Coluna do Fla
·17 de febrero de 2026
Emerson Royal hails Flamengo’s spirit ahead of Lanús clash in the Recopa

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Yahoo sportsColuna do Fla
·17 de febrero de 2026

Flamengo returns to the field this Thursday (19th) to face Lanús (ARG), in the first leg of the Recopa Sudamericana. The Rubro-Negro comes into the match with confidence, after a 2-1 victory over Botafogo in the Carioca. Flamengo’s right-back, Emerson Royal, commented on how the squad is feeling ahead of the decisive match.
— As you said, day by day, game by game, we keep improving, evolving, growing, and gaining confidence. This game was very important for us. Today’s victory gives us a lot of confidence going into the final — he said, before concluding:
— So I believe that’s it. We’re on the right track, we just need to keep working as we are, and our best physical and technical moments will come, and we’re very close to them — concluded Royal, after qualifying for the semifinals of the Carioca.
Flamengo started the 2026 season in ‘slow motion’, winning only one of the first five matches with the main squad. However, the Rubro-Negro now has three consecutive wins, against Sampaio Corrêa, Vitória, and Botafogo. In other words, Filipe Luís’s team seems to be regaining the level they showed in 2025.
At the moment, Emerson Royal has played 25 matches wearing the Flamengo shirt, with one goal and three assists. In recent matches, the right-back has earned a run as a starter, since Varela has been dealing with ankle pain, and even received praise from the Flamengo fans.
In recent days, however, Varela has returned to training normally with the Flamengo squad. Therefore, the expectation is that the Uruguayan will be included in the squad for the match against Lanús. However, due to his time away from the pitch, he is expected to start on the bench, while Royal will remain a starter.
With Emerson Royal available, Flamengo will take the field this Thursday (19th), to face Lanús at the Néstor Díaz Pérez stadium. Thus, the first leg of the Recopa Sudamericana will take place at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time).
As tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla will bring all the details about the match between Flamengo and Lanús, through YouTube, their website, and social media. However, ESPN (cable channel) and Disney+ (streaming) will broadcast the Recopa match.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
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