Flamengo's struggle to sign cover for Arrascaeta and Pedro, by José Boto

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Coluna do Fla

·11. Juli 2026

Flamengo's struggle to sign cover for Arrascaeta and Pedro, by José Boto

Coluna do Fla is in Algarve, Portugal, where Flamengo is holding a mid-season training camp before resuming its Brazilian Championship and Copa Libertadores campaigns. In the midst of this, reporter Rock Hudson interviewed José Boto, the club’s football director. Among the topics the executive addressed was the difficulty of signing players who can make up for the absences of Arrascaeta and Pedro throughout the season.

Initially, Boto pointed to sporting issues as the first obstacle:

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Marcos Braz (former Flamengo executive) said something that is true. When you have such an influential player (like Arrascaeta) and you go looking for someone to play in his position, someone who also wants to be a key figure, that player will think twice before coming to Flamengo. Flamengo has an undisputed number 10. The player will think about whether to join a club like Flamengo or a club that does not have an undisputed player in the same position. That is a reality not only with Arrascaeta, but in other positions as well, as is the case with Pedro.

Later in the interview with Coluna do Fla, Boto also stressed Rio de Janeiro’s security concerns as another negative factor:

Players who are in Europe are very reluctant to return to South America, from a sporting point of view. But there is also the issue of safety in Rio de Janeiro. Sometimes they think they will arrive in Copacabana and see rifles, hear gunshots… because that is the image that is conveyed in Europe. I had that image too, but today I see it differently. So you have to convince not only the player, but the player’s whole family as well, that it is not like that.

What are Flamengo’s main recent signings?

After José Boto’s arrival, Flamengo completed a few signings of players with well-established international careers. Among them are names such as Jorginho, Saúl and Boto and the saga of managing to complete Lucas Paquetá’s signing for Flamengo. In addition, the director also took part in negotiations to extend the contracts of players such as Bruno Henrique and Arrascaeta.

How long does José Boto’s contract with Flamengo run?

José Boto is under contract with Flamengo until the end of 2026. However, both the director and president Bap are treating the matter calmly. That is because both sides aim to build stable, long-term work at the club, with the Portuguese executive having the autonomy to lead Flamengo’s football department.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.