Football Season Guide

Although they eventually finished in third last season, Flamengo were the team who pushed title winners Palmeiras the closest for most of the campaign and they come into the 2017 edition as one of the leading candidates to steal Palmerias’ crown. It was especially impressive that they were able to push Palmerias so hard last season given that Flamengo didn’t have a permanent home due to the use of their Maracana stadium for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The deterioration of the Maracana and an ongoing dispute between stadium directors and local leaders means that Flamengo will play at the Estádio Luso Brasileiro this season, at least to begin with. Although they could eventually move back to the Maracana, they will have a fairly fixed home and that could boost their home record, which suffered in 2016. In terms of their squad, there were few comings and goings over the transfer window, while up-and-coming coach Zé Ricardo also remains in charge. Jorge did depart for Monaco, but the arrival of Diego Ribas from Fenerbahce was a significant one and the squad is probably just as good as it was in 2016. That has been evidenced by a promising pre-season, including a good performance in the Copa Libertadores’ so-called group of death and the reaching of the Carioca State Championship final, knocking out Botafogo on the way.