Besides that, we have for 25 years Petrobras (the longest on Brazil, maybe on the world) as our sponsor and the board does not want to injury the relationship. So even if they don’t pay, as happened on January, February and until today, the team will still use their name on the shirt.

Being a governmental company, Petrobras has a lot of bureaucracy to pay the team and one of them is that the club fulfills his obligations with the government (impossible, once great part of Flamengo debt is from government taxes and social security). Every year is the same history: Flamengo fights against the time and against the government to get about R$20million (which I consider a small value considering the size of the club and the range of his name).

It would be easier to get money from a private company, wouldn’t it?

But you know one thing lead to another. Debs and less income money become late payments (the players have not received salaries this year), less commitment from the players, the end of their love and passion to our colors, unhappy supporters and defeats.

That’s was clear to everybody on February 28th during the humiliating defeating on Maracanã against Resende (1×3). As consequence of that, we lost the chance to fight for the title and now we have to win the second round to keep the dream of the fifth 3 times champions.

After that, we have already played 2 games, winning both of them. 5-0 and 3-1. I really hope that that absurd is only a pontual problem and not something that we’ll face during the whole year once again.

Some of the problems, such as Marcelinho, have already gone. A nice kickoff.

Flamengo will not go to the field with the usual first eleven because Ronaldo Angelim went to surgery and will be out for 6 weeks by now. Airton and Marcelinho Paraiba won’t go to the match either because they already have two yellow cards during the championship.

Both teams are already qualified to the semi-finals, but the winner will finish the first round with the best campaign having the chance to face the worst team coming from the other group.

After a terrible match – which ended with a boring 1-1 score – last Wednesday against Boavista everybody expects a great presentation.

The match above happened on november 8th 1981, almost nine years after the match that Botafogo beat Flamengo 6-0 on november 15th 1972 – Flamengo’s birthday. On this match, Junior completed 500 games wearing the sacred mantle. And with only 5 minutes left on the clock, Andrade made a brilliant shot and scored the sixth goal. Nunes, Zico (twice), Lico, Adílio and Andrade scored our goals. The greatest Flamengo vs. Botafogo ever. One of the greatest matches ever.

That the hell is wrong with you guys. Come on! They play for Macaé. They are no Madrid.

We went to the semi finals, but it is not enough. We have to play better and better to win the championship.