Jardim and Gabigol meet again as Flamengo keep up striker search after 2024 exit | OneFootball

Flamengo host Santos at the Maracanã on Sunday at 17:30 Brasília time in the 10th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro, bringing a reunion for Leonardo Jardim and Gabigol. The striker will face his former club and the coach who benched him at Cruzeiro.

When they crossed paths in Belo Horizonte, Gabigol had just declined a one-year renewal at Flamengo in 2024 and joined Cruzeiro as the headline signing. According to Globo.com, it did not come off on the pitch, with 13 goals and a reserve role behind Kaio Jorge.

Both acknowledged frustration over his minutes yet kept public respect. After taking charge of Flamengo a month ago, Jardim said he does not bar anyone and always puts the club before individuals. In Gabriel’s case, he felt Kaio Jorge was in better form, selected him, and despite the striker’s unhappiness they kept a good working relationship.

This will be Gabigol’s second return to the Maracanã since his 2024 farewell. In the first, for Jardim’s Cruzeiro, he came on late, made little impact and was booed amid a generally cool reception. He has said facing Flamengo there is uncomfortable for him, though once the game starts he wants to win and score.

His exit sparked a still-unresolved search for a second striker to compete with Pedro and, if required, play alongside him. A centre-forward is the priority for the next window after Juninho failed to convince and an early 2026 move for Kaio Jorge fell through, with Filipe Luís helping set the profile and, under Jardim, a likely shift to a more flexible, scout-led approach. Gabigol left as Flamengo’s sixth-highest scorer with 161 goals and 43 assists in 308 games, winning 13 trophies.

Source: Globo.com