"He can afford it...", journalist extols Flamengo's signing of Alexsandro

The Peñarol (URU) team was excited from the beginning of the trip to Rio de Janeiro, where they will face Flamengo, in the quarter-finals of the Libertadores. In addition to cheering the players on the flight towards the 'Marvelous City', the Uruguayans posted a montage of Christ the Redeemer with the club's flag.

As soon as they landed on Rio de Janeiro soil, the Uruguayan club published an image of a of the city's main tourist attractions. In addition to the photo, the team wrote the following message: “Peñarol em Rio”, alluding to Rock In Rio. Afterwards, a video showing the arrival of the athletes at Galeão Airport was also published.

< p>Uruguayan team in the Libertadores

Peñarol reached the quarterfinals of the Libertadores after beating The Strongest (BOL) in the round of 16. In the first game, the Uruguayan team defeated their opponent 4-0. On the way back, the Bolivian team even won by a score of 1-0, however, it was not enough to take away the classification of Diego Aguirre's men.

Before the game against Flamengo, Peñarol played in the Championship Uruguayan. On Saturday (14), Rubro-Negro's opponent beat Rampla (URU), by a score of 4 to 0. Given this situation, they remained undefeated in the national tournament.

And the red- black?

Flamengo is coming off a bitter draw with Vasco on Sunday (15), however, they will have reinforcements for this Thursday's duel (19). Recovered from a thigh injury, De La Cruz is back in the team. In addition to the Uruguayan, Alex Sandro, Alcaraz and Gonzalo Plata were registered in the competition and, as a result, will be included in the clash.

Last Tuesday, the candidate for re-election for mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, denied the journalist Ancelmo Gois, from Globo. In a post on Instagram, the mayor informed that the city hall will be responsible for removing the megastructure on the gas meter site, different from what was reported. Furthermore, he guaranteed that Flamengo will have its new stadium, with the best conditions and security.

The news published by Ancelmo informs that Flamengo would have to pay R$100 million to remove a large gas structure present on land acquired by the club, which is owned by CEG and CEG-Rio, which are companies that are part of the gas concessionaire Naturgy.

According to the article, the companies were informed that Flamengo is the responsible for bearing the expenses, as provided for in one of the annexes to the land purchase and transfer contract. The clause, however, does not have a specified limit.

Eduardo Paes guarantees that the removal is the responsibility of Rio's city hall.

Paes stated that the values ​​for the transfer of the structure are different from what was pointed out in the article by Ancelmo Gois. Furthermore, it exempted Flamengo from any responsibility, and that the city hall has been planning to remove it for years.

“They are making me defend @flamengo more than I would like: let it be clear that this is not the The cost of this transfer and when it happens will be the responsibility of the city of Rio, which knows that this structure cannot be in an area that is already receiving so many residential buildings. It's been in our plans for a long time! Flamengo will have its new stadium there in the gasometer with all the quality and safety that the region demands and deserves. Period!”, published the mayor.

This Sunday, Flamengo is preparing for one of the most anticipated clashes of the season: the classic against Vasco, valid for the 26th round of the Brazilian Championship. For the match, coach Tite confirmed an important news for the red and black squad: the debut of Alex Sandro, recently hired, who will start at left-back, replacing Ayrton Lucas, suspended due to accumulation of cards.

< Also, another news for Flamengo could be the participation of striker Gonzalo Plata, recently arrived at the club. Although he is not considered to start playing, Plata will be available on the bench and could make his debut during the second half, according to the technical committee's assessment during the game. DES PREMIERE STARS 

Alex Sandro's arrival at Flamengogenerated great expectations among fans. The left-back, who built a solid career in Europe, especially in Italian football, where he played for Juventus for many years, is seen as a key player in strengthening the Red and Black defense. His international experience, both for clubs and for the Brazilian national team, is considered a great asset for Tite's team, which seeks to provide more balance to the defensive system.

Ayrton Lucas' suspension made room for Alex Sandro, and his debut could not come at a more crucial time. The classic against Vasco is always a match of great rivalry and pressure, and the presence of a player with Alex Sandro's CV promises to give greater security to the red and black defense. The expectation is that he will contribute not only with defensive solidity, but also with quality in supporting the attack, one of his main characteristics in his international career.