Leonardo Jardim explains Vitão's disappearance in Flamengo matches

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Coluna do Fla

·23 April 2026

Leonardo Jardim explains Vitão's disappearance in Flamengo matches

Vitão has not taken the field for Flamengo since April 2

Flamengo beat Vitória 2-1 this Wednesday (22) in the first leg of the fifth round of the Copa do Brasil. Mengão, in fact, took the field with a mixed lineup to rest some players, but Vitão’s absence caught the attention of some fans. So, in a press conference, Leonardo Jardim explained the player’s ‘disappearance.’

Vitão is a player who has played a few times this year. In the Carioca, he played several times. Today he was not an option for two reasons. Ortiz was fresh; he had rested in two matches over the last 15 days. I need to give him some continuity because he is an important player for us. And then, today I wanted a player with more build-up ability. Against Vitória’s low block, Ortiz often— and you even call him the number 10 of the defense — is the player who will look for better passes between the lines, better decisions. In that situation, I preferred Ortiz for those two reasons: to give him continuity, because he was rested. And also to make use of the ability he has against teams that sit in a low block, looking for interior passes and switches of play. That was my decision, but Vitão will certainly have more opportunities in the future. Football is like that,” Jardim said.

What are Vitão’s numbers in 2026?

At the moment, Vitão has made nine appearances in a Flamengo shirt, six of them in the Carioca, totaling 655 minutes. The center back is therefore seeking more opportunities in Leonardo Jardim’s starting team.

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After all, Vitão has not taken the field since April 2, when he started in Flamengo’s 3-0 loss to Red Bull Bragantino. Since then, the center back has been included in the squad for Mengão’s next six matches, but has not come onto the field.

How much did Flamengo pay to sign Vitão?

It is worth noting that Flamengo paid 10.7 million euros (R$ 66.6 million) to sign Vitão in January, with part of the amount related to forgiving the southern club’s debt over Thiago Maia. In addition, the center back signed a four-year contract with Mengão, through the end of 2029.

What is Flamengo’s next match?

With Vitão available, Flamengo now turns its focus back to the Brasileirão. This Sunday (26), Leonardo Jardim’s team faces Atlético-MG at 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Arena MRV, in the 13th round of the competition.

As tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla will bring all the details of the match between Flamengo and Atlético-MG through YouTube, the website and social media. However, SporTV (cable TV) and Premiere (pay-per-view) will broadcast the Brasileirão match.

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