IT'S GOING TO BE PACKED! 49 THOUSAND TICKETS SOLD FOR FLAMENGO X PALESTINO: HIGH EXPECTATIONS AT MARACANÃ

Officially presented as a Santos signing , Victor Hugo deviated from the traditional rhetoric in his first press conference . When asked about the new club's structure compared to Flamengo's, the midfielder was candid in acknowledging the club's superiority.

Victor Hugo on the structure of Flamengo and Santos: "it's difficult to make a comparison"

"The structure here at Santos has everything we need to perform at our best. Obviously, when we talk about Flamengo , in terms of structure, it's a very structured club; it's difficult to compare. But here, it's a club that has everything I need to perform , that is becoming increasingly structured. A lot is being renovated, it has everything we need," he stated.

SANTOS FANS REACTION

The statement divided opinions on social media. Some Santos fans considered the question malicious, as it led to a comparison with a club that has invested heavily in infrastructure in recent years. " This question about comparing structures is bizarre ; it seems like they did it on purpose to belittle the club. We all know the structure is way behind, there's no need to use that in the questions," commented one Santos fan.

Other fans, however, criticized the player himself for his bluntness: "You messed up, huh," said one. " As far as I'm concerned, you can give it back to Flamengo now ," quipped another. Also at the press conference, Victor Hugo spoke about Neymar's influence on his acceptance of the Santos project, his favorite position on the field, and the lessons he learned during his time in Europe.

VICTOR HUGO'S RECENT TRAJECTORY

Discovered by Flamengo, Victor Hugo stood out in 2022, but ended up losing ground in the following years. In 2024, he was loaned to Göztepe (TUR), where he remained until mid-2025. Upon returning to the Mais Querido, he had few opportunities: he played only five minutes against Ceará, in the Brasileirão, and after that, Filipe Luís dropped him from his squad.

Without space, he ended up being loaned to Santos until July 31, 2026. Before that, he was close to transferring permanently to Famalicão (POR), but the negotiations fell through after pressure from the red-black fans , who did not accept the possibility of losing the athlete without financial return.

Left-back Alex Sandro is expected to return to action on September 18, when Flamengo faces Estudiantes, from Argentina, in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores, at Maracanã, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time).

According to information from SBT Rio journalist Venê Casagrande, the player is being prepared by the medical department to be available for Filipe Luís. Besides him, the coach also has Ayrton Lucas and Matías Viña as options for the position.

DETAILS OF THE INJURY SUFFERED

In Flamengo 's 8-0 rout of Vitória, Alex Sandro had to be substituted in the 24th minute of the first half after experiencing pain in his left calf . Uruguayan Viña came on in his place and completed the match.

In an official statement, the club explained the situation: " Athlete Alex Sandro, substituted in the first half of the match against Vitória, underwent an MRI scan . The results revealed a muscle injury in his left calf. The player has already begun treatment under the supervision of Flamengo's medical department," the team reported.

INJURY ALSO PREVENTED CALL-UP

The severity of the injury also forced Alex Sandro out of Carlo Ancelotti's squad for the Brazilian national team. In the full-back's absence, Brazil defeated Chile 3-0 and now prepares to face Bolivia at altitude in the next round.

Flamengo officially announced Gerson 's departure on July 4, 2025, after Zenit of Russia paid the player's release clause . Since then, some Flamengo fans have questioned whether the midfielder was satisfied with the move. Teammate Douglas Santos, full-back at the Russian club, assured that the "Joker" is happy with the new phase of his career.

" Zenit is a great club that welcomes foreign players very well. I've been there for six years, and they've been improving this every year. They're even learning Portuguese to welcome Brazilians. Gerson was definitely welcomed and is happy ," said Douglas Santos in an interview in the mixed zone.

Introduced shortly after the FIFA Club World Cup, Gerson has already played six matches wearing the number 9 jersey for Zenit. So far, he has yet to score or provide any assists. The midfielder has started four matches, totaling 341 minutes on the pitch.

GERSON'S VICTORIOUS TRAJECTORY

Before his transfer, Gerson had spent more than two years in his second stint at Gávea. In total, he played 253 matches, scoring 19 goals and providing 34 assists. During his time there, he won major titles: a Libertadores, two Brazilian Championships, a Copa do Brasil, four Cariocas, three Brazilian Super Cups, and a Recopa Sudamericana.

AMOUNT OF TERMINATION FINE

Gerson 's departure was for a fee of €25 million (approximately R$160 million). The sum represented one of the largest transfers Mengão has received in recent years, but it didn't lessen the weight of the departure of one of the team's technical leaders.