Coluna do Fla
·16 de abril de 2026
Jorginho slams Brazilian schedule and sends message to the CBF

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Yahoo sportsColuna do Fla
·16 de abril de 2026

Jorginho gave an interview to the English newspaper The Times this Thursday (16) and spoke about several topics. Among the most controversial, the Flamengo midfielder criticized the Brazilian football calendar. The player mentioned the need for improvements and said the spectacle could be better if the number of matches were reduced.
— Here in Brazil, it’s even worse, honestly. Flamengo plays, what, 70, 75 matches a year? [In the 2025 calendar, Flamengo played 75 matches with the first team.] Not counting those who also go to the national team. It’s an absurd number of matches. There isn’t a player who can play that many games and not get injured, it’s impossible — said Jorginho.
— We have to be robots. From the outside, people think we need to be like that because they think we are well paid and that we just have to go out there and play. And we do, because that’s what we are paid for. But certainly, if there were fewer matches in a season, the spectacle would be better, the quality would increase. It would be much better for everyone — concluded the Flamengo midfielder.
Flamengo was one of the teams that played the most in world football during 2025. That is because the Rubro-Negro side had a packed schedule, starting with the Campeonato Carioca. Right after that, they played in the Supercopa do Brasil, the Club World Cup, the Brasileirão, the Copa do Brasil, the Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup.
During that period, Flamengo won the Campeonato Carioca against Fluminense. Then they beat Botafogo in the Supercopa do Brasil final. Finally, they won the Brasileirão and the Copa Libertadores titles, overcoming Palmeiras.
Jorginho was announced by Flamengo on June 5, during the transfer window. Up to December, the Rubro-Negro midfielder played in 32 matches, scoring five goals and providing three assists for his teammates.
So, by way of comparison, Jorginho had played 36 matches for Arsenal (ENG) in the previous season. In the season when he finished third in the Ballon d’Or, the Italian-Brazilian midfielder played 43 times for Chelsea (ENG).
Without Jorginho, who is currently under the care of the medical department, Flamengo remains focused on the next challenges of the season. That is because the Most Beloved takes the field this Thursday (16) to face Independiente Medellín (COL) in the Copa Libertadores.
As usual, Coluna do Fla brings all the details of Flamengo’s match, which kicks off at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Maracanã. Finally, ESPN, on pay TV, and Disney+, via streaming, will broadcast the Rubro-Negro team’s match.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.









































