Brazilian National Team defender recalls leaving Flamengo: "A difficult moment"

Flamengo closed the transfer window with four new players: Emerson Royal, Saúl, Carascal, and Samuel Lino. Despite monitoring other positions, the board opted not to move forward with negotiations, prioritizing sectors deemed more urgent at the moment.

The search for a replacement for Matheus Cunha, who already has a contract to play for Cruzeiro starting in 2026, led the club to consider signing a new goalkeeper. The closest candidate was Santos' Gabriel Brazão , but the Vila Belmiro club's asking price was considered unreasonable for a backup to Rossi.

The center forward position was also evaluated, but without significant progress. Lazio's Taty Castellanos was monitored, but without any official offer. Another case was that of Fiorentina's Lucas Beltrán, but the Argentine and his family's desire to remain in Europe prevented negotiations . Internally, the board doesn't see the position as an immediate priority. This information comes from the GE portal.

DEFENSE HAS NATIONAL NAMES

In defense, Flamengo considered names for the defense but opted not to invest. With Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, and Danilo available, the team is believed to have sufficient quality for the current situation . Despite Danilo's recent injuries, the board and coaching staff remain confident in the defender.

Cleiton's departure, whose contract will not be renewed, opens up opportunities for youngsters from the youth academy. João Victor and Iago are expected to gain playing time in the Campeonato Carioca , reinforcing the plan to develop talents trained at Flamengo .

PLANNING REMAINS FOCUSED

With the window now closed, the Rio de Janeiro club emphasizes that its focus remains on maintaining a balance between experience and youth , without compromising financial planning. The football department is working to develop youth players while monitoring opportunities for future signings.

Flamengo sent a notice to Globo and the other Libra clubs requesting that the transfer of pay-per-view funds be suspended until a new agreement is reached on the division of television revenues. The club believes that, as it generates the largest audience, it should receive a larger share—a position that generated strong reaction from the other members of the bloc.

The decision was made by the current Flamengo board, led by Luiz Eduardo Baptista (BAP), which disagrees with the terms signed by the previous administration. According to internal calculations, Flamengo would have suffered a loss of approximately R$100 million, while clubs such as Bahia, Red Bull Bragantino, Atlético-MG, and Vitória would benefit . The information was revealed by journalist Rodrigo Mattos of UOL.

THE POINT OF FRICTION

Broadcast rights are divided into three categories: free-to-air TV, cable TV, and pay-per-view. Flamengo doesn't dispute the first two, but disagrees with the model applied to the latter , as it lost much of its previous agreements.

The agreement between Globo and Libra expects to raise R$1.17 billion to be distributed among the 20 Brasileirão clubs . The impasse lies in the variable pay-per-view amount, estimated between R$100 million and R$200 million, which currently takes into account metrics such as Ibope.

The club's board of directors argues that the division should be proportional to the number of subscribers. The club believes it makes no sense for both parties to receive the same amount in a match like Flamengo vs. Red Bull Bragantino, since most of the audience watches the match to support Flamengo.

ON THE FIELD

While the board puts pressure behind the scenes, the squad continues to prepare for the resumption of the season . Under the command of Filipe Luís, the players are off this Tuesday (9) and will return on Wednesday (10), with an eye on the duel against Juventude, on September 14, in Caxias do Sul, for the Brasileirão.

Flamengo launched a bold initiative this Tuesday (09/09/2025): to ask the UN for official recognition of the Rubro-Negra Nation as the first "symbolic-cultural Nation" in the world . The announcement was made by Zico, the club's greatest idol , in a speech broadcast from Maracanã via Flamengo TV.

According to the former player, the power of the fans goes beyond football. " If we were a country, we would have the 36th largest population in the world. We are more than 45 million people united by the same flag, the same culture, and the same feeling that spans generations ," said Galinho.

The movement seeks to give symbolic meaning to something already evident in practice: the red-and-black fan base is not only numerous, but also carries symbols, songs, traditions, heroes, and a collective identity that transcends borders. The proposal reinforces that passion for the club is already a recognized cultural expression within and outside Brazil.

FANS CAN PARTICIPATE THROUGH PETITION

As part of the initiative, the platform peticao.flamengo.com.br was created, where fans can digitally sign and support the petition. Public engagement is considered essential to give visibility to the movement , which already mobilizes millions of people on social media and digital environments.

CAMPAIGN HAS CREATION OF ARTPLAN

The campaign was conceived by the agency Artplan, with strategy from Quintal, and features multiplatform developments to reinforce the club's cultural presence. In addition to Zico , Adriano Imperador also joined the initiative, adding even more symbolism to the movement. As the promotional material highlighted: few nations can claim to have both a king and an emperor.