HAS IT BECOME A JACKET? FLAMENGO'S STATE RIVAL ANNOUNCES HIRING OF NINHO CREARY

Flamengo ended August with a 1-1 draw against Grêmio, last Sunday (31), in the 22nd round of the Brasileirão. Now, September begins with a full calendar: there will be five matches throughout the month, three for the Brazilian Championship and two for the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores da América .

FLAMENGO'S SCHEDULE IN SEPTEMBER

The first match will be on the 14th, against Juventude, in the 23rd round, in Caxias do Sul. After that, the Red-Blacks will have two more national classics in the Brasileirão, against Vasco and Corinthians , in addition to the decisive clash against Estudiantes de La Plata, on the 18th and 25th, in the Libertadores. Check out the confirmed matches:

• 14/09 – Juventude x Flamengo | 23rd round of the Brasileirão
• 18/09 – Flamengo x Estudiantes (ARG) | First leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals
• 21/09 – Flamengo x Vasco | 24th round of the Brasileirão
• 25/09 – Estudiantes (ARG) x Flamengo | Second leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals
• September 28 – Corinthians vs Flamengo | 25th round of the Brasileirão

SITUATION IN THE TABLE

Despite the draw against Grêmio, Filipe Luís's team remains firmly at the top of the Brasileirão with 47 points . Cruzeiro moved into second place with 44 points after overtaking Palmeiras, who dropped to third with 43 points after drawing with Corinthians.

FIFA DATE SCHEDULE

Due to the break for the FIFA Date, Flamengo will only return to the field in the middle of the month . The squad was given a break between Monday (01) and Thursday (04), returning to training at Ninho do Urubu on Friday (05). From then on, Filipe Luís will have time to adjust the team for the September marathon.

Without being able to count on Jorginho, who was out due to muscle discomfort in his left thigh, Flamengo drew 1-1 with Grêmio this Sunday (31), at Maracanã. After the match, Samuel Lino evaluated the team's performance and highlighted that Nicolás De La Cruz made up for the absence of the number 21 well.

Samuel Lino on the draw between Flamengo and Grêmio: "The victory didn't come because it's a football thing"

"None of that (Jorginho's absence had any impact). Nico had a great game. Jorginho has his qualities, De La Cruz has his qualities, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. I think Nico performed very well after being out for a long time . The victory didn't come because that's football, it happens, but I'm happy Nico's back. He had a great game and helped us a lot," said the forward.

Coach Filipe Luís also made a point of praising De La Cruz's performance: "He (De La Cruz) requested a substitution. He recovered, had a good training session, and is back in good shape . He brings a lot of dynamism to our midfield, both in attack and defense. He's one of the pillars of the team, and I'm very happy to have him back," said the coach.

NUMBERS OF THE DUO AT FLAMENGO

Signed before the Club World Cup, Jorginho has played 15 matches for the club, with a record of 11 wins, two losses, and two draws , and has scored one goal and provided two assists. Samuel Lino arrived after the tournament in the United States and has played nine matches so far, scoring two goals and providing four assists.

NEXT CHALLENGES

Flamengo returns to action on September 14th against Juventude at Alfredo Jaconi Stadium in the Brasileirão. Four days later, the team faces Estudiantes at Maracanã Stadium in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores Round of 16. With the decisive sequence, Filipe Luís may rest some starters, including Jorginho and Samuel Lino.

With an aggressive approach to the transfer market, Flamengo has made moves and signed some big names this season . However, director of football José Boto stated that the club will not make any more signings until the end of the window.

" The window is still open until the 2nd (of September). We don't have any plans to bring anyone else in , but you never know because the market is volatile. An opportunity, a good deal, might come up. But, in principle, it's closed. I don't even think we have... in Portugal we say that too much water kills the plant, and I think we have enough water," Boto said in an interview.

FLAMENGO INVESTS HISTORIC VALUE

So far, the club has signed midfielder Jorginho, midfielder Saúl Ñíguez, forward Samuel Lino, midfielder Jorge Carrascal, and right-back Emerson Royal. Only Juninho had been signed earlier this year, outside of the current transfer window.

With the approval of president Bap , the negotiations concluded by José Boto totaled R$277.127 million , consolidating Mengão's largest investment in a single transfer window in its entire history.

DEPARTURES MARK THE WINDOW WITH TRANSFERS

In addition to the arrivals, the window was also marked by important departures. Striker Michael was released by the board to listen to offers , as he is no longer in coach Filipe Luís's plans. Brazilian clubs have already expressed interest in signing the player for the second half of the year.

So far, Rubro-Negro has confirmed five departures : Matheus Gonçalves, sold to Al Ahli; Lorran, loaned to Pisa; Victor Hugo, sent to Santos; Gerson, traded to Zenit; and Wesley, transferred to Roma.