Flamengo manager gets involved in confusion with fan in shopping mall – 09/19/2023 – Sports

Flamengo’s vice-president of football, Marcos Braz, was involved in a disturbance in a shopping center in Rio de Janeiro this Tuesday (19). Images circulating on the internet show the leader participating in an exchange of aggression at the door of a store.

These images were published by journalist Venê Casagrande, from SBT. In them, it is possible to see the top hat and another man, his security guard, around a fallen man. A man and a woman break up the fight, and Braz —who is also a Rio councilor, for PL— comes out screaming.

According to Casagrande, the manager said he was in a BarraShopping store, in Barra da Tijuca, when he started being insulted. “The guy started verbally attacking me. It’s absurd,” said Braz, according to the journalist’s report.

The fan stated that he only noticed the vice-president’s presence and shouted for him to leave Flamengo. “When I saw it, he ran after me. He and his security guard attacked me. He bit me too.”

The fight reportedly started around 5pm and scared customers and shopkeepers who were there. The manager took refuge inside a store after the confusion.

The police were called, but arrived at the scene about an hour after the incident, while many onlookers took over the mall’s corridors. According to the website GE.com, the manager left the mall at 6:19 pm, accompanied by police officers and security guards, and headed to the 16th police station (Barra da Tijuca).

He was insulted by dozens of fans who were in the mall corridor.

BarraShopping released a statement stating that it is providing support to everyone involved in the incident, in addition to helping the police to clarify the facts.

“The mall’s management informs that it was called this afternoon due to a disagreement between customers. The mall also informs that it is providing full support to those involved and that it remains at the disposal of the competent authorities to collaborate with the investigation of the facts.”

Flamengo did not comment on the incident until the publication of this text. The club is experiencing a moment of tension, with internal fights and criticism from the fans towards the board. Last Sunday (17), in the first game of the Copa do Brasil final, a large part of the public present at Maracanã cursed Braz and President Rodolfo Landim.

This Tuesday (19), Braz would have to be present at the Rio City Council. However, the PL councilor was only present at the beginning of the session that started at 4pm and then he was absent. As he did not attend the vote that was on the agenda, he will be considered absent.

The project on the agenda was to authorize the city hall to take out a loan for urban mobility works.

The fight between Flamengo’s vice-president this Tuesday was the third case of aggression involving the club in the last two months.

On July 29, coach Jorge Sampaoli’s physical trainer, Pablo Fernández, attacked striker Pedro with a punch. The Argentine questioned the striker for sitting on the bench after being passed over to enter the field during a match against Atlético Mineiro in the Brazilian Championship.

The professional ended up being fired by the club the following day and then reached an agreement with the player to end the case that had been opened against him.

Two weeks later, on August 15, Gerson and Varela exchanged aggression after falling out during training.

Neither of them were punished by Flamengo and continued to play in the club’s following matches, although the episode showed that the atmosphere in the dressing room remains tense among the players.