Pedro row: Marcos Braz reveals fallout after Sampaoli aide hits striker

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Coluna do Fla

·24 March 2026

Pedro row: Marcos Braz reveals fallout after Sampaoli aide hits striker

Jorge Sampaoli’s coach, Pablo Fernández, punched Pedro

Flamengo’s number 9, Pedro, has already faced difficult situations during his six years wearing the Sacred Mantle. One of those cases was the assault the striker suffered from Pablo Fernández, Jorge Sampaoli’s fitness coach, the former Fla manager. An executive at the time, Marcos Braz recalled the case and shared behind-the-scenes details of the ‘incident’.

I’m going to put this matter regarding the fitness coach’s punch to rest. When Pedro understood that he should go to the police station, I called the police officer — I don’t remember his name — explained what had happened, and said that unfortunately we had a player who wanted to file a report about an assault. That was done and, under Military Police guidance, we needed to go to a police station. He couldn’t be heard there as if it were part of the stadium’s policing. I don’t remember why. And when that happened, at first, an assistant who isn’t from here, who is from elsewhere, didn’t want to go to the police station. And I calmly said that it wasn’t a matter of wanting to or not. A report had been made and the police were here, so we needed to go there. And there was some convincing so that the assistant would go to the police station. The way we found to make him go in a calmer situation, and to keep calming him down, was for me to accompany him — me, as vice president of football — to the police station. Not everyone fit in the car, and we couldn’t put Pedro and the guy in the same car. So I went in the car with him, calming him down. That has nothing to do with saying he was right or that I was on his side. As vice president of football, I simply had to be there, and I accompanied the employee so he could give his statement. And Bruno Spindel accompanied Pedro, if I’m not mistaken. That’s what happened, there was nothing more to it. No, I didn’t take anyone’s side at that moment. I was only helping to comply with a police order, which was to take the two people involved in that episode to the police station,” Braz revealed in an interview with ‘Paparazzo Rubro-Negro’.

What happened between Pedro and Pablo Fernández?

In Flamengo’s 2-1 win over Atlético-MG in July 2023, Pedro ended up being assaulted by Pablo Fernández, who was Jorge Sampaoli’s fitness coach at the time, for allegedly having ‘abandoned’ the warm-up at the edge of the field. The act took place after the final whistle, in the locker room at Arena Independência.

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Right after suffering the assault, Pedro went to the police station to file a complaint against Pablo. In the midst of it all, Flamengo acted behind the scenes and fired Sampaoli’s fitness coach. However, months after the incident, in September, the Argentine manager also ended up leaving the Rubro-Negro.

What is Pedro’s situation at Flamengo?

After all that chaos, Pedro managed to bounce back and became one of Flamengo’s main players in recent seasons. At the moment, the number 9 is looking to establish himself as an undisputed starter in Leonardo Jardim’s team.

Pedro, Flamengo’s top scorer in 2026, has played 16 matches this season, scoring eight goals and providing three assists. In addition, the number 9 is the Rubro-Negro’s top scorer in the Brasileirão, alongside Samuel Lino, with two goals.

What is Flamengo’s next match?

With Pedro available, Flamengo returns to the field after the FIFA international break on April 2 to face Red Bull Bragantino. On that occasion, the match kicks off at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Estádio Cicero de Souza Marques, in the ninth round of the Brasileirão.

As tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla will bring all the details of the match between Flamengo and Bragantino through YouTube, the website, and social media. However, Premiere (pay-per-view) will broadcast the Brasileirão clash.

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