Tite reveals Arrascaeta's sacrifice for Nico De La Cruz before injury: "The guys are demolished"

In the relationship between Gabigol and coach Tite at Flamengo, only the field is capable of speaking. Between the striker and coach, there is practically no dialogue, and the cold and silent war dictates that only one of them should remain at the club for the season in 2025.

No atmosphere with the coaching staff and also with the squad , Gabriel Barbosa has been convinced to change and airs, but even the clubs that expressed interest in the first half of the year backed away. With a contract at Flamengo until the end of December, Gabigol had offers from Palmeiras, Corinthians and Santos, was mentioned at Grêmio, but did not want to sign a pre-contract with any team.

The expectation was to try to turn things around on top in the second half, otherwise he would end his time at Flamengo like the idol he became, without any fuss.

Tite's arrival last year changed the entire perspective of the striker, who was already in a bad phase previously, and lost his place once and for all to Pedro with the presence of the new coach. With the center forward's recent injury, Tite kept Gabigol at the end of the line, under the argument that Carlinhos and Bruno Henrique perform better in the scheme with a reference man .

Without understanding the criteria, Gabi maintains her dedication to the basic level of professionalism in training, as it is not part of the coach's or the club's plans for a possible renewal. With the chances of a comeback practically buried, the two possible paths are to wait for the election in Flamengo to find out if Tite will remain with the next president; or wait for the end of the contract to freely listen to proposals again. Palmeiras and Santos have not yet given up on the idea, and Bahia appears as an option, as it has good investment capacity.

Retired from the field since 2017, former midfielder Zé Roberto, who had a spell at Flamengoin the 90s, it is looking to buy 90% of SAF from São Bento, a club in São Paulo. According to GE, a meeting scheduled for this Wednesday night (18) could decree the sale of the Sorocaba team to the company Flash Forward, which belongs to the former player.

Zé Roberto is the main name of the company. However, the group also has partners such as former athlete Fransérgio and businessman Tiago Ribeiro (former CEO of Estoril). In addition to Flamengo, Zé played in Brazilian football with the shirts of Palmeiras, Santos and Grêmio. In Europe, the former athlete defended giants such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

The offer is R$130 million, which would be paid in installments. This amount would be invested on a specific basis in the football team and the club’s structure. The project is to take São Bento to the elite of São Paulo football and Brazilian Series B in up to six seasons.

Revelation from Portuguesa-SP, Zé Roberto stood out at Lusa and caught the attention of Real Madrid in 1997. However, the player had difficulty fitting into the Spanish club and was loaned to Flamengo in 1998.

At Flamengo, Zé Roberto was a starter in the Campeonato Carioca competition, entered the field 23 times and aroused the interest of Bayer Leverkusen , leaving Gávea in the same season. As an athlete, the former midfielder also played in the 2006 World Cup for the Brazilian team.

One of Flamengo's main figures, Giorgian de Arrascaeta, reached an important personal milestone in the classic. With the decisive pass for Gerson's goal, the midfielder reached 50 assists in Brazilian Championships wearing the Sacred Mantle. When considering all competitions, Arrascaeta has accumulated an impressive 89 assists in 280 matches for Mengão, consolidating his position as one of the greatest playmakers in the club's recent history.

The draw in the classic, although frustrating, comes with good news for Flamengo. Key players are returning from injury or post-FIFA Date recovery, which raises fans' hopes for the remainder of the season. With the brand of Arrascaeta and the return of important athletes, such as De La Cruz and Alcaraz, who will be available against Peñarol. 

This Thursday (19), at 7pm, the More Querido will face Peñarol at Maracanã, in the first game of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals. The return match is scheduled for September 26th, at the Campeón del Siglo Stadium, in Montevideo. The clash marks another chapter in a historic rivalry between the two teams in the continental tournament.

In previous clashes between Flamengo and Peñarol, the Uruguayan team has an advantage. In total, the two teams faced each other six times, with four victories for Peñarol, one draw and only one victory for Mengão. The last meeting took place in the group stage of the 2019 Libertadores, when Rubro-Negro was defeated 1-0 at Maracanã and drew goalless in the second game, in Montevideo.