Flamengo's side Varela confides "I didn't want to go down because I wouldn't get hurt...", after the controversy with Penarol fans

Flamengo right-back Guillermo Varela found himself in a controversial situation last Wednesday, after being caught nearby to a group of Peñarol fans during an incident in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro. According to information provided by the athlete's manager, Fábio Pinto, the Uruguayan was just helping a relative involved in the confusion. However, Varela's presence at the scene caught the attention of the authorities, resulting in a police approach that generated repercussions on social media.

According to Fábio Pinto, the player was called by a relative who was in the middle of the commotion and was quite nervous. Faced with the situation, Varela, who was leaving training, decided go through the place to remove the family member from the confusion. "Varela has a relative who was here. He called nervously, asking what to do. was leaving training, he decided to stop there to help the person get out of the mess", reported Fábio. When the player parked his car, a police officer identified the vehicle as suspicious and proceeded with a search.

 PLAYER HAS HIS VERSION OF THE FACTS 

During the approach, a video was recorded, showing Varela being searched, the which quickly went viral and generated comments on social media. The businessman stated that the situation was clarified by the police, who found that the athlete was not involved in any illegal activity. “Because he was a public figure, someone filmed him. The search was carried out, and the police officer saw that everything was fine with Varela and his documents. He was released and is already at Flamengo's training center”, said Fábio Pinto.

In messages exchanged with the businessman, Varela detailed his version of the facts. He explained that, initially, he did not intend to leave the car, precisely to avoid any misinterpretation of his presence at the scene. However, the police approach made him change his stance. "I was leaving, and the police were coming the other way. They saw me and asked me to get out. I wanted to explain who I was so there wouldn't be any confusion, but the police officer told me to get out of the car", reported the player.

FLAMENGO HAS A HEADACHE

The incident involving Varela gained repercussion among fans and the press, leading Flamengo to monitor the situation closely to prevent the club's image from being damaged. So far, the club has not issued an official statement, but, internally, the board assesses that the player was taken by surprise and had no intention of causing disruption. Sources linked to Flamengo reinforced that the focus is on supporting the athlete , since the preliminary investigation did not reveal any irregularities.