Dorival Júnior on São Paulo crisis before Flamengo league clash | OneFootball

What is São Paulo’s situation in 2026?

Flamengo beat Chapecoense this Wednesday (22), 4-0, and now begins planning for the match against São Paulo on Sunday (26), in the 20th round of the Brasileirão. The São Paulo side, however, is going through a turbulent time in 2026. After the loss to Athletico-PR, Dorival Júnior spoke out about the club’s situation.

— Look, it’s not a healthy situation, but we can’t point to situations like this as the main reason for this moment. We have no right to do that, no way. We have to be aware that we need to take responsibility for this position -, he said, before concluding:

— Without pointing fingers at anything or anyone. Is it healthy for the club? No, it never will be. I went through this problem a short while ago. It seems like the patterns repeat themselves, only the addresses change -, Dorival Júnior concluded.

What is happening with São Paulo in 2026?

São Paulo is going through a troubled period in the 2026 season. That is because the São Paulo club is facing a financial crisis, and the players are behind on wages. In addition, Dorival Júnior’s club has been hit with a FIFA transfer ban.

This Tuesday (21), FIFA punished São Paulo for failing to pay the first installment for the signing of Marcos Antônio from Lazio (ITA). The amount the São Paulo side needs to pay is 1.05 million euros (R$ 6.08 million at the current exchange rate).

How are Flamengo and São Paulo doing in the Brasileirão?

With the win over Chapecoense, Flamengo remains in second place in the Brasileirão, with 37 points. Meanwhile, São Paulo has ‘stalled’ in ninth place with 25 points and could still be overtaken by Corinthians, who play this round.

When do Flamengo and São Paulo face each other?

The interstate derby between Flamengo and São Paulo takes place this Sunday (26), in the 20th round of the Brazilian Championship. The ball starts rolling at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Maracanã.

As tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla brings you all the details on Flamengo in the 2026 season. So, stay tuned to the website, social media, and YouTube. In addition, Premiere (pay-per-view) will broadcast the match against São Paulo.

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