Gerson accuses Flamengo of ‘seeking revenge’ in legal case

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·02 de abril de 2026

Gerson accuses Flamengo of ‘seeking revenge’ in legal case

Why is Flamengo charging more than R$ 42 million from Gerson, now at Cruzeiro?

Flamengo has filed a lawsuit against Gerson, a former Fla player who is currently at Cruzeiro. Thus, on Wednesday (01), the midfielder submitted his defense in the case and claimed that the Rubro-Negro acted in bad faith, out of a desire for revenge, and violated labor rights.

According to ‘GE’, Gerson’s defense argues that the player fulfilled his contract with Flamengo and did not “break” any clause. In addition, the midfielder accuses Mengo of violating labor rights. Finally, the player’s lawyers revealed that the Rubro-Negro owes R$ 6 million in signing bonuses to “Coringa.”

Vídeos OneFootball

What did Gerson’s defense say?

Item 6.2 — and this is the cornerstone of the dispute — established that, in the event of full payment of the sports compensation clause (exactly as occurred in this case — an undisputed fact, since it was admitted by CRF itself), IT DID NOT ESTABLISH ANY FINE (PENALTY CLAUSE). AND THE REASON IS OBVIOUS: WHEN THE FINE IS PAID, THE CONTRACT IS FULFILLED, NOT BREACHED. Gerson has been suffering like a silent lamb led to the slaughter. No interview on the matter; no statement, no press release; and no comment on his social media. Gerson only said: “at the right time I will tell some truths.” On 07/03/2025, Gerson was instructed by his father, Mr. Marcos Antônio dos Santos, to sign a handwritten paper drafted by Mr. Marcos himself, who in turn had been instructed by Flamengo’s Human Resources Department. According to Flamengo, that handwritten resignation letter was “mere internal club routine to comply with bureaucratic matters” and would in no way harm the mutual termination and agreement reached between CRF, the Russian club, and the athlete himself. In fact, Gerson signed several other undated documents and contractual instruments in complete trust in CRF. The athlete never imagined he could be betrayed by the club that he, together with his teammates, helped so much. Gerson discovered that he is the victim of a desire for revenge by Flamengo’s current President, who could not bear the fact that the athlete was signed and brought back from Russian football to Brazil precisely by the Minas Gerais club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube. Perhaps because Cruzeiro’s current Football Director (Mr. Bruno Spindel) was dismissed from Flamengo by the current Rubro-Negro President. And the initial filing was not shy about revealing this desire for revenge,” said the player’s defense.

Why is Flamengo charging Gerson in court?

Gerson had a contract with Flamengo until 2027, but the player’s father made statements to the press demanding a raise for his son, revealing that the athlete had one of the lowest salaries among the starters. As a result, the Most Beloved renewed the deal until 2030, with a salary increase and a reduction in the termination clause.

With the clause reduced, Zenit paid Flamengo and secured Gerson’s release without the need for negotiation. However, the midfielder’s new contract included a “compensation fine” in the event of unilateral termination. In this way, the Rubro-Negro is demanding R$ 42.7 million from the company that represents the player, led by Marcão Santos.

How did Gerson leave Flamengo?

Gerson left Flamengo in July 2025, after Zenit paid the midfielder’s release clause, shelling out 25 million euros (about R$ 160 million at the time). At the time, the player was Fla’s main name, wearing the captain’s armband. Even so, “Coringa” decided to accept the Russians’ offer.

However, according to Gerson’s defense, the midfielder signed the contract renewal with Flamengo without realizing the drastic reduction in the release clause. Before the extension, the Rubro-Negro had contractual protection of 200 million euros (R$ 1.1 billion).

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