South America – Inside World Football

Argentine Sampaoli makes dash from Spain to take over at Brazil’s Flamengo

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 04:41:45 +0000

April 17 – Jorge Sampaoli has succeeded Vitor Pereira as the new manager of Flamengo. He will make his debut on Thursday against Chile’s Nublense in the Copa Libertadores.

Sacked by Sevilla in March over fears of relegation from La Liga, Sampaoli (pictured) signed a contract until 2024 with Flamengo and finds himself immediately in the pressure seat. The Rio club has already missed out on five titles this season and supporters have protested against the club management,

Palmeiras set to kick off defence of Brazilian title. Flamengo and Atletico Mineiro in the hunt

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 06:21:17 +0000

April 14 – On Saturday, Palmeiras kick off the 2023 Brazilian league season against Cuiaba. Alongside Rio giants Flamengo and Belo Horizonte behemoth Atletico Mineiro, they will be favourites to win the Serie A.

Under Portuguese coach Abel Ferreira, Palmeiras are a well-drilled unit. He develops players and organises his team to become ruthlessly efficient. The defending champions are not pleasant to watch but will be the team to beat.

Flamengo should be their main challenger.

Flamengo fire Pereira before he gets to coach a regular season Serie A game

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 05:00:28 +0000

April 12 – Flamengo have dismissed their Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira after a series of disappointing results ahead of this weekend’s kick-off of the national league.

Pereira had only been in the job since January 1. A Flamengo statement read: “Clube de Regatas do Flamengo announces that coach Vitor Pereira and his coaching staff are no longer in charge of the senior team. The board thanks the coach and wishes him luck in his further career.”

The dismissal followed a procession of painful,

AFA builds on World Cup win with Dafabet deal for Asia

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 04:46:01 +0000

April 4 – Capitalising on their world cup win, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) has agreed a two-year regional sponsorship agreement for Asia with Dafabet.

The agreement covers Argentina’s participation in the Copa América 2024 which will be played in the US.

The AFA said that the agreement was a further consolidation of its increased commercial opportunities built on the back of world leading on-field performance.

President of AFA,

Flamengo break revenue records and target further growth with new league

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 05:43:34 +0000

April 4 – Brazilian club Flamengo keeps breaking records. In 2022, the Rio outfit’s revenues broke the 1 billion reais revenue mark for the first time.

At €192 million, the record revenue sees Flamengo break into the top 30 ranking of major clubs around the world in the Deloitte Football Money League. Flamengo sits in 26th position in the ranking, leaving Crystal Palace, Ajax Amsterdam, Sevilla, and Villareal behind.

“It reinforces the club’s desire to be a protagonist on the world stage and demonstrates that we still have a long way to go and that Brazilian football as a whole can deliver a better quality product to its fans that generates greater value for its entire market,” Flamengo financial director Fernando Góes told Brazilian broadcaster Globo.

Conmebol commits money to Asuncion stadium as it boosts its bid for 2030 World Cup

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 05:20:17 +0000

April 3 – South American confederation Conmebol have announced they will build a new stadium in Asuncion to support the region’s bid for the 2030 World Cup.

At the body’s annual congress, Conmebol promised to construct a 45,000-seater stadium in the Paraguayan capital at a cost of $50 million. If South America wins the hosting of the 2030 World Cup, capacity would be expanded to a capacity of 60,000.

With FIFA president Gianni Infantino present,

Brazil’s Santos unveil plans for new €71m stadium

Paul Nicholson — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 11:10:59 +0000

March 30 – Brazilian club Santos have revealed more details about plans for their new stadium that will replace the historic Vila Belmiro venue.

With four levels and tributes to Santos greats, the club want to build a state-of-the-art venue with a capacity of 30,000 seats to modernise and drive commercial revenue. At the end of 2022, club members approved plans for a new stadium.

“The project seeks to contribute strongly to its users’

Flamengo set sights on Copa Libertadores final at Maracana as Brazilians aim to keep the party going

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 11:32:37 +0000

March 28 – Can Brazil’s dominance of the Copa Libertadores be broken? At the draw this week, reigning champions Flamengo were given what looks to be an easy path to the knock-out rounds. Brazil’s other six clubs in the competition will be keen on leaving their mark as well.

Last season, Flamengo won a second continental trophy in four years defeating Atletico Paranaense 1-0 in the competition’s final in Ecuador. It was the fourth consecutive time that a Brazilian club has won the title.

Brazil’s Menezes puts faith in youth for Moroccan friendly

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 09:36:07 +0000

March 24 – On Saturday, Brazil will kick off the new cycle with a friendly international against World Cup semi-finalists Morocco in Tangier, but question marks loom over the future direction of the team.

Previously with Brazil’s U-20 team, interim coach Ramon Menezes has selected young players as well as home-based stars for the trip to North Africa, Brazil’s first outing following their disappointing quarter-final exit against Croatia at the World Cup, the fifth time in a row that the South Americans fell to European opposition in the knockout stage of the tournament.

Misfiring Flamengo overcome Vasco de Gama to reach Carioca final

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 09:40:23 +0000

March 20 – Flamengo have reached the final of the Carioca championship, defeating cross-town rivals Vasco da Gama to ease some of the pressure on Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira.

In the semi-finals of the state championship, the team from Gavea defeated Vasco da Gama over two legs 6-3. In the second leg on Sunday at the Maracana, Flamengo fell behind to a 31st-minute Manuel Capasso strike, but responded with two goals from striker Pedro before full-back Ayrton Lucas sealed the 3-1 victory.