifth placed, both with 42 points.