• Published on 04/27/2024 – 06:00 • Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
After half of the group stage, the classification of the Flamengo The round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores is under threat. Tite’s decision to play without full strength in the last match, against Bolívar, resulted in a defeat at the altitude of La Paz and an increase in the advantage of the Bolivian team, which is the leader, with nine points.
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Rubro-Negro has four points and occupies second place in group E, just one point ahead of Palestino (CHI), third place.
The decision to preserve some starters, such as Pedro, Arrascaeta and Everton Cebolinha, was a choice made by Tite in conjunction with the club’s medical department. In an interview after the defeat, the former coach of the Brazilian team stated that he could not be irresponsible to the point of subjecting his athletes to possible injuries, especially muscular ones.
– Load quantification brings athletes who have this condition and with all the support that Flamengo provides. The responsibility is mine, because the team’s definition is mine, but I am very clear about not blowing an athlete in a sequence of games and losing him afterwards – said the coach.
Despite the adverse result, Flamengo will play two of the three remaining group stage games in Rio de Janeiro, and will depend solely on their own strength to advance to the next phase of the continental competition. However, finishing in first place in the group is doubtful, as Bolívar has not yet lost points in the current edition of the Libertadores.
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In the next round, Rubro-Negro travels to Chile to face Palestino. Next, they host Bolívar, and end their participation in the group stage against Millonarios, also in Rio de Janeiro.
