
Soccer
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O Flamengo , in recent years, it has consolidated itself as a financial powerhouse in Brazilian football. This status is not only the result of its huge fan base or the sale of players, but also of an administration that, despite some ups and downs, managed to leverage the club's ability to make major signings. The possible arrival of Alex Sandro at Flamengo is further clear evidence of this new reality at the club.
Alex Sandro, a left-back with vast experience in Europe, mainly at Juventus, is a name that has been arousing interest for a long time. interest from Brazilian clubs. However, most of these clubs do not have the necessary resources to bring in a player of this caliber. Flamengo, on the other hand, has shown that it not only has interest, but also the ability to carry out deals that seemed unthinkable for national football.
FLAMENGO'S "STRONG" INVESTMENT
Rodrigo Bueno, in a recent comment, highlighted that Flamengo has not only the money, but the assertiveness necessary to make big signings. The possible arrival of Alex Sandro reinforces this perception. For Flamengo, signing a player of this level is no longer a distant dream, but rather a concrete possibility, something that the club can make a reality with relative ease.
Flamengo, over the last few years, has showing a financial muscle that few clubs in Brazil can match. This is due to a number of factors, including increased revenue from broadcasts, sponsorships, and the ability to trade players for high prices on the international market.
The São Paulo referee, who has refereed the Mais Querido for 44 games, has a history of controversial decisions that upset fans on both sides.
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Flamengo's loss to Santos in the last round knocked them out of the lead. Cruzeiro, which beat Fluminense, took the lead with 30 points—three more than the Rubro-Negro. Under Filipe Luís's leadership, Flamengo needs a positive result to prevent the Minas Gerais team from growing in advantage. The pressure is intense, especially against a direct rival and a referee with a controversial history.
Raphael Claus is considered one of the country's top referees. But with Flamengo, his numbers and decisions raise questions. He has refereed 44 Flamengo matches, with numerous criticisms involving penalty calls and red cards. Most of the controversies occurred in classic matches. Check out some of the controversies below:
Penalty on Léo Pereira (2024): Claus awarded a controversial penalty to Fluminense. Marquinhos was off-balance, but the penalty was awarded. The game ended 2-0 to Fluminense—Filipe Luís's first loss as coach.
Goal wrongly disallowed against Vasco (2023): At São Januário, Pedro scored and had the goal disallowed for questionable offside. VAR confirmed the decision, but the footage was unconvincing.
Red card for Gabigol (2022): In a derby against Botafogo, Claus sent off Gabigol for complaining. The decision was criticized as excessive.
VAR review ignored (2021): In the Fla-Flu match, Claus did not go to the monitor to review a possible clear penalty on Bruno Henrique. The refereeing committee later acknowledged the error.
Questionable fouling practices (several games): Recurring complaints about different criteria for opposing teams, especially in physical situations. On social media, the #ForaClaus trend returned to the spotlight after the refereeing decision for the Fla-Flu match was announced. Fans cite "bias" in decisions that harm the club in decisive moments.
It's not just controversies. Some of Claus 's decisions have directly impacted defeats, points losses, and even eliminations. In tight matches, a refereeing error can define the outcome. With Claus, the fans' confidence level is practically zero. Claus's appointment raises questions about the CBF's judgment.
The teams face each other in São Paulo next Wednesday (23), in a direct confrontation, valid for the 16th round of the Brazilian Championship
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Flamengo's squad is focused on preparing for the classic against Fluminense , on Sunday (20), for the Brasileirão. Next Wednesday (23), Rubro-Negro returns to the field against Bragantino, at the Cícero de Souza Marques Stadium. Thus, thinking about the match, the Bragança Paulista team will start selling tickets this Friday (18).
Ticket sales for Flamengo fans will be staggered, according to the fan membership plans. The first to receive tickets will be those with the Nação Sem Fronteiras plan, specifically for fans outside of Rio de Janeiro, and those with the Nação Maraca 1 (1-star) membership.
Therefore, Flamengo fans who want to watch the Bragantino vs. Flamengo match in person will have to pay between R$120 (full price) and R$60 (half price) for tickets. Sales will be exclusively on the official website: ingresso.flamengo.com.br.
Flamengo and Bragantino will face each other on Wednesday (23), in a game valid for the 16th round of the Brasileirão. The match will be a direct confrontation to define which team will take the lead from Cruzeiro, as the teams hope for a stumble by the Minas Gerais club, current leader of the tournament.
However, before thinking about Bragantino, Flamengo focuses its attention on the classic against Fluminense . The Most Beloved faces the Laranjeiras team on Sunday (20), in a game valid for the 15th round of the Brasileirão, at Maracanã, at 7:30 pm. It is worth remembering that Rubro-Negro is the vice-leader of the competition.
The striker will have to show his worth in the next training sessions to convince the coach that he deserves to be on the list for the classic.
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After the defeat to Santos last Wednesday (16), coach Filipe Luís stated that the situation involving striker Pedro was resolved internally . However, the red-black commander did not confirm whether the number 9 will be related to the classic against Fluminense, on Sunday (20). The decision will depend on the player's performance in training .
Pedro , in fact, will be evaluated during the upcoming activities at Ninho do Urubu. If he performs well and maintains his composure with the rest of the group , he could be considered for the match, valid for the 15th round of the Brazilian Championship.
In an attempt to regain space in the squad, Pedro gathered the group last Monday (14) for a conversation behind closed doors. The striker explained himself about the recent episodes and shared with his colleagues how he felt about the public criticism made by Filipe Luís.
The coach, in turn, had already stated after the match against São Paulo that Pedro's absence was due to the player's performance in training. Filipe criticized the number 9's performance in training and made it clear: " When he trains at the same level as his teammates, he will be called up again ."
It all started on July 9th, when Pedro claimed to have "heavy legs" and left training early . This behavior caused discomfort among his teammates, who contacted the coaching staff and management, asking for action.
The next day, Pedro participated normally in the training session, but was cut from the collective training session on the 11th and was left out of the squad for the match against São Paulo. Even so, he attended the Maracanã to watch the match from the stands.
Flamengo returns to the field this Sunday (20/07), at 7:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, to face Fluminense in the 15th round of the Brasileirão . The classic will be broadcast exclusively by Premiere, via pay-per-view.