What the parties say about the fight after testimony

The video of Marcos Braz, Flamengo’s vice-president of football, fighting with a fan of the Rio club inside Barra Shopping, in Rio de Janeiro, took to social media this Tuesday and demonstrated the board’s animosity towards its fans after the failure in the first match of the Copa do Brasil decision with São Paulo – a 1-0 defeat at Maracanã. After the confusion, the two were taken by the police to the city’s 16th DP to give statements and explain what happened.

After more than four hours at the police station, Braz and the fan, identified as Leandro Campos da Silveira Gonçalves, left the police station with their respective lawyers. “Marcos Braz was involved in a persecution, a premeditated thing. (…) Marcos Braz was with his daughter, a totally embarrassing situation, his life was threatened in front of his daughter, and he reacted. He is the victim in this story, he will run after these people, the police will run after these people. For me, this type of thing, threat, persecution, cannot happen, this is a crime”, explained Rodrigo Dunshee de Abranches, deputy general of club and Flamengo’s legal department.

Abranches stated that one of the organized fans linked to the Rio club created a hotline to find players and managers who were drinking and having fun after the team’s defeat in the first match of the Copa do Brasil final. Leandro Campos is one of the members of the crowd in question.

This Tuesday’s confusion caused part of Flamengo’s top management to begin moving to have Marcos Braz removed from the club’s board of directors. However, President Rodolfo Landim once again stated that Braz will only leave after the end of his term.

Version of the attacked fan

Leandro Campos da Silveira’s defense sees the confusion at Barra Shopping differently. According to the fan’s lawyer, Leandro complained about the team and the club’s situation to the manager and, when he turned his back and left the place, he was attacked by the manager and his security guards. Braz allegedly bit his groin.

Marcos Braz has a controversial history

Marcos Braz’s fight with the fan this Tuesday is the third episode of aggression at Flamengo in just over 50 days. At the end of July, striker Pedro was punched by physical trainer Pablo Fernández in the dressing room at Arena Independência, in Belo Horizonte, after the victory against Atlético-MG. The Sampaoli commission member was fired by Braz.

On August 15, Gerson and Varela exchanged aggression during team training at Ninho do Urubu. The full-back had his nose broken by his teammate in the fight. The delegation should arrive in São Paulo, for Sunday’s game, at Morumbi, on Saturday.