Runner-up, bust-ups, patchy form: Flamengo seek revenge on Atlético-MG | OneFootball

Flamengo and Atlético-MG face off this Tuesday (25th), for the 36th round of the Brasileirão

Flamengo announced coach Jorge Sampaoli in April 2023, but the manager did not leave fond memories. That’s because, in addition to not winning any titles, the coach failed to meet expectations. Two years later, Rubro-Negro faces the Argentine for the first time this Tuesday (25th) against Atlético-MG.

Portuguese coach Vítor Pereira started 2023 with three runner-up finishes. Thus, Flamengo decided to bet on Sampaoli, a coach who had given the club a hard time in previous years. However, the dominant style of football that the Argentine believed in never materialized on the field.

What did Sampaoli do for Flamengo?

Just as Sampaoli’s Flamengo seemed to be hitting its stride, there was the incident involving aggression against striker Pedro. Assistant coach Pablo Fernandez punched the Rubro-Negro player in the face, after Pedro refused to join the other athletes for warm-ups.

Instead of condemning the aggression, Sampaoli treated Pedro and Pablo equally, stating that he was thinking of a way to help both. Less than three weeks later, Varela and Gerson exchanged punches, in yet another case of physical violence at Flamengo.

But did Sampaoli win anything?

Flamengo posed no challenge to Palmeiras for the Brasileirão title, and was also eliminated in the round of 16 of the Libertadores. Thus, the Copa do Brasil seemed to be the only attainable title, but São Paulo didn’t even give Sampaoli’s team a chance in the final.

Was Sampaoli fired?

The chants of ‘Fora Sampaoli’ (“Sampaoli Out”) were already echoing in the stands even before the runner-up finish in the Copa do Brasil. So, in September, Flamengo fired the coach, who is currently at Atlético-MG.

When is the chance for revenge?

Thus, Flamengo meets Sampaoli for the first time since the turbulent year of 2023. Rubro-Negro and Atlético-MG play at Arena MRV, this Tuesday (25th), starting at 9:30 PM (Brasília time), for the 36th round of the Brasileirão.

Competition table provided by Superscore

A win for Flamengo and a loss for Palmeiras could allow Rubro-Negro to become Brazilian champions in front of their former coach. The match will be broadcast by Rede Globo on free-to-air TV and by Premiere on pay-per-view.

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