Flamengo's last away win in the Libertadores was in a semi-final

Introduced to the world as Anitta's new boyfriend during Paris Fashion Week, Brazilian midfielder Vini Souza is having a great time on the field.

Despite being relegated with Sheffield United to second place division of the English Championship last season, the 25-year-old player quickly turned things around and established himself as the protagonist of his team's attempt to return to the Premier League.

The former Flamengo player is already the first placed in the Championship's tackles ranking, second in England. Furthermore, last weekend, he wore the "Blades" captain's armband for the first time, the nickname by which his team is known.

The ability to steal the ball from opponents is precisely the best feature of Anitta's boyfriend's game. Two seasons ago, when he played for Espanyol, he was one of the record holders for this foundation in the Spanish La Liga. This was precisely the reason that made Sheffield pay 12.5 million euros (R$ 75.7 million) to take him to England.

In the current season, the Brazilian has an average of 4.3 tackles per game in the Championship, according to data collected by "WhoScored?". The one closest to him is Englishman David Ozoh, from Derby County, with 3.8 balls recovered each match.

Even in England's top division, there is only one player with better defensive numbers than Vini's. Souza: Ivorian Ibrahim Sangaré, from Nottingham Forest, who has an average of 5 tackles per match played.

One of the 12 remaining players in the squad. Sheffield squad relegated last season, the midfielder gained the trust of coach Chris Wilder and joined the hierarchy of team captains. The owner of the armband continues to be defender Jack Robinson, who has been at the club since 2020. But, in his absence and the revelation of Oliver Arblaster, created from the youth teams, the position now goes to the Brazilian.

Starting in the six rounds of the Championship already played and without having been substituted even once in the season, Vini debuted as captain in the 1-0 victory over Derby County, last Saturday.

"This is a sign of that my work is being valued, not only for what I've been doing on the field, but off it as well", he stated.

Last Thursday (26), Flamengo was unable to overcome the necessary challenges and was eliminated from the Libertadores da America in the quarterfinals. After this elimination, coupled with recent unsatisfactory results in the Brazilian Championship, Tite faces increasing pressure on his position. It is no surprise that many fans are in favor of the coach's dismissal.

A poll carried out by the portal 'Coluna do Fla' revealed that a significant majority of fans voted in favor of Tite's departure. In total, 82.5% of participants expressed support for the coach's dismissal, while only 17.5% were opposed to the idea.

In short, Tite has a contract with Flamengo until the end of 2024. Almost a year at the head of the red-black team, the coach has not yet achieved unanimity among the fans. This is partly due to the recent defeats in the Brasileirão and the elimination in the quarter-finals of the Libertadores.

Recently, the coach became the target of several demonstrations by fans. In Gávea, graffiti on the wall asked: “Out, Tite”. Furthermore, in the stadiums where Flamengo plays, shouts of support for the coach's dismissal have resounded in the stands.

Before the elimination in the Libertadores, Flamengo's directors were supporting Tite's stay. However, after the early exit from the continental competition, the scenario changed.

Although Tite's resignation has not yet been made official, president Rodolfo Landim considers that Rodrigo Dunshee's campaign is at risk if Flamengo ends the season without winning a significant title. In this way, the red and black leaders began to consider the possibility of dismissing the coach.

With the electoral scenario in view, together with the elimination in the Libertadores, Tite's future was questioned behind the scenes at Flamengo by first time. However, according to information from ESPN, the red and black board should not make a decision on the coach's dismissal before the semi-finals of the Copa do Brasil.

Bruno Henrique, a player who will be a key player for Flamengo in this final stretch of the season due to Pedro's injury, expressed his sadness over his teammate's situation and revealed his desire to "make up" for the support he received from the number 9 in 2022 .

“I hope I can do this, like Pedro did in 2022, when I was away. He was the king of America, he led Flamengo to titles, a very important player, not only on the field, but also outside”, commented Bruno Henrique.

In an interview with ESPN, Bruno Henrique commented on the serious injury de Pedro, highlighting that this type of injury is one of the most feared by professional athletes. He also mentioned that he hopes to repay the attitude of the number 9, who was one of the team's pillars during his absence last year, when he spent a large part of the season away. Now, the situation is reversed, and BH takes on the role of replacing the center forward.

“This injury (ACL) is what every player fears. It's Pedro's second, and faced with a fatality, in training, injuring his knee. It's difficult to understand, right, but we have to accept it”, lamented BH.

Much requested by the fans as As a starter, Pedro faced a dilemma in 2022, performing well but not being frequently selected. With the arrival of Dorival Júnior, the coach responded to the fans' outcry, placing Pedro and Gabigol to play together.

Unfortunately, this change was triggered by the serious injury to Bruno Henrique, which occurred in June of that year, in a match against Cuiabá. After needing to undergo surgery, the number 27 only returned to the pitch in 2023.

With Pedro taking his place, the response was impressive. His numbers in the Libertadores were extraordinary, with more participation in goals than games. Pedro ended that season with 29 goals and ten assists in 59 matches, in addition to winning the title of best player on the continent.

In addition to his individual achievements, the center forward was one of the main names, alongside Gabigol, in winning the Libertadores and Copa do Brasil with Flamengo.