Throughout history, Brazilian football has been accustomed to relatively short periods of dominance. The teams rotated to the top of the national hierarchy in a cyclical manner. Flamengo, champions of Brazil for the ninth time, does so in a new context.
It is natural that we consider the year 2019 a milestone in the reunion of red and black with great achievements. What’s more, with the feeling that the titles were not accidental, but rather the result of the restructuring of the club, capable of raising more than a billion riyals every year, in a new football financial system that shows no reason to imagine that Flamengo will leave the top of the country’s economic pyramid. In these seven seasons, there have already been three Brazilian titles, five Carioca titles, two Brazilian Cups and two Libertadores titles, which could become three titles next Saturday.
But even then, this does not seem to be the most important factor in the national title in 2025. Flamengo fans will likely view it as a settling of scores not with a rival, but with what the red and black club expects from the club itself. It’s like putting things back in their right place, seeing the team with the highest revenues, able to bring together a significant portion of the continent’s biggest stars, and win the tournament with, in theory, the best measures with the most structure – both technical and financial – to sustain 38 rounds and eight months of difficult marathon.
Read more: After the Brazilian League title, check out Flamengo’s schedule for the Intercontinental Cup
Read more: Flamengo wins the Brazilian League and the Libertadores in the same season for the second time, equaling the achievement of Santos de Pele
In recent years, there seemed to be a bit of a disconnect between what Flamengo thought they could achieve and what they actually delivered. Of course, cups require talent and good teams. But it can be won through good offers on specific days. The Brazilian championship, a tournament that requires stamina, squad depth and, of course, money, has not had Flamengo as real favorites in the final stage in at least three of the last four editions. On the contrary, the club seems to be paying more attention to the cups. And in 2025, she will again appreciate and win the competition, where she should, in theory, make use of all her strength.
The enneacampeonato campaign leaves its mark. For one, it reaffirms that Filipe Luis is one of the great hopes of a country eager for new coaches. He transformed the talent pool into a team capable of pressing like it hasn’t done in a long time, with a strong, brutal defense and an attack that had mechanisms to deal with various opponents: from teams that marked the ball to those that closed in behind.
Felipe also asserted himself in control of the stellar cast. If he lacks a measure of his ability to handle important player management, Pedro’s case may have been a litmus test.
Regarding the team, it is possible to talk about the technical quality of the defensive line, responsible for starting the match, the superior talent of Jorginho, the balancing act of the team, the goals of Pedro… But this Brazilian league will be remembered as the championship of Arascaita, placed close to the opponent’s area, and the great play-setter who also turned into a scorer. In his seventh season with Flamengo, he witnessed perhaps his greatest years. It’s about his resources, but it’s another endorsement of Filipe Luis’ work.
Flamengo dominated all statistics, from goals scored to goals conceded, from chances created to those allowed, from ball possession to passes. He won a tournament that still has perhaps the best runner-up finish in history. Spending eight months competing point-to-point with Palmeiras is a requirement that helps remember how the value of an achievement is sometimes determined by the level of the opponent. Fella won this difficult marathon.