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Flamengo already knows who will be in charge of the whistle in the decisive match against Cruzeiro , next Thursday (October 1st), for the 26th round of the 2025 Brazilian Championship. The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed that 36-year-old Santa Catarina native Ramon Abatti Abel will be the referee of the match . The assistants and the VAR team are yet to be announced by the entity.

Ramon Abatti Abel has played 20 matches in national tournaments this season. In 2025, he refereed five Flamengo matches and only one Cruzeiro match. Interestingly, both Flamengo and Raposa have won all their matches under the referee's direction.

RECENT HISTORY

The only Cruzeiro match refereed by Ramon this year was the 2-0 victory over Atlético-MG on August 27, in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals, at Arena MRV. Flamengo beat Botafogo 3-1 in the Supercopa do Brasil on February 2 , at Mangueirão, in Belém, also refereed by the Santa Catarina native.

FILIPE LUÍS ASKS FOR HUMILITY

Coach Filipe Luís spoke about the importance of the match against Cruzeiro and emphasized that, despite the decisive nature of the match, the points are worth the same as in any other round. " Now we have a direct rival in the next game, which is Cruzeiro, and these are three very important points , just like today. This championship is very difficult," he stated.

He recalled the criticism he received after the draw with Vasco, emphasizing the tournament's unpredictability. " We drew with Vasco last week, and everyone said Flamengo was awful. But today Vasco beat Cruzeiro, who are fighting for the title. These things show how competitive the championship is," he said after the game against Corinthians .

With only two defeats in 24 matches played , Flamengo remains firm in the search for the 2025 Brazilian Championship title. The team led by Filipe Luís beat Corinthians this Sunday (28), at Neo Química Arena, and extended its advantage over its direct rivals.

Rubro-Negro reached 54 points in 24 games, while Leonardo Jardim's Cruzeiro has 50 points in 25 matches . Abel Ferreira's Palmeiras, in turn, played 23 matches and reached 49 points.

FLAMENGO IS THE FAVORITE

According to projections from the Mathematics Department at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Flamengo has a 52.9% chance of lifting the trophy at the end of the season . This would be the first time Flamengo has won the Brasileirão since 2022.

Palmeiras comes in second with 30.1%, and Cruzeiro comes right behind with 15.3% . Also according to the survey, Mirassol (1.2%) and Bahia (0.39%) appear as underdogs in the race for the national title.

NEXT ROUND

Flamengo 's next match will be against Cruzeiro on Thursday (Maracanã), in a direct clash for the lead in the Brasileirão . Palmeiras will face Vasco on Wednesday at Allianz Parque in São Paulo.

Flamengo widened its lead over its rivals at the top of the Brazilian Championship by defeating Corinthians 2-1 in Itaquera. Still in the first half, in the 13th minute, with the score at 0-0, goalkeeper Rossi was decisive again. This time, he saved a penalty from Yuri Alberto, who was sitting on the pitch , catching the ball after the striker's chipped shot.

The Argentine press praised the goalkeeper's performance. TyC Sports described it as: " A marvelous goalkeeper: Rossi saved a penalty with a chip shot while sitting down. After receiving the ball, the 30-year-old goalkeeper showed his contempt for the experienced striker, making a clear 'not like that' gesture with his index finger ."

Meanwhile, the newspaper "Olé" highlighted: " Flamengo's goalkeeper shone again on the penalty kick. Yuri Alberto's arrogance allowed him to keep the ball. The experienced Corinthians striker made a terrible decision: he dug in absurdly, and the Argentine goalkeeper saved it almost sitting down, with little effort ."

FLAMENGO OVERCOMES YURI ALBERTO'S GOAL

In the second half, Corinthians opened the scoring through Yuri Alberto, but Flamengo quickly responded. Arrascaeta equalized, and Luiz Araújo scored the winning goal, securing the three points and solidifying Flamengo's lead in the Brazilian Championship.

ARRASCAETA HIGHLIGHTS PERSONALITY

After the match, Arrascaeta praised his teammate's performance: " 2019 was magical. We went through these things. We won and grew stronger even when playing poorly. Knowing that when you're not playing well, everyone works hard until they do. Then there are players of great quality who make a difference. Today was another game like that. Rossi showed his personality ," the midfielder declared.