FLAMENGO FANS CRITICIZE FAGNER'S ENTRY IN DE LA CRUZ: "NOTHING IS DONE"

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) defined this Tuesday the members of the working group responsible for creating a Financial Fair Play model for national football. The measure aims to establish criteria for fiscal control, transparency and economic balance between clubs — as a kind of “brake” on irregular or unsustainable practices.

Flamengo , one of the clubs that has been most vocal in favor of greater financial responsibility in Brazilian football, has been confirmed as one of the 35 members that make up the board. The presence of the red-and-blacks serves both the interests of the board itself and the organization's vision of including the main protagonists of the national scene.

FLAMENGO TAKES THE LEAD IN NEGOTIATIONS

Initially, the CBF planned to open a registration period for interested clubs and, if necessary, limit participation to a reduced number. However, given the high demand, the entity opted to accept all those who showed interest, as reported by the Máquina do Esporte website. In addition to Flamengo, 14 other Série A clubs will join the group: Bahia, Botafogo, Cruzeiro, Fluminense, Fortaleza, Grêmio, Internacional, Juventude, Palmeiras, Red Bull Bragantino, Santos, São Paulo, Sport and Vasco.

CLUBS ARE AGAINST THE MEASURES TAKEN

The only teams from the elite that were left out were Atlético-MG, Ceará, Corinthians, Mirassol and Vitória. The absence of Corinthians, one of the biggest clubs in the country, drew attention and reinforces the political weight of the debate surrounding the proposal. The Série B will also have important representatives. América-MG, Athletico-PR, Avaí, Botafogo-SP, Chapecoense, CRB, Ferroviária, Goiás, Novorizontino, Paysandu, Remo and Volta Redonda have confirmed their participation. The federations of Alagoas, Amapá, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Paraíba, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Sergipe complete the list.

So far, the clubs and federations have not yet indicated the names that will represent them at the meetings. The group's first meeting has already been scheduled: it will be on July 13, the same date as the Club World Cup final, which will be held in Saudi Arabia. The creation of the group is part of the plan of the new CBF management, led by Samir Xaud, to establish stricter guidelines for the financial health of the clubs. The president of the entity had already indicated that the topic would be one of the priorities of his term.

Flamengo returned to training on Tuesday (17) with full focus on the match against Chelsea, valid for the second round of the Club World Cup group stage. However, coach Filipe Luís still does not have full strength : left-back Alex Sandro remains out . Newly arrived at the club, Alex Sandro was spared from the debut against Espérance, from Tunisia, and also did not participate in the first training session on the field in preparation for the duel against the English team.

ALEX SANDRO IS OUT

According to information from the profile "Paparazzo Rubro-Negro", the player remained inside Stockton University, where the squad is concentrated in the United States, carrying out load control activities.   Flamengo's health and performance department understands that the defender would need a period of recovery, especially after the recent marathon between games for the club and the Brazilian national team.

The absence follows individual planning to avoid injuries in an athlete who, at 33 years of age, has a history of muscle problems in recent years. While Alex Sandro remains out, the positive news was Nicolás de la Cruz. The Uruguayan trained normally with the group and increased his chances of being included in the squad to face Chelsea.

A TURN OF THE WHEEL

The midfielder's last match was on May 18, in a 0-0 draw with Botafogo in the Brasileirão. Since then, he has been treating a knee sprain. The coaching staff is treating De la Cruz 's situation with caution. Despite his physical improvement and being cleared to play with the ball, Flamengo prefers not to rush his return to action in order to preserve the athlete for the rest of the season.

Even so, the number 18 is likely to be included in the match against the English. In the tournament's debut, the red-and-black midfield had Jorginho as a new addition. The youngster took advantage of De la Cruz's absence to gain a place in the starting lineup and showed good movement against Espérance. The Rio de Janeiro team won 2-0, with goals from Pedro and Bruno Henrique.

With no space in Europe and at Real Madrid, former Flamengo player Reinier may be moving to Brazil again . This is because the Ninho player has been targeted by Atlético-MG for the rest of the season.

According to information from GE, Atlético-MG has started contacts with Reinier and Real Madrid. The Minas Gerais club's idea is to have the player on loan for a year, until June 2026. It is worth remembering that the youngster's contract with the Spanish team runs until next year.

REINIER WILL NOT BE USED BY REAL MADRID

As of now, Real Madrid do not intend to have Reinier in the squad for the 2025/26 season. Therefore, there is a strong possibility that the midfielder will be loaned to another club again. It is worth remembering that he has just returned from a loan spell at Granada.

NUMBERS BELOW EXPECTED

Reinier played 25 matches on loan at Granada and only scored once. In addition, the former Flamengo player provided four assists for his teammates. However, the Spanish team decided not to buy him.

ABOUT THAT...

While Reinier tries to define his future, Flamengo remains focused on the season's competitions. Thus, Mais Querido focuses its attention on the match against Chelsea , next Friday (20), at 3 pm, for the second round of the group stage of the Club World Cup.