Internacional investigate after Libertadores humiliation by Flamengo

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·21 August 2025

Internacional investigate after Libertadores humiliation by Flamengo

Internacional made mistakes in color, quantity, and timing of the 'paper rain'

Internacional was eliminated from the Libertadores this Wednesday (20) by Flamengo. However, the defeat was not the only embarrassment for the Gauchos. This is because the team made a 'show' with silver papers before the game started, delaying the start of the duel by 20 minutes. Thus, the club opened an internal investigation to identify those responsible.

After the elimination by Flamengo, Internacional's president, Alessandro Barcellos, gave an interview in the mixed zone and guaranteed that the club will identify those responsible for the action. It is worth noting that the 'paper rain' covered a large part of the lawn, and employees of the Gauchos team had to use vacuum cleaners, brooms, and even nets to clean the field.

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It was not an intention to harm or delay. I think that, from the point of view of those of us who defend a quality Brazilian football product, it is obvious that a delay in the match is bad. We will investigate this, we will seek responsibilities, because the club today has identifiable processes. This was from the club, I still don't have this information, but I'm sure the intention was the best, to produce a party like the arrival of the players, like the stadium atmosphere and we will work so that this does not happen again – said Alessandro Barcellos.

Did Internacional celebrate too early?

The Internacional prepared a celebration party for the classification after the game against Flamengo. Thus, the idea of the Gauchos' management was to release the confetti only if the club advanced to the next phase. However, with the classification of the Mais Querido, the celebration of the rival colorado had to be postponed to give way to the 'farra' rubro-negra.

Can Conmebol punish Internacional?

It is worth noting that, in addition to the elimination in the Libertadores, Internacional may receive punishment from Conmebol due to the delay in the start of the game. This is because the entity's regulations provide for a fine for each minute of delay, with a minimum value of US$ 20,000 (approximately R$ 110,000) for up to 15 minutes and US$ 50,000 (R$ 274,400) in case of recurrence.

When does Flamengo return to the field for the Libertadores?

Flamengo, now, faces Estudiantes (ARG) in search of a spot in the semifinals of the Libertadores. The Argentine team advanced in the tournament after eliminating Cerro Porteño (PAR) 1-0 on aggregate. Thus, the first game should take place between September 16th and 18th, while the return match is scheduled to take place between September 23rd and 25th of the same month.

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