Interview with Flamengo sporting director José Boto: «From crisis to the goal of a fourth Libertadores: nothing is quite like the Mengão» | OneFootball

It is not easy to explain to those who are not very familiar with Brazil what the Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, or simply Flamengo, is and what it represents in the world football scene. This historic Brazilian club, which is just one point away from mathematically securing the national championship (a draw against Ceará next Thursday will be enough), will tonight play the Copa Libertadores final in Lima against fellow Brazilians Palmeiras.

Starting from the numbers, the Mengão, as its supporters call it, is indisputably “o time mais querido do Brasil”, the team with the largest number of fans in the South American country. Although based in Rio de Janeiro (home also to other giants of Brazilian football such as Fluminense, Vasco da Gama and Botafogo), the rubro-negro club, which plays its home games at the legendary Maracanã, boasts supporters across the entire national territory. It is not uncommon to see people in the Amazon (far from the Cidade maravilhosa) sailing the Amazon River with boats displaying Flamengo flags or symbols.

In some ways, this is similar to what happens in Italy with Juventus or in England with Manchester United, with the difference that Brazil is the most populous among the advanced football nations. This effectively makes Flamengo the club with the largest number of domestic fans in the world. An important fact in itself, which also has significant economic consequences, as domestic supporters are those who largely contribute to matchday revenue and stadium merchandising.

However, limiting Flamengo’s importance in Brazil to just these numbers would be reductive. The Rio-based club has also played a significant role in the broader history of the country. During the central decades of the 20th century, it was one of the pioneer clubs in fully integrating Black players into Brazilian football. Even today, Flamengo’s torcida proudly waves banners featuring the urubu, a black bird typical of the country, which is not only one of the club’s mascots but was originally used by fans of other clubs to mock Flamengo supporters.

Not least, the club has secured a place in world music history, as legendary songs such as “País Tropical” and “Fio Maravilha” by Jorge Ben Jor explicitly reference or allude to Flamengo and its players.

Against this backdrop, and on the eve of an extremely important Libertadores final, Calcio e Finanza is honored to interview José Boto, the Portuguese executive who after a long experience at Benfica and Shaktar Donetsk has been Flamengo’s sporting director since December 2024. A role that, beyond sporting decisions, also carries major economic implications, as player trading is one of the cornerstones of the rubro-negro’s financial model.