Movie night and ‘Joker mode’: Flamengo mocks Gerson after Cruzeiro exit | OneFootball

The long-standing relationship between Flamengo and Gerson has gained a new chapter on the internet

Enjoying the mood after qualifying for the Libertadores quarterfinals by knocking out Cruzeiro at the Maracanã, Flamengo took the opportunity to take a jab at a former player on social media. The club’s target hit Gerson squarely.

Marked by the player’s turbulent departure, the long-running relationship gained a new chapter online. The club’s official profile posted a video of the Joker, Batman’s famous character and also the midfielder’s nickname since his Flamengo days, along with the phrase “a movie night at the Maracanã” and popcorn bucket emojis, in a possible reference to Gerson’s quiet performances in the Libertadores round-of-16 matches.

Besides the online jab, Gerson also had to deal with intense pressure from the more than 68,000 Flamengo fans at the Maracanã. The number 8 did not escape the defeat unscathed, as every touch of the ball triggered an immediate wave of boos from the packed stands.

On the pitch, the midfielder even held up under the hostile atmosphere and took part in the move that led to Cruzeiro’s equalizer. However, he failed to track back defensively on both Flamengo goals, crucial mistakes that sealed the rubro-negro victory.

TURBULENT EXIT FROM FLAMENGO?

Despite racking up historic achievements with Flamengo, such as two Libertadores titles, one Copa do Brasil, and three Brazilian league championships, Gerson’s relationship with the club collapsed behind the scenes. The midfielder wore the captain’s armband, had renewed his contract, and enjoyed the fans’ unconditional admiration, but ended up forcing a move out in 2025.

As a result, his transfer to Zenit of Russia soured the mood with the stands once and for all. Then the final breaking point came when the player filed a R$42 million lawsuit against Flamengo over image rights, turning his former prestige into total rejection.

REUNIONS WITH FLAMENGO’S FANS?

After an underwhelming spell in Russian football, the defensive midfielder returned to Brazil in 2026 to play for Cruzeiro. This Wednesday’s clash (19) marked the player’s second reunion with his former club at the Maracanã since coming back to the country.

Previously, the first meeting took place in March in the Brazilian Championship. On that occasion, the midfielder stayed on the field for 78 minutes, had to deal with the same chorus of boos, and was part of Cruzeiro’s 2-0 defeat.

This Wednesday (19), the defensive midfielder added the frustration of continental elimination after the 2-1 loss at the “Sacred Temple.” Since the first leg had ended in a 1-1 draw at Mineirão, the aggregate score finished 3-2 in favor of the Rio club.

Arrascaeta and Samuel Lino found the net to secure Mengão’s qualification, while Romero pulled one back for the visitors. As a result, Flamengo advanced to the quarterfinals, while Cruzeiro suffered elimination under heavy pressure aimed at the number 8.

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