FLAMENGO'S VICE-PRESIDENT OF FOOTBALL, MARCOS BRAZ, IRONIZES THE CBF FOR NOT STOPPING THE BRAZILIAN'S MATCHES DURING CUP AMERICA: "THIS DOESN'T EXIST..."

Several Uruguayan newspapers covered the tie between Flamengo and Vasco this Sunday (15). Among the main vehicles, “El País” and “Montevidéu Portal” highlighted that Luiz Araújo left the classic with a possible knee injury and could be absent for Rubro-Negro in the first game of the Libertadores quarter-finals against Peñarol, next Thursday (19).

Luiz Araújo played just 18 minutes in the classic. The attacker felt his knee after a challenge with a Vasco defender and even tried to continue on the field, but ended up being replaced by Arrascaeta. At half-time, Flamengo issued a statement informing that the player will be re-evaluated by the medical department at Ninho do Urubu. The squad will be presented again this Monday afternoon (16).

Uruguayan newspapers consider the possible absence of Luiz Araújo a big problem for Mengão. The athlete is a starter in Tite's team, with the most matches for Flamengo this season (50) and leader in assists (10).

The newspaper 'El País' classified the player as a key player for the team: “The injury to Luiz Araújo, one of the most important players in Mengão's squad, expands the list of injured players just a few days before the clash against Peñarol in the Copa Libertadores.”

The 'Montevideo Portal' followed the same line, highlighting the importance of the striker: “In addition to the result, another bad news for Peñarol's next rival in the Copa Libertadores it was the departure of Luiz Araújo. The fast right-winger, starter for Flamengo, felt pain in his right knee after a blow.”

Currently, Flamengo's medical department has five injured players: De La Cruz, Michael, Cebolinha, Viña and Pedro, with the trio formed by Cebolinha, Viña and Pedro only expected to return in 2025.

While awaiting Luiz Araújo's diagnosis, coach Tite revealed, after the draw against Vasco, that he hopes to count on De La Cruz for the duel against Peñarol . According to the coach, the Uruguayan's presence could improve the effectiveness of the team, which has shown good performance in recent matches.

“In training, when he (De la Cruz) was leaving, I asked 'is there enough for 20? minutes?'. He smiled, because he couldn't. The physical department definitely said they were not in a position to do so. Not even him feeling well. Especially because you have to talk to the athlete, because then there is the charge. Hopefully, and I hope that he can be there on Thursday to reproduce today's performance, with greater effectiveness”, said Tite in the post-game press conference between Flamengo x Vasco.

Flamengo is focused on the duel against Peñarol (URU), in the quarter-finals of the Libertadores, which takes place on Thursday (19), at 7pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã. Rubro-Negro has an important asset to advance in the competition: a sequence of 27 games without defeat at the 'Templo Sagrado'.

With total focus on the Libertadores, Flamengo accumulates excellent numbers playing at Maracanã. There are 27 unbeaten matches in the continental competition, with 24 wins and only three draws. Furthermore, Mengão reached the mark of 16 consecutive victories at the stadium in the Libertadores.

Although the record is impressive, one detail still worries fans. Flamengo's last defeat at home in the Libertadores was against Peñarol, in 2019. In that game, the team led by Abel Braga lost 1-0, in a match marked by a poor performance and the expulsion of Gabigol.

Flamengo's numbers at Maracanã in the Libertadores:

27 games without losing

24 wins and three draws

16 consecutive victories at Maracanã

Last draw: Flamengo 0x0 Vélez Sarsfield (2021)

Last defeat: Flamengo 0x1 Peñarol (2019)

Flamengo will face Peñarol this Thursday (19), in the quarter-finals of the Libertadores. The match takes place at Maracanã, starting at 7pm (Brasília time). ESPN (closed channel) and Disney+ (streaming) will broadcast the duel.

Flamengo will sue FIFA to receive compensation for Pedro's injury during the FIFA Data. However, before sending the medical report to the highest football entity, part of the procedure, Rubro-Negro can also receive compensation from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) for the club's losses after the player was injured.

A lawyer Ana Mizutori, specialist in sports law, mentions that Brazilian sports legislation also deals with injuries to players that occurred while serving the national team.

"What was the old provision of the article 41 of the Pelé Law is now provided for in article 92 of the General Sports Law (Law 14,597/23), establishing that the participation of athletes in national teams will occur through an agreement between the convening sports organization and the club that gives the athlete to to play in the national team. The first paragraph maintained the provision regarding the duty of the convening sports organization (CBF) to compensate the team that maintains an employment contract with the athlete in question, and this duty must continue until the athlete is reintegrated into the sports organization that is in question. gave in."

"In this sense, it can be said that the responsibility for Pedro's injury, which occurred during his sporting performance for the Brazilian team, falls on the highest sports administration entity, and there may be specific adjustments in this sense, as observed today in FIFA regulations and the Club Protection Program, which provides compensation to clubs in these cases", he adds.

Journalist, lawyer and UOL columnist Andrei Kampff understands that " It would be important to seek this compensation, as it is the clubs' right. Flamengo could open a path that the legislation provides, but that the clubs do not use."

As explained by Lei em Campo last week, compensation by FIFA will take place through the Club Protection Program ( The FIFA Club Protection Programme). The ceiling for compensation is 7.5 million euros (R$46.7 million) over one year (365 days). thousand). Flamengo is already requesting this compensation.

The club, fulfilling the requirements established by the program, will be entitled to compensation aimed at covering medical expenses and losses caused during the period in which they will be unable to do so. rely on full compliance with the employment contract due to the injury.

Andrei Kampff, a lawyer specializing in sports law, highlights that "this mechanism is created to protect clubs that are obliged under internal provisions of the football to give their employees to the national teams. In other words, it is a type of insurance, since the athlete is also an important economic asset of the club."

To trigger compensation, the club must follow the procedure implemented by article 3 of the aforementioned regulation , communicating to the insurance company delegated by FIFA, presenting the necessary documents and forms, which cannot exceed a period of 28 days from the injury, under penalty of loss of the right to compensation.

Any dispute that arises in relation to the program will be submitted directly to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) - the last instance of Sports Justice at a global level.

Pedro was injured during the national team's training in a play alone, without contact with another player. The press had already left Caju's CT. The attacker underwent an MRI exam, in Curitiba, which showed the rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

The Recovery time for injuries of this type usually ranges from 9 to 12 months. The injury is the same as the one suffered by Neymar last year, which kept him out of action since October. In 2018, when he was wearing the Fluminense shirt, Pedro suffered the same injury, but to his right knee.