One of the stars returned to the Mengão after Brazil’s friendly tour, yet his most recent outing sparked discontent in the squad after he complained about being subbed off.
Pedro, a standout from Brazil’s 4-0 thrashing of India, rejoined Flamengo on Tuesday to face a critical phase, with the Mengão leading the Brasileirão and eyeing the Libertadores semi‑final against Estudiantes de La Plata. Yet his latest appearance stirred unrest within the team, leaving him in a delicate spot.
After the September win over Bragantino and before heading to the Canarinha friendlies, the forward publicly berated coach Leonardo Jardim for being taken off, a move that, according to Globo, caused tension in the camp.
“The pitch clearly isn’t in great shape, but I won’t dwell on that—it hurts both sides. It’s no excuse. Any player knows that. Sure, after the 2-0 goal I wanted to keep going and score more, but Flamengo boasts plenty of quality,” Pedro, who netted one of the many goals, said.
Meanwhile, the player’s displeasure with the club grows, as he’s been pushed down the renewal list while teammates snag salary hikes and new deals. Even after a serious injury in recent seasons, he feels undervalued and has fielded high‑value offers from overseas clubs. For my money, Flamengo risks losing a talent if they don’t sort the contract issue.
The first leg between Flamengo and Estudiantes is set for Thursday, October 15, 21:30 local time in Argentina at La Plata’s Estadio UNO. The return match comes a week later in Brazil: October 22 at Rio’s iconic Maracanã, kickoff 21:30.