Fluminense president breaks silence after Flamengo game delay | OneFootball

Tricolor fans, good afternoon, tricolor greetings. I came here to quickly explain everything that happened this week leading up to today’s derby. I’m going to divide the explanation into eight very quick points so that it is very objective, clear, and so everyone can understand it perfectly. Number 1, the reason for the decision. I think the main premise here is that changing the match from Saturday to Sunday causes no real harm to Fluminense. I think the result we could have had on Saturday, we can have on Sunday, and that changes absolutely nothing about what will happen on the field. What happened, and what many people criticized, is that Fluminense does in fact give up an advantage over its rival because of a problem that occurred in their travel logistics during the match. And Fluminense, because of the greatness of the club, has never depended on any advantage to face any rival in Brazilian football. Our campaigns in recent years, our position in the league, what we aim for this year, make it very clear that Fluminense, under normal conditions, can compete with any team in Brazil. Point 2, the final decision on postponing the match belongs to the CBF because of the competition regulations. Fluminense was consulted by Flamengo, by the CBF itself, which already had approval from the Military Police and Globo, and when Fluminense analyzed the request, starting from the premise that there would be no real harm to the club, it found Flamengo’s arguments reasonable. This reasonableness comes from a delay in logistics; those of us who work in football know how difficult it is when flights are delayed. Still this month, Fluminense suffered a very similar problem in the match in Belém against Remo. We were informed that our plane would be delayed by around five hours. We contacted the CBF, and the CBF viewed postponing the match favorably, but fortunately we managed to get another aircraft and did not need that postponement. In other words, it is a measure that Fluminense itself could have used this very month, when a similar logistics problem occurred. Point 3. Many people ask themselves whether this was the best decision considering reciprocity, that is, considering that in recent years there has been no public news that Flamengo had taken any action benefiting Fluminense. What I can tell you is that throughout our administration, the relationship with Flamengo has always been very good and there have always been reciprocal acts on both sides, both in the management of the Maracanã and before matches. Our rivalry is very much restricted to the field, and outside of that we have a good relationship. Point 4. It also needs to be made very clear that this decision does not make us hostage to anyone. Fluminense has always acted with great independence and consistency in its decisions. When Fluminense had to be on the opposite side from Flamengo and any Rio rival, it was, just as when it had to stand together, it stood together. And the most recent example of this was the formation of the club league in which Fluminense remained in Liga Forte União, now Forte Futebol, while the other three Rio clubs were in Libra. And Fluminense held its position firmly even under a lot of external pressure, and the result was indeed very good. Fluminense is part of a group today that has the best broadcasting rights deal in the country’s history. This is reflected in the club’s 2025 figures. And it was even acknowledged by Flamengo’s own president. Point 5. Many people talk about the need for professionalism, unity among clubs, and aiming for better Brazilian football, a better product. But at the first opportunity, some of these people criticize Fluminense for not taking advantage of an edge over its rival. Fluminense continues to make its decisions with a great deal of consistency, independence, and always thinking about football, as long as, of course, it does not harm our institution. Point 6. Fluminense has a duty to apologize to the fans who were affected by the change of this match. Many people who had planned to be at the Maracanã on Saturday and could not be there on Sunday. Many people who would come from outside Rio and could not come. So, with regard to these fans, Fluminense apologizes and will take all measures so that these fans are compensated. Point 7. Fluminense acknowledges that it did not communicate well institutionally on Thursday, and this is one of the reasons why I am coming here to clarify things for the fans. As for the criticism from the supporters, I receive that criticism very humbly and knowing that it is always legitimate and sincere, because the supporters are the reason the club exists. What the fan feels in the moment, because of their passion, that natural feeling they express, will always be well received by me. As a Fluminense fan, if I were in your place, I would undoubtedly have had the same reaction given all the information that was released. This must not be confused, however, with other criticism that came from people who do not even support Fluminense and who have no intention of protecting the club or its fans and who took advantage of this moment to try to create chaos, to try to create more noise between the club and its supporters. Point 8. I would like to ask the tricolor fans to trust, support, and embrace our team. We have built a very competitive squad here, we are going to fight for titles this year, but for that we need our fans. We need to be there, all together, supporting Fluminense in every game, every victory, every challenge. So, tricolor fans, let’s go to the Maracanã today. Fluminense is fighting for the top of the Brazilian Championship. I can be right, I can be wrong, that depends on each person’s opinion, but that no longer matters today. What matters is that there is a game today, what matters is that today there is Fla-Flu. We need everyone together, united, so we can get this victory,” said Mattheus Montenegro.

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