Flamengo: why is Arrascaeta wearing the number 10 shirt causing controversy?

Midfielder Arrascaeta received Flamengo’s number 10 shirt from former president Rodolfo Landim. But the initiative was not unanimous and drew criticism from the new president Luiz Eduardo Baptista, known as Bap.

Multi-champion with Flamengo, De Arrascaeta has been at Flamengo since 2019 and has a strong identification with the Rio club. In the 2024 season, there were 10 goals and 10 assists in 43 games.

— Two years ago I brought this idea to the president, the number 10 shirt has to be from Arrascaeta. He said: “It’s early, Diego will be with us a lot”. I said: when we give it to Arrascaeta, we should buy 1 million shirts and put the number 10 and the name De Arrascaeta on them. Two years later we gave the number 10 shirt to Arrascaeta and it doesn’t have a size L, it doesn’t have a number 10, it doesn’t have Arrascaeta’s name, and the stores weren’t aware of it. Flamengo stopped earning R$10, R$12 million without doing this. Doing it this way is proof of amateurism, it’s burning money. —said Bap, in a press conference this Wednesday (18/12).

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Repercussions on Arrascaeta wearing Flamengo’s number 10 shirt

Internet users positively evaluated Flamengo’s new number 10. However, there was criticism about the process, and many considered Landim’s “opportunism” in the announcement, since the agent will not continue at the club next season.

“Since Diego’s departure, Arrascaeta had to be number 10,” wrote a fan in the club’s publication. “Closing the Landim administration, showing the usual amateurism and lack of respect! Video call to pass the 10 to Arrasca? You’re joking, right!”, said another.

It is frightening that Landim’s last act as president of Flamengo was the absolutely amateur handing over of the number 10 shirt to Arrascaeta.

For BAP this represents a loss of approximately 10, 12 million reais.

It’s a very important fact to remember when Landim…

— Douglas Brasil (@odouglasbrasil)

Does that mean that at that moment giving the number 10 shirt to arrascaeta would sell more than with gabigol? You have to be really stupid to think about that. And about not having logistics in stores now I agree. Big mistake by the current management

— Wilson Marques (@WilsonM40863)

Why did Gabigol “lose” Flamengo’s number 10 shirt?

Historic shirt worn by Flamengo idol Zico, the number 10 is considered the most important in the club’s numbering.

Rubro-negro had been shirtless since May, when Gabigol was caught wearing the Corinthians shirt.

Flamengo punished the attacker for his attitude: in addition to a fine of 10% of his salary, he also stopped wearing the number 10 shirt. In his apology, Gabi highlighted that he did not want to offend the club and that it is a custom “that many peripheral areas have ” to wear different football shirts.

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Flamengo’s last 10 shirts