Soccer
Will Plata be out of action for Flamengo? Ecuador's national team announces squad
05 Out 2025 | 07:51
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Soccer
10 Abr 2025 | 15:17 |
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Flamengo will have a defensive absence in the match this Wednesday (09) against Central Córdoba, from Argentina, for the second round of the Copa Libertadores. Defender Cleiton was left out of the list of players, and the reason is directly linked to his contractual situation with the Rio de Janeiro club. According to information from journalist Venê Casagrande, the defender's representatives have already informed the board that they have no intention of extending the current contract with Rubro-Negro. Cleiton's contract runs until December of this year , and the idea of the agents is to seek new paths for the athlete's career.
The main justification given by the defender's representatives is the low number of minutes he has played since he was promoted to the main squad. In 2025, for example, Cleiton only played five official matches. The lack of opportunities has made his continued presence at the club less likely behind the scenes. With the end of his contract approaching, Cleiton will be able to sign a pre-contract with any team starting in June. If he chooses to do so, he will only be able to officially transfer in January, when the new contract comes into effect. The Mais Querido, in turn, may try to bring forward his departure and even seek a sale before the end of the year.
A product of the club's youth system, Cleiton is 21 years old and made his debut for the main team in 2022. However, since then, he has only played 19 matches for the red-and-black team. His most active year was his debut, when he played in six games. With Cleiton out , coach Filipe Luis will have to resort to other options to make up the defense. The squad still has more experienced and established names, which may have been another factor in the youngster's lack of regular appearances in the main team.
The situation is expected to drag on until June, when the defender will be allowed to officially negotiate with other teams . Until then, the defender will continue training, but there is no forecast for him to return to playing . While resolving contractual issues such as Cleiton's , Flamengo remains focused on the rest of the season and the fight for titles. With a full squad and goals set, the club is constantly evaluating adjustments to keep the group competitive.
Cleiton's absence from the squad for the match against Central Córdoba, this Wednesday (09), raised alarm bells among fans. The player was not included in the delegation due to a contractual issue that, behind the scenes, is already being treated as the beginning of the end of the defender's time at Gávea. The board does not see any point in fielding an athlete who has already signaled that he does not intend to renew his contract.
Mengão will field its best players against the Tricolor to remain top of the championship before the FIFA World Cup break.
05 Out 2025 | 11:00 |
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Flamengo traveled to Salvador on Saturday afternoon (4) with an important absence : Saúl felt pain in his left ankle and is out of the match against Bahia , this Sunday (5), at 6:30 pm, at Arena Fonte Nova, for the Brazilian Championship. In addition to him, Léo Pereira and Alex Sandro are also missing from the team due to suspension.
In the medical department, only Pulgar remains recovering from surgery on his right foot. The Chilean midfielder is expected to return to action after the FIFA World Cup . With the absence in midfield, De la Cruz is expected to take over the starting role alongside Jorginho. In defense, Danilo is expected to partner Léo Ortiz, while Ayrton Lucas returns to left-back.
Flamengo's likely team has: Rossi; Varela (or Royal), Danilo, Léo Ortiz and Ayrton Lucas; De La Cruz (Allan), Jorginho and Arrascaeta; Plata (or Carrascal), Samuel Lino (or Cebolinha) and Pedro.
The match between Bahia and Flamengo will be broadcast exclusively on Premiere (pay-per-view) . The match is scheduled for Sunday (5), at 6:30 pm, at Arena Fonte Nova, in Salvador. The referee will be Rodrigo Lima (PE).
The recent history at Fonte Nova gives the red-and-black team confidence. Since 2006, in 11 away matches against Bahia, Flamengo has won six (55%), drawn two, and lost three. In more recent matches, their dominance is even more evident: they have five wins, one draw, and only one loss in the last seven matches . This record reinforces the Rio de Janeiro team's optimism in another decisive round in the fight for the Brasileirão lead.
Defender, ex-Mengão, was being investigated for alleged threats made to a social worker in Fortaleza, but lack of evidence led to the case being archived
05 Out 2025 | 10:00 |
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The Ceará Civil Police closed the investigation into former Flamengo and Fortaleza defender David Luiz after social worker Francisca Karollainy Barbosa Cavalcante accused him of making threats . The case was handled by the 2nd Women's Defense Department (DDM) in Fortaleza, and the final report found a lack of evidence against the player. The information was initially released by journalist Diogo Dantas of the newspaper O Globo.
According to the police chief in charge, Rachel de Queiroz Moreira, the investigation will be closed due to a lack of evidence to support the accusation . According to the document, the technical evidence and statements collected during the investigation did not prove any criminal conduct attributed to David Luiz .
During the investigation, experts analyzed the complainant's cell phone and found no messages, records, or behavior that constituted a threat . The former Flamengo player had publicly declared his innocence, stating that he never had contact of this nature with the social worker.
"Based on the facts outlined above, the technical evidence, and the testimonies included in the case file, the information gathered to date has been insufficient for this Police Authority to substantiate the indictment of the suspect , considering the lack of even minimal material evidence of the crimes. Therefore, I hereby refrain from pursuing any criminal indictment and suggest that the case be dismissed, subject to better judgment," the report states.
The investigation also identified inconsistencies in Francisca Karollainy's testimony. Conversations extracted from her cell phone revealed a discussion with a friend about the possibility of colluding to incriminate the player , raising doubts about the credibility of the accusation.
Furthermore, employees of the hotel mentioned in the testimony were interviewed and denied David Luiz's presence at the hotel on the date mentioned by the complainant . Therefore, the Civil Police concluded that there was insufficient material to indict the former defender and recommended that the case be closed.
Mengão faces the Tricolor led by his former coach and has impressive records against both that have lasted for years
05 Out 2025 | 09:15 |
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Flamengo takes to the field this Sunday (5), at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), to face Bahia at Arena Fonte Nova, for the 27th round of the Brazilian Championship. Leader of the competition, Rubro-Negro is looking for another victory away from home to maintain the top of the table and recent numbers bring plenty of reasons for confidence .
Flamengo 's last loss to Bahia came six years ago, on August 4, 2019, when the Tricolor won 3-0 at Fonte Nova . Since then, the clubs have faced each other 12 times, with the Rio de Janeiro team winning 12 consecutive matches—an absolute dominance.
Of these duels, five were played on Bahian soil (three at Arena Fonte Nova and two in Pituaçu) . In the overall history of the stadium where this Sunday's match will take place, the teams have met 27 times in the Brasileirão: eight wins for each side and 11 draws.
Flamengo also boasts solid numbers away from Maracanã in this season's championship. In 11 away matches, the team has won seven, drawn two, and lost only two, achieving a 69.7% success rate . This performance ranks them as the competition's best away team, alongside Palmeiras.
In addition to their unbeaten record against Bahia, Flamengo will be defending a historic record under Rogério Ceni. The Tricolor coach has never beaten the Rubro-Negro: 16 matches and 16 losses . Ceni's teams have scored just six goals, while Flamengo has found the net 31 times in these matches.
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Will Plata be out of action for Flamengo? Ecuador's national team announces squad
05 Out 2025 | 07:51
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