Rodinei sees “honour” in Flamengo reunion, mentions Bruno Henrique | OneFootball

Signed by Santos in September, the full-back will face his former club on October 8 at Vila Belmiro in the 29th round of the Brasileirão

Rodinei is already looking ahead to his first reunion with Flamengo since leaving Greece for Santos. The 34-year-old right-back described the 29th-round Brasileirão clash, scheduled for October 8 at Vila Belmiro, as an honor.

In his statement, the player recalled the seven years he spent at the Rio club and highlighted his friendship with Bruno Henrique. Even so, he made it clear that he will defend his new club with total commitment.

“I don’t feel that burden of wondering what it will be like to face Flamengo. It will be an honor. I spent seven years there, a lifetime. I joined Flamengo in 2016 and left in 2022. I have many friends there, like Bruno Henrique — he’s my daughter’s godfather, we have a very close relationship. But now I wear the Santos shirt, and the shirt I wear is the one I’ll give my life for,” Rodinei said.

Rodinei joined Santos in September

Santos announced the signing of Rodinei on September 2. The full-back signed a deal through December 2027 after obtaining an early termination of his contract with Olympiacos (GRE). As a result, the São Paulo club did not have to pay a transfer fee.

The signing answered a request from head coach Cuca. At that moment, the Santos squad had only Igor Vinicius available for the position, since Gabriel Menino was recovering from an injury.

In Greece, Rodinei established himself as a starter and won the UEFA Conference League in 2024. Before that, however, he experienced the most successful spell of his career at Flamengo.

Friendship with Bruno Henrique dates back to 2012

The relationship mentioned by the full-back is nothing new to Flamengo fans. In March 2025, during the tribute marking 100 goals in a Flamengo shirt, Bruno Henrique named Rodinei as his best friend at the club.

On that occasion, the forward said he had known his former teammate since 2012, when he faced him while still playing for Crac. He also confirmed that he is the godfather of one of the full-back’s daughters.

During the time the two shared the squad, Flamengo won two Libertadores titles, one Brazilian Championship, and one Copa do Brasil. Rodinei, in fact, converted the final penalty in the shootout against Corinthians at the Maracanã, securing the 2022 Copa do Brasil title.

On the other hand, the reunion also brings back a delicate memory. In February 2021, while on loan at Internacional, Rodinei was sent off against Flamengo at the Maracanã in a decisive match in the Brazilian title race. At the time, an Inter fan donated R$1 million to the club to cover the contractual fine that allowed him to play.

How Santos and Flamengo are shaping up for the match at Vila

The match is scheduled for Thursday, October 8, at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time). Before that, Santos tried to move the game forward, but Flamengo vetoed the São Paulo club’s request because of the return of players called up during the FIFA international window.

Flamengo comes in as the Brasileirão leader with 60 points, three more than Palmeiras. Meanwhile, Santos sits in eighth place with 38 points.

For Flamengo, Arrascaeta is definitely out after fracturing his left wrist while playing for Uruguay. Evertton Araújo, who is being treated for a muscle injury, is also unavailable.

At Santos, expectations are focused on Neymar’s return, as he is in physical transition, and the possible debut of Philippe Coutinho. Premiere will broadcast the match, which begins Flamengo’s run of matches with dates and kickoff times confirmed by the CBF.

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